New-York tribune., 1913-11-19
The Republican Party Cannot Keep
Faith with the Voters Without
REORGANIZATION.


Though it has produced the biggest political fig
ures Of this generation, the Republican party is
minority party in this state 1t is likely to remain
minority party as long Mr.. William Barnes,
jr.. remains in control of its organization and its
policies
Mr. Barnes must go as state chairman, and the
party must move out of the Barnes political asso-
Citations and atmosphere before the people of this
state will regard it fit to take up the response
bities of state government again
Mr.. Barnes is the best asset of the Democrats
and the Progressives in any state campaign, ex-
actly as Murphy was the best asset of the anti
Tammany forces in the recent municipal election
here. There is no use of reasoning about whether
it ought to be so or not. The fact exists and it Is
time for every man who deems himself loyal
Republican to face that fact.
The Republican party ought to be bigger than any
man in it, or any set of men. The plain, undenable
fact now is that the Republican party is limited
in practical efficiency as a machine and in all mat
ters of ideals and principles is dwarfed and stunted
because Mr. Barnes is at the head of its organiza-
ton and able TO impose his own views as official
utterances.
In 1911 the state disgusted with one year of the
Dlx-Tammany administration, turned out the Demo
cratic Assembly and elected Republican body. 1t
organized with the "old guard in control of com
mittees. 1t was hailed as Barnes Assembly
That Assembly had opportunity to advance
strong programme, in contrast to the weak, shift
less. inefficient course of the Dix oficehoders and
the Tammany Senate. 1t could have passed real
direct primary bill. 1t could have tried, at least
to cure the evils in Tammanys vicious election
law 1t could have passed much needed water
storage legislation in the peoples interest
1t did none of these things, but adjourned with
praise from its leader that it had preferred "to be
safe rather than to be novel" And the voters,
more dsgusted with such antics than with Tam
manys brazenness, that fall swept Republcanism
again from its partial hold on state affairs.
The lesson of 1912 must not be lost The people
of this state do not want the "old guard" in con-
troll of Republicanism any more than they want
Murphy and Tammany in control of Democracy.
They do not want a political policy which favors. or
appears to favor, private interests at the expense
of the public They do not want Bourbon at the
head of the party legislative representation or at
the head of the party organization.
They do want the party to which they have given
their preferment to realize its obligations. They
want it to keep its pledges, to show clean, up-to-
date management, to work for practical results in
lss Legislature; to stand for affirmative things
not to dodder around with negatives and talk of
safety rather than novelty in efforts to in
action.
The public in 1914 will no more forgive failure
or lack of willingness of the Republican party to
live up to it's opportunities and duties than the pub
lie did in 1912. First the party must set its house
i'm order by replacing Mr. Barnes with leader in
sympathy with political thought Of this generation.
Then it must keep faith with the public, not
alone by combating Tammany in the Legislature,
but by affirmative work the states great prob
lens Reorganized revived, it can command public
confidence and public support But 1t must rid it.
self of its present incubus. Barnes and the Barnes
ideas must go.