The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-01
A CHOICE OF DEFEAT.

! New York Republicans have evidently made
their choice of defeat.
| In defying Colonel Roosevelt's effort to swing
the big stick to the enforcement of Governor
Hughes direct primary measure, they open the
way for Democratic victory this Fall.
At the same time they escape putting the Or
ganization under the control of a citizen whose
evident purpose was to grasp it as club with
which either to beat his way into the Presidency
for third term. or to establish himself as the
great 7 Am to whom the greatest State In the
Nation as we'll as the Nation ITSELF should make
obeisance.
1t is true that, had the Legislature yielded
to the Roosevelt threat it would have been with
in the bounds of possibility for the Republican
party to win in New York in November, provided
Hughes had also consented to submit his destiny
TO the personal political ambition of the returned
hunter of beasts and notoriety. 1t is entirely
possible that the Legislature voted with full
cognizance of this fact and made deliberate
choice There is now one chance, and that re-
mote, that the Democracy will be defeated. That
chance is the candidacy of Roosevelt himself tor
the Governorship. 1t remains to be seen whether
or net Roosevelt is capable of making the per
sonal sacrifice which his party in the State could
not refuse, should he choose to make 1t. What
Roosevelt gets in New York he just take With
his bare hands He must take after dirty fight
He cannot get at long range.
We consider that the result is worth several
primary bills however righteous they may be.
1t means slap at the principle of private dlcta-
ton of politics It means another blow given to
the latest development of the system of bosslsm,
formerly frankly corrupt, now fagrantly self
righteous. 1t means the rebuke to personal man
ifesto as opposed to popular representation.
4 In the light Of Democratic principles of gov
eminent it is bad enough that the practice should
have gained Roadway in Nation and State of
putting Legislative functions into executive hands
When that dangerous practice is extended to
make the executive who dictates legislation him
self the puppet Of a private individual, there is
left scarcely the shred of representative govern
ment. The New York Legislature may be cor
rupt. It may be the product of machine politics
rbut in putting cog before this perhdious i'm
novaion it has done a service that is superior t.
the aim with which it did it. Had Roosevelt lei
Hughes alone, the primary bill might have be-
come a law He was not, however content to
permit the Governor to win his fight and take the
credit It is to Hughes credit that he did no
accept the indigintv of this sort of assistance
II The action of the Legislature sustains him. ever
: though at the cost of the legislation to force
a which he had himself called the Legislature int,
u extra session
g In the meanwhile Roosevelt meets Taft anc
|. poses before the cameras with his hand on tn,
shoulder of the man whose enemies he is publicly
comforting. He "By Georges" here, an,
''Bully's" there. He turns this way and tina
1t before the glass, admiring the reflection of him
e self in the oaZe Of the neoDle What Tincolr
= declared TO be impossible, he essays with the
Is che"rfully vain belief that popular folly is no
y only universal but eternal