New-York tribune., 1910-04-28
Maohin. Men Have Whip Hand.


Machine men opposed 10 the direct
primary have the whip hand in this stu
alton because Of their control Of both
committees How far they viii exert
that control IS a perplexing question.
They have the power. II they desire to
90 It 70 kill the Governors bill IN COM
nittee. as was done last year. despite
the fact that there is a large group OF
legislators IN each house anxious to go
on record on the bill in a fair. free vote
Some OF the direct primary people are
wondering X through delay. talk of
compromise and the usual red tape OF
the two houses the machine Republicans
hope to wind up the session without
passing any primary reform legislation.
Plans have been made for continuing
the existence Of the Assembly judiciary
Committee, although all other standing
committees viii 20 out OF existence on
Friday. This VIII permit that commit
tee next week 10 take up the Governors
bil and the other primary measures
That promise IS made tonight, just as
yesterday the statement was made that
the Governors bill would be reported
from the committee tonight L Is
Speaker wa6sworth's idea that no con-
structive work should be done by the
Rules Committee. and therefore the
judiciary Committee must continue in
existence until IL gets this primary leg
islation Strengthened out
Antagonists OF the Governors direct
primary reform were gloating to-day
over the things they expected 70 do TO
the Hinman-Green bill While the Sen
ate leaders still have some notion Of
adopting a direct primary measure in
part. the followers Of Speaker Wads-
worth in the Assembly are more than
half inclined to insist on the passage Of
the Meade-Phflips bill. with no pro
vision whatever for direct primaries.
Many persons think the anti-Hughes
men n the two houses viii get together
on this scheme:
An amendment Of the Meade-Phillips
bin providing for direct primaries for
Senators. Assemblymen and Congress
men.
A provision that the bin shall take
effect on January I, 1911.
Passage Of the measure under the
name Of the IIinman-Green bill This
mart OF the scheme is. however. tenta-
tive. The auti-Hughes men would like
70 DO Il. but seemingly haven't figured
out vet quite where il would land them.
The purport OF the passage OF this
hallway creation. 20 take effect next
wear. however. Is manifest. Under such
an order Of things the machine leaders.
- the reaction from "Hughesisn and re-
forms" takes place. as they think it will,
would have things all their own way.
They could nominate their own kind
Of state ticket: they could swing the
nominations OF Senators and Assembly
men as usual They would trust TO the
fact that Il was a governorship year 10
heJp them 20 elect their legislators. at
any rate.
Speaker wadSworth and hl7 followers
asserted fatty to-day that the direct
Urinary men in the Assembly did not
number more than dfty-four-forty Re
r,,blicans and fourteen Democrats This
would be demonstrated whenever the
! v4inman-Green bill came up for con-
alteration. they said At the same time
the supporters Of the Governors bill
we-a inst as confident as ever that II
,,o,,ld be passed II IL ever came out on
.be eoor for a fair vote. They admitted
80 the machine could kin IL by keeping
| II In committee.