New-York tribune., 1910-05-26
TRE DEAL REFEALED.

In psssing the Meade-Pnilhps pIF
mary bin the Republicans who were re-
snonsible for the rSent-Democratlc
combination in the state Senate dld tne
worst thing in the worst possible way.
That bill makes the least concession TO
nublic oninion of all the bills before the
Legislature. and the trick by Wnich he
publicans were prevented from hoialns
the caucus agreed upon and determin-
Ing TO support the Cobb compromise
hill and hy which a deal between
William Barnes, jr.. Speaker Wadsworth
and their allies and the Tammany lead
ers was substituted for the proposed
marty action was the most hare1aceu
defiance of public opinion possible.
The bipartisan agreement when dis-
eraced the closing sessions last year
was again in evidence. The leadership
of the Senate passed over. as it did last
year. TO Grady and the quid pro quo was
not concealed The Ward bills Tor the
purifying of elections in New York oitF'
which figured as consideration IN last
wears deal. evidently enter into this
Years bargain. For good measure
Sneaker Wadsworth's Rules Commlttee
is evidently going to attend TO the anu
gambling bills in the way that VIII
pIease Murphy and Grady. Yet Messrs'
BARNES and Wadsworth and the others
who arranged this affair and took the
leadership of the Senate away from the
Renrhlican leader and turned II over TO
Tanomenv are great sticklers for party
LOYALTY and regularity Their stock ar
cumert against the Hinman-Green OIL
has been that is broke down party l1nes.
What regard has Mr.. Barnes. foE party
lines when. IN order to carry out his
arrangements with Tamnany, he inter
feres with the agreement. by an ample
minority. of a conference of Republican
Senate to hold caucus and bind the
party to support the Cobb billF what
an example of party loyalty and regu-
laritv he exhibits when he delivers
minority of the Republican Senators
over TO the leadership Of Grady! II
he and Speaker Wadsworth had re
snected the majority sentiment or the
Repubjfcans in the Legislature there
could have been real primary reform.
I
passed. It was beaten only by COM
bination of the bosses with Tammany
Hall. a sinister combination whose ex-
tent and character We're revealed when
Barnes. from the Senate clerks room,
with Grady as his leader on the floor,
forced through the Meade-Phillips bill
Danger made those who preach regu-
larity insurgents, and they found Tam
many ready TO enter into the customary
alliance.
Thus the Republican opposition to di-
rect primaries is stripped of all its pre-
tence. It is an opposition that recognizes
its community of interest with Tam
many Hall The prospect of the passage
of even q tentative direct primary
measure. which all who had honest
doubts about the reform applauded as
reasonable experiment, brought its Re
publican foes into open alliance with
Tammany Nothing that could have
happened would have given greater
vitality TO the direct nominations issue
in the coming campaign than this reye-
Iation of the close relations between the
bosses Of one party and those Of the
other and of how those relations work
to defeat useful legislation. Much of
the spread of the demand for direct
nominations has been due TO the tactics
of Messrs. Barnes and Wadsworth.
They have now fairly outdone them
selves. a-.s