New-York tribune., 1910-09-20
PRIMARIES AND PUBIC SEhTI-
NEAT


The utter inadequacy Of the existing
primary system to reflect public senti-
ment fully * being brought out III the
present contest in this state. Put boldly
the issue is whether the Republican
party is with President Taft, Governor
Hughes and ex-President Roosevelt or
with NesSrs. Barnes. Wadswortb. Wood
ruff and Ward. If that question could
be placed squarely before the Repuh-
licans Of the state there is not the
slightest doubt how an Overwhelming
ma joritv would stand. Such an alterna
tive presented TO the party verges on the
ludicrous. Yet. under the existing pri
mary system. the representative sys-
tenn so-called. the discredited petty
bosses are able TO create the impression
that they have nearly as many followers
among the Republicans as the President.
the Governor and the ever popular
colonel.
We have already alluded to the absurd
results obtained under the representa-
tive system" 10 the reactionaryism of
Kings and the progressivism of New
York County, two neighboring counties
in one city. No such difference in the
point of view of Manhattan and Brook
lyn exists. Brooklyn does not prefer the
leadership of Barnes and Woodruff to
that Of Faft, Roosevelt and Hughes any
more than Manhattan does. Colonel
abe" GrlIber's district In Manhattan
has no more fear of the new nationalism
than the districts north, south and east
of #, yet the primary declares that it
has And the results which the 'reprc-
sentative system produces mp the state
are just as absurd As those obtained
down here. OF three counties In the
same general neighborhood, al rural. one
is for Barnes and Woodruff. another is
for Roosevelt and the third is ''on the
fence" II is impossible to believe that
any such difference in the actual attitude
Of the farmers in those counties exists.
IT seems TO be conceded that Buffalo
will send Progressive delegates to the
state convention, while Albany and
Syracuse will send supporters of the
old guard Does any one suppose that
If every Republican in those three cities
voted on the question whether the party
should follow the leadership of Taft,
Roosevelt and Hughes or that of Barnes
and Woodruff the result in Syracuse
and Albany would differ greatly from
that I'm Buffalo:
The truth is that, big as the issue Is
before the Republican party. the pri-
maries now being held are with few ex-
ceptions giving us not the view Of the
PARTY, but the view of the machine.
And so close Is the relation between
those who run the machine and the. mi
nority which votes at the primaries that
primary results are hardly any more
significant than they would be if the
boss was authorized by law 70 cast all
the votes himself. Delegates are picked
out who will do the bidding of the ma
chine and TO the primaries come only
those on whose vote the machine can
count. Why should any one else attend
| With the biggest controversy raging in
the party that has occurred for several
years in the recent primaries. there were
no contests in forty-seven of the fifty
seven Assembly districts Of New York
and Kings counties. and in the districts
In which there were contests, with one
or two exceptions, the issue was not the
issue whicn is dividing the Republican
party. the one I'm which the whole state
Is interested, but some petty one be-
tween two local peTsonages. Could any
thing better show The complete lack Of
relation between the present primaries
and the real issues with which public.
opinion is concerned?