Putnam patriot., 1910-07-22

opinion as regards most of his measures and positions, and think that this
 has been markedly the case ss regards direct primary nominations. l know that many honest and sincere men are,
 on principle opposed to Governor l Hughes on this point, and l know also
 that the proposed reform sili sefy pos
 sibly accomplish less than it's extreme advocates expect while am well awafe. as Of course all thinking men
 must be, that the worth Of any such
 measure, in the last resort, dep. nds up- i on the character Of the voters, and that
 no patent device will esef secure good government unless the people them selves devote sufficient energy, time,
 and jHdgmeui iomake the deS ice work . Finally ffeplY admir- that hefe and there. s here the principle Of direct no-
 minatiaus has beeu applied h teo crude
 shape of wfongteadediy, Il has, whiie a4alisAlag certain evils. produced CT
 accentuBied ofhers-in certain eases,
 far instance. paltiuR pfemiam upon
 t1le a7ikflex xpeuditBte Of money.
 Eat Wbile ] ffeel. admit ali this, ]
 nevertheless feel, IT the fifzl place. that
 o1 the fundamental issue U direct pfi-
 mafy 68Hii8alions the Governor k rlabf, anal, iu the second plaee That, as t9e measure iinally came np for action
 n tHe sIate Legislature, il was we'll
 nigh free from ali objections save those of tbe men who object lo II becanse
 they afe fdudamentaiye to any
 ehaHHe whatever fn the desired dfee.
 Ion THe ldll provided for direct pop.
 uiaf aeil9u iu the primaries in relative. iY small geographical and political communities, thereby making the ex- periment ffst where there was ieast Ii.
 ability to serious objection. and avoid. ing or deferring the task of dealing
 with those bie communities where the difficulties and dangers lo be overcome
 would be greatest. Moreover. while guaranteeing full liberty of individual action, II also provided for the easy maintenance of party organization, and thereby avoided some very real dangers among them that of encouraging the use of masses of the minority party in any given district To dictate the actions oi the majority party. In other words, the proposed bill, while IL marked q very real step in advance, was tenta- lively and cautiously framed and pro. sidcd all possible safeguards against abuses. II In practice Il had faiIes! to
 work in any particular. there would have been no possible difficulty Tn ma king whatever amendments Of changes | were necessary.
 The Republican party was in the ma. l jority In both houses of the Legislature
 which refused 10 carry out the Repub. l lican Governors recommendations .
 and although II was only minority Of the Republican members which
 brought about the refusal. the party cannot escape measure Of responsibi- l lfty for the failure; but IL is only just to remember that a clear majority of the Republican members of each house 1 supported the bill, whereas three
 fouflhs or over of the Democrats oppo- | sed IL. This Is one of the eases where 1t k easier to apportion individual than
 party responsibility.
 Those who believe that by their ac. ton they have definitely checked the
 movement for direct popular primaries
 are, in my Judgment, mistaken. In it's essence, this k movement to make the government more democratic, more
 responsive io the wishes md needs of the people as whole. With our poll. teal machinery II Is essential 10 have an efficient party, bul the machinery ought 10 be suited lo democratic and not oligarehie customs and habits. The question N whether, tn n self governing
 Republic, we shali have selt governing parties K taie,r than the particular bull. Ne huld that the right Of popa- lar self government is incomplete an- iess Il includes the right of the voters not merely to choose between eandt. dates when they have been nominated, bat also the right lo determine who those candidates shall he. ndef euf system oi party government, therefore, the voters should he guaranteed the right te determine within the ranks of their esneetisc organizations who the candidates .ol the patties will be, no less thaa the right to choose between The candidates when the candidates are presented them. There is no desire to break down the responsibility ol party organization under duly. constituted party leadership, but there k desire to make this responsibility real and le give the meneets of the party the tight to say whom they desire toeNecute this leadership. In New York state no small part of the strength of the move ment has come from the popular con. Ntction that many of the men most pro minenl tn party leadership lend d, times to forget that, in democracy. the function If a political leader must normally he to lead mol to drive, Me, Inc men who compose the great bulk ot The community, wish to govern ourselves. Me welcome leadership. but We wish our leaders to unde rstand that they derive their strength from
 as. and that, although we look to them a..