The Washington herald., 1914-07-29
Bossing the Primaries.

The State Of New York has more than eooo,-
900 people and one-third of that number are males
of voting age, while more than 100000 of them
voted two years ago. We have heard much of boss
rule in New York in the past, when candidates
were selected by party conventions, but now New
York has primary law and there $4,000 Repub-
cans enrolled who entitled to participate in the
selection of Republican candidate for governor.
Three prominent Republicans have announced them
selves as candidates before the primaries, District
Attorney Whitman former Senator Hinmann, and
Job E Hedges, who the Republican candidate
two years ago.
The only conspicuous man in New York not q
candidate who has championed the cause of any of
these gentlemen is Col Roosevelt, who is enrolled as
a Progressive and not entitled to vote in the Re
publican primary Col. Roosevelt has never been
judged by the standards applied to other men,
especially other politicians. He has made his own
rules and he is still doing so. He is not willing
to leave the Republican nomination to the $4,000
Republicans who are entitled to vote in the con-
test he willing leave this selection to those
who expect to vote the Republican ticket He pro-
poses Progressive to select the candidate for the
Republicans, and he ses no inconsistency or impro-
priety in assuming the role of political boss while
denouncing bosses or attempting to boss party to
which he does not belong and in whose primary he
cannot vote under the new law. If Mr.. Murphy
should champion the candidacy of Mr.. Hinmann it
would be warning to Republicans to not select a
candidate who had merit in the eyes of the Democratic
leader the principle that political opponent can
be relied upon to suggest man who can be easily
defeated. 1t might provoke a libel suit to couple
the names of Col Roosevelt and Charles E. Murphy,
and yet they seem to be the only two political lead
ers in New York who are showing signs of a
willingness to do the work assigned to the voters
the primaries.
Mr.. Barnes may be boss but he appears to have
intelligently read the primary law and is dis
creety waiting for the Republicans of New York to
decide whether they will nominate Mr. Hinmann, Mr..
Whitman, Mr.. Hedges or some other man who has
not yet announced his candidacy The neglect of
Mr.. Barnes to assert his prerogstves Republican
boss of the State in spite of the law may have
suggested to the colonel that he Should take the
place. run the preliminary campaign, select the Re-
publican candidate and make the Republican platform
two months. before the primaries are to be held
and to do all this the great leader of the Pro-
gressive party Or it may be that the colonel is
acting through force of habit and following the teach
ing and practice of his old preceptor in politics. the
late Thomas c. Platt who, in 1893, sidetracked all
the avowed candidates for governor and nominated
the hero of Kettle Hill just to introduce a rough
rider into the campaign.
The colonel has been rough riding ever since Mr.
Platt handed his name TO the convention in 1893
as the one and only to be nominated for gov
ernor Of New York. But really, the colonel ought
to do his rough riding and bossing in his party
Suppose there should be general European war and
We should get mixed up in it. Suppose too. that the
colonel should offer his services 1t would be en-
barrassing to President Wilson to inquire on which
side the colonel wanted to fight before making out
his commission The President would be responsible
if he commissioned the colonel as United States
army officer and then the colonel should thought
lessy assume command of the Russians, the Ger
MANS the French, the English the Austrians or the
Servians, possibly try to direct the whole cam
pagn from all sides These foreigners are sensitive
assumption of that kind, but its just about what
the colonel is trying to do in the politics of New
York after he has secured law to prevent partisan
bipartisan bosses from selecting the candidates
and settling all party questions before the primaries
are held.