The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-12
FRIENDS PUT BARNES
IN RACE FOR SENATE
Ex-Chairman Tells Albany Re-
publicans National Politics
Is His Field.
WHITMAN NOT AT DINNER

ALBANY. Feb. william Barnes
was presented with a bronze elephant
twenty inches high tonight upon his
retirement as local leader at the dinner
OF Albany county Republicans
Mr.. Barnes was praised for his ser
vice TO the party In the county, tho
state and the nation The speakers
we're United States Senator-elect James
w wadsworth Jr., state Senator Elon
Il. Brown and Assemblyman Harold J.
Human. Republican leaders OF the two
branches of the Legislature,
Gov. whitman left Albany to-day to
keep previous engagements in New York
city.
Some of Mr. Barnes's friends declare
that he will be candidate in the Re
publican primaries 10 succeed United
states Senator O'Gorman.
Mr. Barnes spoke on "a Retrospect
and the Future" He pointed out that
quarter OF a century ago when he
attempted the leadership locally at the
close OF the Stalwart- Haif Breed fight tho
Republican vote In Albany county was
1871 and the population l6i.555.
"Now." he added, the Republican
vote Is 25,7l2 an increase Of 1884.
while the population has increased but
9.11l. The Republican enrolment last
| fall was 2i,5sS.'
Mr.. Barnes reviewed his work as
! state chairman and the effort to pre-
| vent "the Organizing OF the Republican
party By Roosevelt" pointing out that
! the American republic is built upon the
rock OF indIvidualism He declared IL
| was his hope when he became State
: chairman TO dissipate the boss" idea
| In the Republican party
Regarding national POLITICS Mr.
/ Barnes said:
America Is suffering from confusion
! OF ideals, in that natural spiritual aspi-
| ration has expressed itself IN material
! stic form without accepting natural law,
| The proposal for minimum wage by
! statute is the hes. example ! know of
| this particular kind Of erroneous think
/ ing Such false methods " accomplish
! ing a good result invite unnecessary ma
/ ,orialistic disaster, thus crushing the
uplift Of the spirit.
| This error has taken it's most UNI
/ fortunate form in the popular miscon-
! ception of III. meaning of wealth, and
! in placing upon the Government respon-
! sibilities and burdens impossible for II
! to bear effectively
our present Government at Wash
! ington has been under the influence OF
! fallac!ous economic ideas, and 81 has
violated that American policy OF pro-
lection which. properly explained
means that each tariff schedule SHOULD
be so high that no American industry
can be destroyed by foreign competi
ton and so low that no American In
dustry can, through H. secure abnorma
profits.
This is the economic mistake which
| has been made. Assault upon wealth
| is an assault upon the power to pro
duce Power to produce means EN-
ployment the lack Of It. idlcness, which
! II long continued. means starvation.
THE second error is the confusion
Of the ideal of democracy, which II
nperty. with tine pursuit OF eiTcienvS
Whether in the future shall h
called upon by the Republican voters
10 serve in the public interest is no
for me - determine, but my mind Il
clear regarding the evil that besets tn
country. despite what has been accom-
plished."
Mr. Barnes then pointed out tina
America is suffering from confusion
Of ideals which has expressed Itself II
recent thinking in materlalstic form
without accepting natural law, instanc
ing the minimum wage proposition a