The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-29
The Man aud HI. Measure.

The Man aud MS Measure.
II was to be expected tina. one Of
the immediate consequences oi the an
nounccment 81 the retirement IL Gov
ernOr HUGHIs would he a desperate
and dishonest attemp; to jam through a
demoralized legislature the preposter-
OTIS Hinman-Grecn hill Il il natural.
il discreClit able. that a final attempt
is being made to capitalize for Appli-
cation To the fIrtherance of n purely
governmental project tho hysteria pro-
voked nv recent events in this state.
This final effort il not hard Ia under
stand. Prom its inception 10 the pres
ent moment the direct primary move
mont in this State has not been a rational
or logical growth. II has been purely
and exclusively the personal project Of
the Hon CHARLES Evans HUGHEs, and
its strength. 81 far as Il has had
strength. has rested upon tho popular
ity Of Governor HTGHEs. achieved fairly
but in other fields.
In the dir"rt primary proiec; alone, NJ
all his various important undertakings.
Governor HJyGHFs has found himself
NJ all times confronted and opposed nv
representative citizens whose honesty
he could not assail and whose intelli-
genCc stood four square with his own.
Always in advancing his cause, he has
becn compelled to resort to those meth
DDS and devices which however they
might temporarily attract tho mob. have
sieadfastly failed to win either the sup
port or tho approval NJ the m"n whose
sympathy with the high purposes Of Mr..
HrGHFs has remained constant
To tho support Of his personal plan for
notwithstanding the whole system Of
party organizat ION in this State the Gov
ernor has attracted only the Thought
loss and the prriudiced among honest
men. That understandable COLLECT ion ~
hack politicians. irnpudcrt and ignoran,
self-advertiserS and ambitious and
empty youths who have contributed
the cont rolling element in tho direct
primary movement under Governor
HTGHES has of Itself bcrn calculated
IN sfront tho decent and disgIlst the in
steadfast supporters.
Always from tho outset il has been
clear beyond peradveniure that the
moment tina, the Hon. CHARLES EVANS
HU0HEs was eliminated from the dirrct
primary agitation the thing would col
lapse If it, own dead weight. NOproj-
eCt. however mad. however impossible,
which had gained the championship Of
man 50 universally recognized ~ honest
and clean. could fail 10 attract some
measure " public interest but the inter
est. tho support. was always for the
man. not rho measure: for a leader,
not a Legislative proposition
Well. Governor HUGHEs has elimi-
mated himself from the field 81 State
affairs. and now on the instant the col
lapse II tho direct primary affair be-
gins II il injured to-day: tomorrow
It seems likely that il will be dad. The
man has gone. and the measure remains
exactly what il was before he IN a mo-
ment II zeal for propaganda perfection
took Il for his own. " IL to-day IA void
II value a. a box which still hears a
label but from which the contents have
been extracted.
From Albany the dispatches indicate
with growing unanimity that tho end oG
the inciden, is in sight. that tho Las,
effort TO infuse vitality into a dead agi-
tation will fail. II this he t1Ie IL will
he fortunate alike for the State and for
the Hon. CHARLES EVANS HUGHEs The
present Governor has rendered. much
honorable and valuable service. hut ~
will he well for his fame hereafter II the
record o. his service docs not have 10
bear that qualification which would he
inevitable II he succeeded in importing
upon the people 81 this State a prepo--
ferrous and vicious scheme substan tally
Of his own making.