New-York tribune., 1910-03-21
THE PARTY'S PERIL
Seth LO5c Urges Legislature
Alignment 5Cith Governor.

<fU8NMCNt NIttN UOCcfUOfs
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir; Al the dinner given 70 Mr.. Bennett
the other evening Job Hedges wittily re-
marked that the choice offered the Repub-
hcans i'm the State or New York at the
present moment seems 20 be between no
machine and some votes and all machine
and not enough votes" The statement
need nos be taken literally. but. under the
gu!se OF fun, IL does suggest the very seTi-
Gus problem confronting the party at this
moment Ex-Governor Odell. also. took tn
opportunity 70 Say a good work for OTgan'-
ZatiOn in politics and to relieve himself By
taking a fling at what he Was pleased TO
call "the most fragrant instance OF boss
ism ia the history OF the state" or words
~ shat effect lie said that IL had re-
lieved his mind to get this of his chest
The Ex-Governor. by his own statement.
being thus relieved. I wonder whether he,
ard others like him. may not be ready TO
consider the problem actually confronting
the party I'm the state. unaffected BY the
disturbing Influences OF suppressed tndig-
nation
Nothing would be easier. ont OF such
conditions as now exist. than to divide the
Republican party IN the state into two hos
tile camps. either OF which would take
greater pleasure in defeating the other than
in defeating the Democracy. The experiences
OF the Democracy with SIR. Bryan Nus
trates the kind OS discipline for the party
to which that sort OF thing is likely 20 lead
Is II not worth while. then, 20 try 90 nnd
some course Of procedure which will hold
the great body OF the party together; IT
this II 10 be done IL is necessary 70 discuss
the situation dispassiOnately.
First Of all, then, IS IL fair 20 refer 20
Senator Roots telegram 10 senator Dav-
enport urging ;he choice OF Senator Hin
man as party leader in the Senate as an
act OF bOssism?
Some time ago Governor Hughes. in the
discharge Of his duty, sent the income tax
amendment - the Legislature with mes
sage giving his reasons why he thought
this amendment should not be adopted. A
little later Senator Root wrote a letter 70
Senator Davenport. as / remember. giving
his reasons for believing that the Gov
ernOr's argument was fallacious. Nobody
denounced this as the act OF a boss, al
though it was clearly the effort Of United
states Senator from the State Of New
York TO influence the action OF tine Legis-
lsture. In a sense, contrary 10 the tueg-
similarly. when the same United states
Senator suggested Senator Hinman TO the
same member II the state Senate. after
conference with the New York Represen a
tives i'm Congress. as the most available
man for party leader I'm the senate. only
those who wished 10 do - or who were
blinded by the intensity OF their feelings
could recognize the action OF boss IN
the latter case any more than in the for
mer.
The fact Of the matter Is that the eX-
planation Of the telegram is perfectly trans
parent. The representatives OF the state
in Washington see the party situation In
Albany with a different perspective from
that which prevails 20 some extent within
the state itself. They perceive that the
reasoning hostility Of the organization 70
Governor Hughes is not only injuring the
party IN the state. but throughout the
United states. for. little as the Organiza-
ton in the State OF New York may be able
10 appreciate IT, Governor Hughes outside
OF the state Is a tremendous party asset.
1 had the pleasure OF speaking in the
Middle West during the last Presidential
campaign. in some of the states In which
Governor Hughes had spoken. Everywhere
I found that no one else had spoken for he
part with such great effect, and every
where the interest in hts reelection as
Governor was hardly second 10 interest In
the election OF Mr. Taft as President. The
problem confronting the Republican party
in the state Of New YORK cannot be appre-
ciated unless this fact l. thoroughly we'll
apprehended
This being 80. IL seems to me that Sena-
Tor Root. and those on behalf OF whom he
acted. We're not only well within their rights
IN suggesting for party leader in the state
senate the Senator who had been the Gov
ernOr's right hand man. but that they would
have been derelict IN their duty II they had
not done So II the organization in the
state purposes 10 lead the party 10 de-
struction they cannot now hope 20 avoid
responsibility.
Senator Hinman was defeated as leader
in the Senate Ostensibly upon the plea that
he had bolted the party caucus and that IL
would be suicidal for the organization 20
make man who had done this the leader
OF the organization. The caucus which
Senator Hinman bOlted was the caucus
which elected Senator Aids as leader OF
the Senate The fact that Senator Aids
already has been obliged 70 retire from that
leadership. ana the Unhappy trial that mas
followed upon the action Of that caucus.
would make the plea ridiculous IL il did
not evidently cary weight with a great
many men This incident, however. serves
to define the real controversy between the
Governor and the Organizst tiOn. That con
trOversy is not at all between organization
and no organization.
The Hinman-Green direct primary bill
differs from all other bills upon the subject
IN making most careful provision for the
maintenance OF an effective party Organi-
zatiOn. What IL strives 10 do Is 70 make
the party organization more responsible 10
the popular will than the existing OTgani-
zatiOn Some OF the strongest objections
which ] have seen urged 10 the Hinman-
Green bill are based upon the very fact that
under II the political organization Of the
party would be likely 20 be more powerful
than II is nov
However this may be. any one vino pre-
dreamer in politics, and as opposed TO
strong party organization. either deceives
himself or IS attempting 10 deceive others.
II may be true shat Governor Hughes has
made little use OF the existing organization
under us present leadership n this be so.
it may help 20 account for what seems 20
many Republicans the utterly irrational at
titUde OF the organization toward the Gov
ernOT. for 10 Is not too much % say, speak
ing by and large, that the organization, IN
stead OF cooperating with the Governor.
everything possible 10 thwart him.