The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
ROOSEVELT TELLS | OF bARNES' ETHICS ' ON RULE OF BOSSES Colonel Swears Barnes Told Him "The Riffraff
 Could Not Be
 Trusted"

Syracuse, N. Y.. May 5.--Thc ethic, of boss rule and machine politics. n.
 Theodcqc Roosevelt claims wIninn
 Harness expoussded them, were relate,
 hy the former Prrfildent upon the wit
 ness strand i'm the suprsn,e court here
 today. The colonel swore that iSar,.e..
 had told him that tbs .rtsfesr1 cos,,d
 not be trusted to hnudIe political at-
 fnirs without leader" and had es- pressed himself as being In favor of the democratic and republican organ fnntions combining to defeat IcgisIu- tion providing for direct primaries The colonel went on the stand at tho end of day congested with testimony about public printing and public money He related what he alleged to be tie substance of conversations he had with the former chairman of the republican state committee over a period of from 1898 until he left the White House. He told his story with all the force- fitness at his command In part 1t fol- lows:
 "Mr. Barnes and had many con versations on the nature of the boss and the domination of the machine. There was more than one conversation concerning the franchise tax bill
 There were some before Payn usouis F. Payn), state superintendent of insurance, was removed They were in the spring Of s99 and again in the be- ginning of 1900. Those conversations were upon the power of and the neces- sity for the machine system of party government.
 Couldn't Trust Riffraff
 One conversation was just prior to the appointment of successor to Payn. MT. Barnes said 1t was neces- sary that the head of the organizatso on should have complete control and lie 1nstanced Albany county He said the riffraff could not be trusted to handle political affairs without leader.
 He said 1t was not necessary for the boss to issue orders to executive officials and legislators but that they found out if they did not support the organization they could not get bills through. they woud not be renomi- mated. He said 1t was to their interest to find out what they should do and then do it.
 MT. barnes Salu. II Ou Know tho | senator does not bully. He does not have to- He said 1t was quite suffi- cient to have it understood that if 4 man did not stand by the organization he got punished.''
 What else did MT Barnes say..y asked John M Bowers, chief of the colonels counsel.
 Mir Barnes told me either at Oyster Bay or at the White House after the election of Governor Hughes that tho organization had complete control of the legislature. He said the effort tc pass the primary bill represented an l effort to break down party government and that the democrats and republical,s | should make common cause arainst If | On another occasion he said the people could not govern and that they had to | have bosses"
 Democratic Organization
 You mention democrats i,alxinrga a com mon cause with republicans Did YOU mean all democrats?" asked Mir. Bowers |
 The colonel with smile replied. q said | the democratic organi1atlon.''
 Colonel Roosevelt.v said Mir. Bowers. | T show you artielea that appeared in the 1 New York Worid # sin Ny, 191s' and ask I time you cauaed l11s pss6iicaf fi6n Of the tl article complained of
 T did. sir" replied tho witness.
 Did you rely on the statements con tained therein?H II
 T relied on thsm after making special Inquiries about them:
 One. article hrst uienti0ne<i ..perfect| .betw6eh the Mummy boys [ and the Barnes b6ys'' ftn tho sff t1 3avse1n- f ply II sa1d that 'Ieaders Tn tns Iesisia- ture "emi16d 1ul1Glys' ss V q E \ M '-
 Another article l(ken6d the capitol to a war mnp; he allied sHHrnes and Murphy ! forces were mentiQnad as pr6inofcrs of | Invisible goyern6ient. and the bi -pa rtisar, Qf tWQ machines. which had. | t was said sdefeat4d ditect v,rffn, " leQ1 Islation 1QNofed by Governor 1fnkhes 1t Z, also ws{ sIn1e4 Q tho attiel {kal the