New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-14
WOODRUFF HOLDSON
DEFIANT AFTER Talk
WITH ROOT.
Busy Day for Senator--G,1s-
com and Wadsuorth Among
His Callers.

J
cussed there pretty much all day and
well into the night
! State Chairman Timothy L. Woodruff,
the last caller, and the man who is cred
tied with being the reason for the Sena-
! tors trip from Washington, refused to
answer any questions regarding his
probable tenure of office.
Did Senator Root ask YOU to resign?r
he was asked.
ASK Root" was the reply
Did the Senator say that if you didn't
resign he would force you out?''
Ask Root" he answered again.
''Is there going TO be fight?" he was
asked finally
Ask Root was the only answer the
state chairman would give, and he
looked like a man who has called
strong bluff and believed he held the
winning hand.
Senator Root was equally non-Com-
nunicative He had nothing to say
about the series of conferences that be-
gan yesterday morning in his house, nor
had he anything to say about the prob
able length of time that State Chairman
Griscom Sees Root.
Lloyd c. Griscom, president of the
county committee, was Senator Roots
first caller yesterday, and after lengthy
session in the morning Mr.. Griscom re-
turned about / o'clock in the afternoon,
at which time Speaker Wadsworth of
the Assembly also was cluseted with the
Senator.
They left about s o'clock, and half an
hour later Mr.. Woodruff arrived.
Friends of the state chairman de-
scribed his entire attitude as being that
OF show me-" and even after session
of close to two hours with Senator Root
M, Woodruff appeared to be thoroughly
defiant.
That Senator Root asked the state
chairman to resign. either now or as
soon as he could dc SO without appear
! ing to be forced out, is not denied but
even with the club Of the withdrawal of
federal support and the active opposi-
ton of New York Republicans in Wash
ington hanging over him Mr. Woodruff
appeared last night to be the coolest
man concerned in the controversy.
William Barnes, jr., Republican boss
| of Albany and looked upon as the state
chairman's stanchest supporter, was in
the city ali day yesterday. but his move
ments were mysterious
Mr.. Woodruff was asked if he had
seen Mr.. Barnes during the day, but he
brushed the question aside He would
not admit that he met any one except
Senator Root, and as to the outcome OF
that meeting he seemed to be in a salts
| fed state of mind.
Think Woodruff Will Stick.
! 1t is believed by NIr Woodruf's friends
nov that he is going to stick and the
| question he apparently put up to Senator
! Root was simply, What arc you going
! TO do about it?"
! That Mr.. Barnes did see him some time
! during the day is understood to be the
fact and his subsequent attitude of de-
/ fiance TO the programme of resignatio
laid out for him was at least partly due
! to the substantial offers of backing from
! the upstate boss.
| From a friend of the state chairman
! came the statement last night that there
/ was absolutely 10 factor Of personality
/ III the fight which seems to be looming
/ up on the horizon of the state situation
Senator Roots determination, cx-
/ pressed in Washington before he started
| for Now York, and after the selection
! Of Cobb as leader of the Senate, to have
! the Republican organization line up with
! the progressive side of the administra-
| tion az Albany. and his evident belief
! that some other than Mr Woodruff
could best carry out that idea, consti-
tuted his only basis for fight on the
incumbency of the present state chair
man.
After the conferences of yesterday no
one Who took part in them would even
intimate that any compromise was un-
der way. Up to last night it was
thought that if Mr.. Woodruff promised to
/ line up his forces aggressiveIy on the
side of the Hughes pouclcs al Albany, and
gave his assurance that none of his in
| liuence would be given toward the end
of curtailing the Investigation of cor
ruption in the Legislature. a sufficient
compromise would have been offered
II was thought that if he would give
/ Senator Root assurances that those two
programmes would be followed by the
old guard in Albany his position would
be secure until the next state conven-
ton
But after the conference between Sen
ator Root and Mr.. Woodruff neither of
them would say that any such PROPOSE
ton had been advanced.
Mr. Wo0druff's only answer To a qucs-
ton along that line was the same he
gave 10 other queries-"Ask Root'-and
Senator Roots reply was simply that he
could say nothing of what occurred at
any of the conferences OF the day.
Tension Worse Than Ever.
The ultimate result of Senator Roots
! trip 10 meet the state chairman and con-
fer with MesSrs. Griscom, Wadsworth
and Barnes appeared last night to have
been simply that the tension had been
strained to the edge of the possibilities OF
union.
Mr. Woodruff, with the advice of Mr
Barnes, seemed to be confident that his
oDponcnts could not muster enough
votes to oust him from the chairman
ship. and Senator Roots refusal to COM
NIT himself on the events of tho day was
I sta ch1irrnan's friends