New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-13
OLD GUARDS PLANS
TO KEEP STATE CON
TROL FOR YEARS.
Corporations Representing
Millions Sad TO Be ActiUe
Against Root and Hughes.
Iby Telegraph to The Tribune. !

BY Telegraph TO The Tribune
Albany, March 12-The stand taken
by the old guard leaders in forcing the
election of George H. Cobb as President
pro tenn. of the Senate, is, in the opinion
OF progressive Republicans here the be
ginning of carefully planned and des-
perate campaign to maintain and per-
petuate outworn methods of politics, in
FolVlnG close connection between corpo-
rate interests and party managers. On
its success depends the very existence OF
bosses and bossism in this state.
control of the Legislature, the pri-
mary object Of this group of reactionary
bosses, seems TO have been won now, al
though their hold on it is shaky.
Through this control of the Legislature.
If retained, they hope to bring about
certain things which would render them
secure for many years to come in their
grasp on political affairs in this state.
AS outlined tonight by a prominent
anti-boss Republican in a position to
know what is going on in the political
world. their scheme includes:
Absolute defeat of the Hughes legisla-
ton, including the direct primary bill,
state supervision of telephone and tele-
graph companies and ballot reform.
Defeat of any proposal for general in
vestigation of alleged corruption in for
mer legislatures.
Disposal OF any pending legislation in
fashion satisfactory to big corpora
ton interests hitherto friendly to the
reactionary leaders.
Nomination at the coming state con
vention of a reactionary state ticket
Nomination and election, If the people
should not interfere. of a pro-boss Legis-
lature which would elect to the United
States Senate a pro-boss reaetionary
Senator
Aids Whitewashine Suggested.
AS an incident to this scheme the
whitewashing of Senator Aids has been
suggested, but that is not considered
essential to the success of the general
reactionary campaign. and some say
would defeat 1t by bringing down public
condemnatio too early for the leaders
comfort.
Stated broadly. the reactionary pro-
gramme is 4 last desperate effort
&c perpetuate the old days of po-
litical and corporation intimacy by
men trained in the political meth
DDS and ideals of Plat and Odell.
Progressive Republicans, instead Of being
discouraged by the temporary victory of
the reactionaries in defeating the Root
Hughes choice for temporary president
of the Senate, maintain that it has made
. imperative a decisive struggle. That
struggle. in the year of grace 1910, with
public sentiment in this state and others
all over the nation in its present condi-
ton regarding political bossism and cor
poration control of politics, can end only
one way, they maintain.
| Complicated as the general political
situation seems, the various elements
which are forcing the anti Hughes lead
/ ers to their present course are apparent
/ Enactment of the Hughes direct primary
law would not destroy parties, but i'm
mediately would loosen and eventually
would kill the control of politics by self
appointed leaders, misrepresentation OF
the people they profess to serve. Under
/ it, progressive Republicans say, d new
and proper political organization would
come into life. Certainly under it the
existing Republican State Committee
would be battered out OF semblance OF
/ its present makeup and the control OF
the state nominations would be taker
| away from the men who now arrange
the vast patronage Of the state ticket.
Fatal to Woodruff's Dreams.
Just SO, Hughes men maintain. sbso.
lutte dictation of Legislative nominations
would be wiped out under the Hughes
direct primary law. Thus if would be
impossible for leaders to control d
/ legislature 60 entirely as 10 pass or Kill
, important corporation legislation. En-
actment of the measure at this particu-
lar time would he especially disastrous
TO the men who are counting on naming
the next state officers, debating their
appointments and through the Legislat-
ure electing the successor to United
States Senator Depew. And most men
here say it would be fatal TO the fond
dreams Of State Chairman woodruff
that he should succeed TO the toga Of
! Depew.
Without much doubt it you'd put an
end also to the chances Of Speaker
! Wadsworths ever becoming Governor
! Progressive Republicans predict that a
public officer whose official record was
such that he narrowly escaped defeat
! last year i'll Il county controlled fol
years by his political allies and subject
/ to the glamour of his social prestige and
| personal popularity could not be nomi-
mated and elected by the people of the
state at large.
The present Legislature must adopt
| or reject Governor Hughes's recommen-
! dation for genuine ballot reform. The
| bosses are as much afraid of the So
called Massachusetts ballot, with its
| adjustment of straight voting, IS they
are Of the direct primary, and for very
similar reasons. that such a system
would tend 10 separate them from the
, patronage on which they have thrived
/ for years.
Speaker WadsWorth and others are
!