New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-28
THE coRPORAL,s GUARD YIELDING


The way the "old guard machine
finds itself rapidly dwindling TO a cor
porals guard is illustrated by the news
from Oneida County that opposition 10
the nomination of State Senator Fred
erick NJ. Davenport has been With
drawn The issue in this contest was
the issue between a progressive official
and reactionary machine 1t was the
same in substance as the issue all owe"
the state will he in the coming contest
Mr.. Davenport's sin in the eyes OF me
Irtica bosses was his independence. MS
s,Inport of Governor Hughes and Of
direct nominations He could not be
controlled. so he was to be retired TO
prirate life. He did not satisfy the
man HIGHER up.-' He was told plainly
that he could not be renominated. He
appealed to the people upon his record
as a supporter of Governor Hughes ana
of progressive policies. He obtained the
Endorsement of Colonel Roosevelt AS
the lines Of the state conflict began 10
he drawn the Utica leaders perceived
that they had TOO large contract upon
their hands in opposing popular Sen
ator and seeking TO control the delega-
ton TO the state convention, so 1t is an
nounced that there never was any in
tpntion 10 refuse Mr.. Davenport re-
nomination, The Senator. it Is sud
denly discovered, has rightly repre-
scented the sentiment of Oneida County
lin his support Of Governor Hughes!
The organization, we are expected to
believe. has been busy all along dis
couragipg candidates who wished to
take the field against this faithful rep
resentative Of the people!
Well and good, We are glad 10 see
that Senator Davenport will have an
unopposed denomination. He deserves
to have one. But we hope that this
concession to the aroused Progressive
sentiment of Oneida County will net be
sufficient to buy off the opposition ID
the "old guard in that home of in
dependent voting and of Hughes sentl-
ment Mr. Davenport. if the Oneidl
machine had been willing to make the
fight. would have won and he probably
would have carried the election of Pro
greSsive delegates to the state conven-
ton with his own election. That was
what the machine feared. We shall
doubtless see similar concessions to pub
lie sentiment made by "old guard
members in other places. Speaker
Wadsworth is trying TO puzzle out, for
example. whether it will be expedient
for him to run again for the Assembly
in a constituency that almost rejected
him last year. These concessions will
prove 10 be like the concession made
by Mr.. Daniel F. Strobel, the Herkimer
County boss. last year when, direct
nominations sentiment overwhelming
him, he came out himself for direct
nominations, merely, as he explained
later. TO mislead the public and retain
control Of the county organization
What the Herkimer voters gained from
this concession was an Assemblyman
pledged TO vote for direct primaries who
never voted for them. That will be all
the profit there will be in it this wear
for those communities which take Sc
riouSly the professions of the devil when
sick. The machine is in Il bartering
mood. 1t Will seek 10 compound for its
sins. 1t will profess great enthusiasm
over man like Mr. Davenport. who has
ignored it. 1t will do these things be-
cause ii realizes its desperate situation.
But they should deceive no one. The
way 10 reform the odd guard iS to de
stroy it. That will have to be done
some time. The party cannot perma-
nently remain half Hughes and Roose-
Welt and half Barnes and Woodruff
N" compromise is the road to victory
III this state