The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-03-20

members VIII agree betorenano 10 huopt
siich q measure The leaders Of the Presi-
Dental party in Illinois. including Congress-
man Mckinley. the director OF the national
Taft bureau. to whom the President 8
secretary referred the request for help
in getting the Massa chusetts primary bill
through, are using every possible ehort
20 prevent the agreement in question.
II the Taft leaders In Illinois. who include
the leader OF the national campaign COM
mittee which ia conducting the President 3
canvass for denomination. will now act
W good faith In accordance with the Presi-
dents speech approving the bill that has
already been passed in the Massachusetts s
Legislature. they can secure a similar bill
IN the Legislature of Illinois. What has
occurred in Oklahoma indicates the need
Of Presidential primaries and shows how
the patronage is at this moment being Used
To defeat the will OF the people. As there
has been 40 much recent expression OF fear
OF the tyranny OF majority " may be
worth while printing out that the only
tyranny OF which there is amy danger at this
moment as regards the Presidential nomina-
tion Ia tyranny by a minority. led by the
ofnceholders and the agents OF the big
fnanciers who do not want a square deal
and those men who have been doing every
thing In their power not merely to misiead
hut to misrepresent and defraud Of their
rights the people at large. In oklahoma
n convention in one district WAS held very
early and elected two delegates for the
President Then n primary for the State
convention was held and that Identical
district gaze a 2 to vote against the
President. This was a genuine primary
do not know whether its opponents have
called it a soap box primary or not In this
case the only tyranny" exercised by the
hat, nnr
for President, and they were defrauded
ON Of this preference at the previous
convention
The methods used to nullify wherever
possible the will Of the people In Okla
bona are explained In the following letter
the original of which is before me. having
been forwarded TO me by J. l.. Dycke
Oklahoma member Of the Roosevelt national
Gommittee OF Chicago. The letter Is ad-
dressed to Newton s. Figley. post
master Of Hastings. Okla. and is signed
with the signature OF J. 4. Harris. chair
man Of the State Republican committee
who. Mr.. Dycke informs me, has admitted
to him that the letter is genuine. 1t reads;
wAaoSER. Okla. Feb. II. 1912.
Nscfon g. Ffcl.p. Hastings. okid.:
DHAR SIR: am In receipt Of the following
bitter from the Department:
The commits. sion OF y. =. FIgley. postmase,
Of Hastings, Okid.. VIII expire ltDrudFy 20, lbt-
uhen last Inspected this once did not appear II
4 satisfac tory condition. and unless the post
master can he relied upon to raise the service TO
higher standard OF eficiency it Is believed tina
Ne should not be reappointed. The Dcpartmen
Will be pleased to receive promptly as possible
an expression of. your views as to what action
IN this case will he for the best interest of The
service"
hope that you have your once In frst clas
condition. and will continue 10 have II so. II yo'
will bring a delegation TO the State aud distric
conventions instruc ted for TAFT and Harris will
see that you are reappointed. With best wishes
am, yours truly. J. A. HAnRIs. Chairman
This letter has been printed In the Okla
homa papers The original. as say. is now
before me 1t Is no wonder when methods
like this obtain. that as appears in the press
Mr.. Harris should have threate ned that
II he were not continued as chairman he
would mold a ruIup convention aiid sen,
Contesting delegates. These rump con
vsntions have been held in case after case
in Missouri, even where the primaries hav,
shown four and Ave and eight to enc assins
the very men who held the rump conventions
There Is no present danger OF tyranny
Of majority: the danger Is OF tyranny
over an honest majority by an unscrupulou'
minority.
Here in New York the progressive mem
committee outside are doing everything
In their power to secure a genuine Presi
dental preferential primary and to over
throw the present preposterous primar,
bill which was passed by the machines
Of the two parties last year. with tho express
purpose OF preventing the people from
getting control OF the management OF eithel
party. The supporters of Mr.. Taft have
absolute control OF the Legislature. and i
they choose to act on the principle OF th'
Presidents speech in Massachusetts,. mad,
after the Massachusetts, primary bill hac
heen enacted into law they can secure fol
this State a corresponding bill ] very
earnestly hope that 1t will be done. Judgt
LaughIin of the Appellate Division OF III,
Supreme Court in an opinion from the
bench has just characterized as follows
the methods of the Presidents supporters
in New York city in carrying out the pres
ent primary law. He says that the Boare
OF Elections (which Of course merely regis
ters the wills OF the two party machines
appears to have deliberately planned tt
make IL a primary for the election. not o
delegates to the national convention. bu
Of members of the party organization
and TO render il az difficult as possible fo
the people 10 appear at the primary anC
TO discover upon the ballot the names of tn,
candidates for election as delegates to thu
national convention by direct vote Of th'
people They have not afforded the peopl,
an opportunity to discover the names of thu
delegates TO the national convention eithe
at the head or the foot OF the ticket
,this) shows a deliberate attempt to con
fuse the voters and to render IL most dim
cult. IL not impossible. for them TO vot,
intelligently and have their will recorded. q"
II would be hard to imagine a NOR,
scathing arraignment OF what IL not bein,
done in New York city by the supporter,
Of the Presidents denomination than thi,
judicial opinion. II these supporters will
now in good faith work for the immediat,
passage of proper Presidential preferentis
primary In New York State We can doubt
#. less obtain 1t. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.