New-York tribune., 1910-08-17


Roosevelt told him to go ahead.
Before the meeting the "old guard
we're openly boasting that Mr. Griscom
would not dare to oppose the selection OF
Air sherman. as that would be an affron'
TO the administration. They thought
tr,ey had taken clever advantage of him
He frankly told them, however, that he
had got the consent 70 use Mr.. Roose-
relt,s name. and did not purpose TO oacN
down.
ne accused them Of planning nasty
action without taking q part of the COM
rntttee into their confidence lie sai.'
that in the interest of harmony he would
nc willing TO have action of any kin0
postponed, so that conferences coe'o o'
held and the matter settled amicao4E'
But that was not the purpose OF the olu
guard" They wanted to display thelr
strength and fiaunt the banner OF reac-
ton. and they did
Mir. Griscom told them he did not pe-
l.eve that President Taft would pe VIII
ing 10 have the name Of the Nlce-flesi-
dent used 70 foster factonaI 1eeilns-
a5r Ward then said that he had talked
n tine President over the long distance
,elephone on Sunday, and told him OF
the suggestion that the Nice-Presloeh'
he named as temporary chairman
Hazy as to Taft's Reply.
As 20 whether the President had given
his unqualified approval OF the plan Mr.
werd was somewhat hazy. The Progress
,,,,es do not believe that the President
>f,rf1 s1f
question over the telephone
Chairman Woodruff was bubblng over
with eIafion at the victory he and his
fellow members of the ''old guard" had
won when he came downstairs after the
meeting. His elation was tinSed with
defiance. as he warmed TO the subject
II fust want 10 say" he began, 'that
our action was simply the exercise OF
one OF the functions of the committee
the selection Of temporary chairman
for the convention. True, this selection
never used 10 be made until the nlght
l,efore the convention. but We established
= precedent two years ago by making
The selection at this time.
we decided to name prominent
member of the Republican party. vice.
President Sherman The injection OF the
name Of Mr. Roosevelt was not OF our
doing Mr. Roosevelt's namc was
brought in by the astute leadsr OF Ne"
York County to be used ss a football.
The state chairman paused refiectlVeiy
for a moment and continued;
And the cover was torn off the foot
ball and pieces scattered all over me
field. Or. / might put it in q different
way. This meeting reminded me of an
amateurish play, where the proverbial
bull got on the track and tried to stop
the locomotive. You know what hap
pened TO the bull. II was a shame to
use the name of Mr. Roosevelt in that
way He is one of the biggest men. It
not the biggest man, in the country.
Predicts Fight Against Woodruff.
What they will do now Will be to
fight TO GUST you from the state chair
manship." said member of the group
standing around MI Woodruff.
oh no. they won't Indeed, they
won't" came back the defiant reply.
You can take il from me that after to-
Gay they won't do anything Why il
own pieces ano prop them up in front Of
the locomotive TO be run over again
Then you will be a candidate to sue
\ coed yourself as state chairman" was
asked.
Well. now it is too early TO speak of
that Between now and then there may
come many considerations that would
lead me 10 decline reelection But
YOU may say With as much emphasis as
You can that if / am g candidate again
/ viii be elected unanimously
Mr. Woodruff reflected moment and
said. as if to himself: But why should
want it? 1t has taken my time and
money. and is a thankiess job"
After the meeting Nj. Woodruff and
NJ. Griscom were seen talking together
in one corner Of the room. The state
chairman was asked what they had
talked about.
Il told Mr. Griscom.' he replied. that
II was time that he saw a light L
showed him that the vote in the state
committee was an indication of how the
organization felt. I pointed out how
foolish il would be TO make any fight
against us in the convention, saying
that twelve of the committeeman who
had voted in succession with us con-
trolled 416 delegates, while New York
County controlled only few over two
hundred ] told him that the party up
state did not want direct primaries, and
It would be utterly foolish for him 10
try and put any such plank in the plat
form"
No Direct Primaries Plank.
Does that mean that there viii be no
recommendation for direct primaries in
the platform" the state chairman was
asked.
Absolutely So came the emphatic
replv. "Out in Kansas they have the
habit Of going crazy every year. If It
isn't free silver, it is populism or some
Thing of that kind. But here in this
state We (anG the chairman raised his
hands oyer his head. we try to remain
sane and We freferring to the "old
guard'0 are going to see to it that we
DO remain sane this year"
Harry W Mack, who had acted as
MIR Griscoms lieutenant in the night,
said after the meeting: They took an
unfair advantage cf US, but the fight
i-zs inst begun