New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-20
RI YTHE SEES THE END OF
OLD TIME CONVENTIONS
Republicans, Progressive and Conservative, Have
Advanced Beyond Methods Of the Past
He. Tells The Tribune,

III ltliS NCllNtlAO4Cii A4'4 '--~-
possible to do what has been done by the
national committee at this convention
say this without criticism Of the
present committee. Many OF the con.
tests brought before that body were
bogus and trumped up for the political
effect. What 7 mean is that people VIII
no longer tolerate q system that VIII
give to the national committee the power
+ name o Presidential candidate by Sc
Letting delegates 10 convention lhey
will no longer allow one man from each
state 10 act as Judge and dictator. Ihev
viii do their own selecting themselves.
or most Of them will.
The national committee IS a determh
ing factor for candidates has oeeh
showed out Of power. No national com
mittee ever will perform, as many ma
tional committees have performed in the
past. even without enough primary
states. 1t will be deader than a smelt
in four years from now.
Roosevelt Didn't Start IT,
The old cry Of Stand by the organiza'
ton" has ceased 10 be fetch. Inc peo-
rla viii stand by no organization that
will not stand by them. And by this
do not mean that the protest is pro-
Roosevelt for It is greater than that
Mr.. Roosevelt adroitly seized move
n1ent for his own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT that Is
much greater than he Is, great thoush
he may be. He capitalized a cause ina
existed before the thought OF seizing H.
and that will continue 10 grow even
after he has retired from view. MI
Roosevelt projected himself into a lead
ership. He did not incite the reneilloh'
nor did he ever do much toward support
ing it,
/ The condition is not Roosevelt con-
dition. He is merely the incident symp-
tom of the condition. 1t is a widespread
deem down movement that has worked
with much rapidity in the last four years
and will work with even greater rapidiN
| In the coming four years.
| This convention, with its contests, us
struggle for delegates, its parliament
| tary see-sawing, its lack Of determlna-
ton, its almost equal division between
the old order and the new, its creaKing'
gusty machinery. its petty politics ana
its petty politicians, its reliance on
patronage and federal oficeholders, its
! coercion and corruption, its methods OF
twenty years ago. when the people were
complaisant instead Of contentious; its
bosses and It's bossed-this convention is
the last Of its kind, there never will ne
another like II.
It is quite likely there never will be
another Of any kind except as ratifica-
ton meeting, but certainly there never
will be another where q national com
mittee will have so great power.
Those DAYS are gone.
Moreover, to get TO The second PROPOSE
ton, the Republican party, as such. no
longer exists. II is dead The old Re-
publican party Of high protection, of war
memories, Of notable achievement has
passed. No further proof Of that is
needed than the convention now in ses
sion IN Chicago. The opening day and
the second day, as well as the pTe!inl-
naries, gave ample proof OF this Inag-
Inc Republican convention OF so re-
cent date as four or eight years ago,
when not one-tenth Of the delegates
knew. even by sight, the men who have
directed the affairs Of he party for two
decades!
The Leaders Of To. day.
Imagine 2 Republican National Con-
yention Of even four years or eight wears
ago, where James T. Watson, of Indiana,
was floor leader, and the great leaders
we're Boise Per~ose and Murray Crane
and William Barnes, on the one hand.