New-York tribune., 1910-06-11

and the more difficult Il is to concentrate
attention upon their selection the more
necessary is 1t to improve the methods or
nomination SO that intelligent and honest
opinion within parties may have freer
scope and the wishes Of the party voters
may be more easily and directly expressed.
1T is of great Importance that action
should be taken now This is the year
when we elect state officers and an entirely
new Legislature Senators as well as AS
semblymen, and also many county orhcers-
! II will be two years before we snail have
another election of like scope; ana, indeed.
we shall not have a similar situation for
four years as two years from now VIII
! occur the Presidential election, with It's
predominant influence.
This is the time TO put our house IN
order, and If we are to improve our meth
ods of nomina ting candidates we should
make the improvement at once, before We
nroceed to an election of such an important
character.
For a General Enrolment.
I'VE should have a general enrolmeh!
throughout the state, SO that those eheilieu
to take part in party primaries may oe
properly ascertained and present abuses
limited. But this is a mere means 10 an
end. The end is to enable one VINO mas the
rights of a party member TO participate
effectively In party decisions. TO enron
him merely for the purpose OF giving MIN
the opportunity to turn these decisions over
to br:lches of delegates, who are the paWns
of party managers or of their riVals' ID
farcical. The seat of power should De WIN
the party voters, not with the party man
ayers, and it is through the manipulation
OF delegates and this abuse or the repre-
sentative system that the latter hoid their
control. Most important also Is II thAl
there should be an official primary ballot
Here again we have simply an instrument
It NAV be we'll contrived, or it may be
made, under the guise of a measure ol re-
form. to serve the purposes of the party
managers. 1t is very simple matter 10
contrive a ballot which is none the less
vicious because IL is official. This was the
sort of ballot that was provided fol, In the
urinary hill which | have disapproved.
First providing for the election OF most
of delegates and a series of conventions. IL
nIsced in one column at the left of the
ballot all the organization delegates, TO De
voted for bv one mark in the circle at lhe
head of the column Then it provided thaI
none Of the delegates placed In that COL
ur,1, should appear in any other coluthh'
So that if some of the delegates proposeu
by the party managers for one or hHoi
conventions were satisfactory, these couio
not be included in the oppoSltloh li'hot'
and the advantage of arrangement lay Win
those in power. This form OF Dallot "ouio
not only have the effect Of making priiii'.<
contests as they have been SO 1requeh'iy
in the past, merely contests between
leaders, but it was also designed opF'ouo,'
IN make il difficult to oppose successfully
the ticket Of the party managers
The Hinman Green Bill.
Now. I have not been opposing par rues
or PARTY organization. NO one
more keenly than l the necessll! VI ~
former and the Importance OF lle
But we want q square dear III pal 'i
Those who represent parties IN tneli u
eanization should be directly chosen o! 'iie
party voters, and they should De In"
strictly accountable by simple methouS u
the PARTY voters. The party managers
should have a fair opportunity loF 'he
presentation to the party OF the names u
candidates for nomination for puohc oih'o'
pnt under reasonable check, this oppor-
the marty with all the important advan-
tazes of organized effort. But the hi'a'
decision should rest with the party voters
and 10 secure this they should express
their choice with respect TO each candl-
date for nomination Let the managers
candidate stand out clearly and distinctly
| to he annroyed or condemned. If the senti-
roAnt Of the party has been suitably recog-
nixed In his selection, opposition will be
futile and unnecessary. But concurrence
| with respect TO one selection should not
! en,barrass opposition with respect to others.
! There is no difficulty if there is real de-
| sire to have an organization that is truly
| representative and to have the wishes or
the party faithfully followed.
! THE measure known as the Hinman-
Green bill embodied plan applicable TO
state officers as well as to members Of the
| Legislature and other officers, and met with
| widespread approval. 1t was designed to
meet the conditions in this state and to
secure at the same time the advantages of
representative and responsible party or
ganization and the enforcement of the
rights of the party members.
This bill was defeated in. both houses of
the Legislature. ! regard this as grave
mistake from every point of view, and I
! have not Changed IN any particular my
! opinion as TO the merits of the measure
There has been, however, a difference
of opinion with respect to the advisability
| of applying this plan to the nomination of
| officers elected by the state at large. I 90
not share the misgivings of those who have
questioned the wisdom of this applica ton
| nor have seen any force in the argument
/ that the plan should be tried first in
| smaller constituencies AS I have said
the effect Of statewide application can
! be determined only by statewide ap-
| plication. And in my judgment this should
! be had at once, and could be had with
particular advantage this year, when we
are TO elect state officers.
But the difference of opinion exists, and
| 1t should not be confused with the oppo-
sition which has been shown to the adop-
| ton of any real measure of primary re-
| form.
Cobb Bill Merited Support
When the responsible representatives OF
my own party in the Senate came to me. af-
ter the defeat of the Hinman-Green bill. in