The sun., 1910-01-09
TkDHAkS VERSUS WOODRUFF
fAEY CANr AGREE .4RoUr
Ways or CONVENTIONS.
Ehey start with q widely Different Point
Of View as to Dlrecr Primaries and
Then Nadhams Disputes Mr. Wood.
runs Statement as to Delegates.

runS Statement as to Delegates.
Z mothy Woodruff. cha rman Of the
Republican State committee. told n hum
dr2d and fifty members OF the City Club
Ae4enbled at luncheon yesterday that he
would like TO be a reformer in the matter
81 fhe primary and ballot laws IL only he
th&uEht that practical reform were pos
sitAe. Since. the direct primary and
nofnination by petition had not, accord
4 ssssss 70 his best information. proved q
sutcess in the localities making a test
of sit Mr.. Woodruff was OF the opinion
that we would have TO worry along with
noknination in convention until something
neSrer perfect and really work able should
y besevolved.
William vadhams. who had the ad-
vantage OF MIR. Woodruff in following him
ane who as president of the Direct Primar-
\. ies ssociation needed to make no pre-
liminary statement Of his position. drew
eey1tf4f a etchy pictures Of how political
4 ORD kni&aiko koh works in a State convention
wherein his afikures needed no heavy
Y ch&IkfNk &bsbe rscognfSed.
NelS6n Bs Spencer, who presided over
thS2nformal discussion OF direct primaries
leafl{sA56n following the luncheon. intro
y duc&d DIR. Woodruff as "a very noted
lead&r who has been on both sides OF the
y uue4&1h.' He also had something to
4 my ~ Feof, Ferrer's delineation Of Cesar
As &es head and builder OF q Roman
TAnh4ny Hall. &
@LXhake 70 add to Mr.. Spencer's recoI-
eecti4n&, concerning Cesar said the
< head "a the State committee when he
axo4& t>speak Il wish to recall Ferrer's
chaf&cferization of Cicero a man who
wns 2n1lnitely greater Intellectually than
CRsHf .but who through bis tiaidity and
\ plia&Ri>y to the viii OF stronger man
all0He9 revolutions TO come 20 destroy
t the We&ublIc and even TO destroy thu
4 life M sHhe man who had built up this
T&xa1nAfiy Hall OF Rome. I have been
m HttlfsideS Of the drect primaries qnee-
tioqkS ~ Mr.. Spencer has 40 delicAtely
s1ln. and for that reason perhaps am
bt2tsr qualified TO speak than are men
wfp have eeen but one side Of the matter"
Mr.. Woodruff then explained that
\ p6fhAps the impression had spread that
No Dad been. more in favor OF the direct
R primary at one time than he really was
II. was after. Hearst had come so near
4 fo Becoming Mayor without the backing
Of m sestGblished machine. said the
nfI9akef, that he told the Republicans
oE Brookfyh that perhaps it would be
wieS 70 adopt the direct primary system
"A a means for bringing the members
\ of The party closer together.
But when Gov. Hughes took the po-
Aifion he did in regard to direct primaries
In his speech Of acceptance OF his second
domination over in Brooklyn / realized
I, that the matter was coming up in a very
fcrceful manner and when l went down
\ so Hot Springs and later TO Bonair. where
Rresident-elect Taft was then focusing
E politicians from all over the country l
asked every man from the West who had
practical acquaintance with the WORK.
hnEs Of the direct primary out there what
he thought about il was amazed 70
ind that not single man VINO oarne from
! . State where the direct primary scneme
vas in operation approved OF il. When
/ the Hinman- Green bill came up before
tho last Legislature gave It very CAREFUL
consideration and decided that il the
Homogeneous West could not get along
with direct primaries the heterogeneous
New York State and more particularly
city certainly could not bend to the new
Y device ,c
Il want 10 challenge the popular mis-
\ ocnoeption that a regular control Of con-
Nv F7A~AtAho aCtNdlty CAlbtS, CODLlHuGu
Woodruff. The man who says that the
kings county delegation. for instance. in
the State convention has ever been ruled
by cne man is certainly not conversant
with the facts. I have never yet seen a
Kings county delegation vote without the
hottest kind OF caucus.
@As TO Gov, Hughes's recommendation
Tor Statewide enrolment. I am in favor
of that provided that practical way to
F1NrG int Ava ffr.ra hzaf
IN favor OF all reforms that would in any
way correct what many people believe
to be present evils in the ballot system
and the selection Of nominees il it can be
shown that such reforms can be made
practical under our complex political con-
siitions
-On the proposition Of nominating by
committees proposed in the Hinman-
Green bill ! cannot conceive Of any prac-
flcsl way by which you can harmonic
these two great propositions: Direct NOM
nations at the primaries pure and simple
and the nomination OF candidates for the
primaries by committee, others to nom-
inate by petition, That would mean that
the matter Of the contest between the two
s8te OF nominees thus made would have
" De Fought out at the primaries. Why,
the State committee would be in session
pulled all Of that time" 49,,
When Mr.. Wadhams had his turn at
tbe subject he threw quick look in the
ulrecfion oil the state committee head
and then begantd outline what he said
he knew to be the experience Of a con-
vention delegate; he had been one and an
observant one at that.
You go to the convention and lean
against first one refreshment counter
and then another and you can Join the |
chorus Of We're here because we're here |
and be a regul9r' nominating delegate,
but II you want TO know what's really
going on you seek out little room some- !
whore. Presently a long distance telc- |
phone bell rings, there il a conversation
the reporters fock thither and the head |
q the State committee puts his head out |
of the door and gives out the nomina- |
tions. Then with a paper in your pocket |
containing the nominations as agreed |
upon you 60 into the convention and |
answer Aye when your name is called.
Why. IL wasn't so long ago when the |
present head Of the State connnittee"-- |
here Mr.. Woodruff examined carefully |
the tip Of his cigar---said three hours |
I.nfnVo tho nnnainat