New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-19
PUSHING PRIMARY BILL
Senator Cobb Sees National and
State Leaders.
MAY REACH COMPROMISE
Determined Effort To Be Made,
However, to Pass the Measure
Favored bv Governor.
isr Tel.r-.nh e me TrIhune. !


Albany. April Is. Endeavoring TO work
cut q COMPROMISE between Governor
sIuehes's direct primary bin and the prop
osition cut forward bv the Republican ma
chine primary reform. Senator George
=. cobb. header OF the upper house % the
glcE isiature. has spent the last four days
IN conference with influential Republicans
around the state. A. a result OF his lsbors
he feels hopeful that some agreement will
D. reached which viii permit the Legs
lslture to adopt bin satisfactory 20 Gov
ernor hughes.
I think there IL = good prospect that We
may act things ironed out said he. so
Nc can unite on a bin which viii be salts
factory to the Governor and for which The
advocates Of the Phillips bin VIII
vote
It seems pretty certain that the anti
direct primary people now arc willing 20
accept the Governors bin intact MP 10 the
point where ID abolishes the state conven-
ZION. They are not yet willing 70 go that
Far. arguing that while the direct primary
might be sndurabo I'm The small districts,
they could not accept 81 for the entire state.
Senator Cobb came 10 this city tonight
fresh from 2 conference at Utica with
Senator Elihu Root and Nice-President
Sherman Senator Root. through Senator
davenport here. recently expressed him
- SER in favor of the Governors bill
Vice President Sherman realizes keenly
The necessity Tor some vigorous, Affirmative
acton on the part Of the Republicans IN
This Legislature n the Republicans are 10
retain q chance 81 eiectiug their state and
Congress tickets neat fall.
New York Attitude
- e,.,.-s.,- 81 Sod co,o.o- ,-obh
vas IN consultation IN Now York with
Lloyd c. Grisoom. an outspol1en Hughes
man: Seth Low. who goes about half way
Rith the Governor on the direct primary
measure. and other prominent Republicans.
H would not say much about the results
OF these conferences.
The New York people want one thing,
the upstate people want another. ne said
There will he some difficulties. naturally
in working out the bin But 7 think the
prospect is very hopeful"
Men here who know Senator Cobb's at
ttude say he considers . compromise be
tween the Hnman-Green bin. urged by tho
Governor. and the machines Meade Phillips
bin as absolutely essential 10 n satisfactory
completion Of the beeislature's iabors. lie
personally believes I'm the direct primary
principle - certain extent. but like many
WILING
convention system
At the same limo h realizes tho great
dernsnd on the part ~ voters Of both par
fier Tor the direct primary. Tie realizes
also that The Republican party win be held
responsible r. this Legislature fails 10 enact
she Governors bin or passes one which he
cannot approve.
y believe such action is necessary" said
Senator Davis, '1f We are 10 get any pri-
mary reform legislation this session.
Ninety-nine per cent OF the people arc in
favor ~ tho Hinms Green bin. In my
judgment. we viii satisfy them II We pass
The bin thai is satisfactory TO Governor
Hughes, As they favor the TIinman-Green
hill largely because it's the Governors
measure"
Informal polls Of The senate taken very
recently Indicate that the Hinman-Green
bin probably -~w-ilI pass that house Il il
reaches file 7foor. either with or without
amendments. The situation ia the Assem-
ny apparently remains unchanged. Speak
81 Wordsworth and his supporters might
consent under pressure Of dire necessity.
10 accept tho measure without abolition
OF the state COnvention-never II tGat time
honored institution is TO go.
Nothing official is known regarding the
Governors sttitude on this compromise"
proposition. His friends are predicting that
81 the Legislators expect him TO commit
himself 20 the acceptance Of any compro-
mise bin rfev are likely TO be sadly mis-
taken.
Senator Cobbs efforts TO bring about
compromise are being watched with much
interest by Hughes legislators. They saw
ms proposal FOR a compromise is the
strongest testimony they have heard vet
80
Some 81 them say the machine leaders. IN
der guise OF compromise. are seeking 10
gain the political advantage OF compliance
with the Governors recommendation bv
giving IN legislation the shadow, not the
substance. They consider the state nornins-
tons the place where the direct primary is
needed most just nov.