New-York tribune., 1910-05-07
DIRECT PRIMARY
CHAOS AT ALBANY
New Measure Like a Bomb in
the Midst of an Already
Troubled Camp.
OPENS LEGISLATIVE BREACH
Cobb in Statement Explaining
Bill Says Assembly Leaders
Will Fight Any Real
Reform.
IBy Telegraph to The Tribune /

IBy Telegraph Ia The Irlhune-l
Albany May 6-Like 2 bomb thrown IN
the midst Of an already troubled camp,
the new direct primary BILL framed and
rsnorted to-day by the Senate Judiciary
committee. has still further rent asunder
the Senate and Assembly between which
there has been Ill feeling for some time,
Senator Cobb, in a statement given out IN
connection with the bill. said that he had
been assured that II would meet with the
annroval Of the leaders Of the Assembly,
..bur understands now their attitude has
changed with reference 10 the matter and
that any application of the direct primary
will be opposed"
Senator Cobb is quite correct. The AS
ser71bIy leaders do intend If they can 10
slaughter anything that has the least sus-
gestion OF direct primary. and the result
is that a fight has arisen, not so much De-
tween the advocates and opponents OF
direct primaries as between the Republican
organization leaders OF the Assembly and
the Republican organization leaders OF the
Senate
The Assembly leaders have committed
themselves TO the Meade-Phillips bill, which
continues in q modified form the old con-
vention system, while ii would now seem
that the Senate leaders are just as strong
ure. which follows out the general sugges-
tions made in a petition sent TO the Legis-
Iature two weeks ago by Seth Low, Joseph
H. Choate. Jacob Gould Schurman. Nicho-
las Murray Butler and others. This petl-
tion called for test Of the direct primary
principle by applying II only 10 State Sem
ators and Assemblymcn
Modern Alexander Needed at Albany.
This contradictory state OF affairs only
ecds tc the direct primary entanglement
that viii confront the Legislature next
week To the Assembly Will be reported
the amended Meade-P Phillips bill, the Hin
man-Creen measure enabodying the Gov
ernor's Ideas, and the Democratic State
League bill. and the Senate judiciary Conn
mittce to-day reported TO the Senate with
out recommendation for approval dis
approval the last two, with its own bill
With the Senate and Assembly at swords
points. the puzzle is TO find the primary
legislation which has been promised the
people this year. The legislative observer
might easily be led to see how, the more
the Two houses discuss these various pri-
mary propositions. the deeper in the
meshes they viii become entangled unless
there arises another Alexander with
faculty for cutting a Gordian knot
In his statement Senator Cobb declares
that "a careful canvass Of the Assembly,
both by the opponents and friends of the
Tiinman- Green measure, showed that there
Was no hope of the bill passing in its
present form. and neither could the pas
sage of the bill through the Senate be pro-
cured
This is an open question. and whatever
friends OF the FIinman- Green bill Senator
soa
who have always been looked on as the
friends OF the bin in the Assembly are
still expressing hopes for the measure. In
fact. their hopes have been heightened by
the knowledge that the bill will come out
on the floor of both houses for open dis
cussion- This is what Governor Hughes
has desired all along.
No Comment from Governor.
Governor Hughes has so far made no
comment. directly or indirectly. on the
merits or deInerits of the plan of Seth Low
and his associates. but it is known that
the cry for q compromise measure has not
made him finch in the least in his ad-
vocacy of the Hinman-Green bill, and that
he will continue to put forth his best efforts
TO secure its enactment into law.
While il is said by Senator Cobb that the
Senate judiciary measure embodied many
Of the features of the Hinman-Green bill,
there are some Of its provisions which
plainly show the organizations hand For
instance. instead of providing for the Mas
sachUsetts form Of ballot in the Hin
nan-Green bill. il has ballot which gives
all the organization candidates a place
under one head At one side of the ballot.
The independent nominations by petition
are to come in other columns. Another pro-
ecutive member of the county committee
IN each Assembly District in New York
and Kings counties the power of naming
che organization candidate for member of
Assembly This is brought about by his
fling with the custodian Of elections MS
choice for the candidate. The naming of
candidates by petition is. however. allowed.
il is not believed the friends Of Governor
hughes will acquiesce in a provision Of this
character. In the Hinman-Green bill the
candidates for Assembly are named by the
county committee each member of which
has vote prcportonate TO the number Of
electors in his district.
Senator Cobb's Statement.
Senator Cobb does not comment detail
on these sections of the committee measure.
which he thus explains:
The bill embodies many Of the features
Of the Hinman- Green hill: in fact all the
essential ones. except the aho'ishinG Of
conventions. j contains these II DIVISIONS
A general enrolment throughout the
state. the voters outside Of The city being
required 10 declare al the time Of voting,
a. the general election the party with hich
thev desire 10 be enrolled
uniform primary day throughout the
state.
The abolishing Of all intermediate CON
NCptions-
The election Of all delegates, including
IL. Ont, H.
vote Al the primaries
The increasing OF the state committee