New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-29

If man IN case IKE inns arose,
thst II they would recommend to me a
fr.t-clsss man | was glad TO have the
nance 70 appoint him. treated him
,rst as | did the organization so far
e those appointments TO which they
s-.rp entitled under the law or imme-
mortar custom.
On other words, in making the
.,Dointments under such character
81 hNl and such character OF legisla-
,ior YOU sought 90 make the appoint
,,,o,ts Of proper men that would be
.atiefactorv 20 the leaders Of the party,
ybethcr Democrats or Republicans
Whether Democrats or Repuo-
Icsrs. In the first place, l insisted
mon getting the best man for the posi-
t,o, II | could possibly do 1t would
sreept the organizations recommends
lion % such man If he were hrst
class man.
~ There was some correspondence
orcrcd here bearing upon the renom-
i,stion az Hughes in 1908. 10 you re-
ceV that correspondence Al do.
% Do YOU recollect how you hap
mod 70 come into correspondence
la,,stb Mr. Barnes and Mr.. Parsons upon
.Lst subiect? Al became convinced
nat the majority of the Republicans
v4sbcd Mr.. Hughes's denomination;
thst they felt he had stood up for the
,v,,ciples they believed in and desired.
( thereby entered on correspondence
snd interviews with the various Repuo-
lean leaders.
O.-I Judge from the correspondence
that you had conferences with very
considerable number Of leaders OF the
Republican party? Al did.
All Opposed to Hughes.
o-Now. sill the correspondence that
have here was with Mr.. Barnes and
~ Parsons. A.-Also Mr.. Hendricks.
o.-Now, these gentlemen were very
strongly opposed TO Governor hughes
A-They were. - a..
O-As far as can Judge from tne
correspondence, your feelings were
w;,b H. gentlemen on their differences
vith him? A.-That is so. The gen,
,'smen with whom | communicated
wsra the men with whom ! had close
rsrsoral relations, much closer than
witb Mr.. Hughes, but several OF them
God upon me that they were my
trends. and that they we're the hackers
81 Mr.. Hughes, and that the hackers
o. Mr. Hughes were backing MI
Hughes 70 smash me.
O-What do YOU mean by Smash
vou"9 A.-TO upset my influence or
T..
could not give the exact language
What they said was-and l think you
vii End II in Mr.. Barnes's own letter
thst the men who were back OF Hughes
ver. nv opponents. l simply paid no
heed to that whatsoever.
O.-And you thought that had MOTH
irg 70 do with the question of the ad-
visibility Of nominating the best can
didste? A-Thst is what thought,
O-Do you remember that IN the
a6denda 20 this letter Of MIR. Barnes,
dated july !. 1910, he states. among
other things: The so-called sentiment
Tor direct primaries does not exist
L Is purely pro-Hughes sentiment, ana
has nothing 70 do with the merits OF
the proposal. Governor Hughes advo-
Gated the plan he did purely 10 make
an issue, not believing that ! had the
courage and political strength TO back
I'D our opinion" Did you ever have
aav discussion with Mr.. Barnes on the
subject Of that paragraph? Al think
did.
At Odds with Barnes.
Q.-Then l want to call your stten-
ton to another phrase which may as
sist your recollection and get the mean
ing: The idea OF getting rid OF bosses
IS absurd so long as you nave party
government Did you ever have any
Conversation with him upon that sub
ject along in the year 1910? A:-Oh,
repeatedly. / have repeatedly had such
conversations, but l cannot be sure
shat one Of them was in 1910.
Q-Do you recollect whether you
had conversations concerning the ne
cessity Of q boss with Mr.. Barnes after
YOU went 10 Washington? A.-Hes.
Q.-Now, Mr.. Roosevelt, you did go
90 Saratooa 70 that convention? Al
did.
Q.-And you were opposed TO Mr.
Barnes? Al was opposed TO MI
Barnes. l made the fight on the two
issues he raised in letters.
Q.-Now, as 8 matter of fact, you be
gan having discussions with M NJ
Barnes as early as August H. 1917
Q-And began making remarks to
the newspapers with regard 10 Mr.
Barnes as early as that time? A
Yes, I opposed him strongly in 1910,
. but my relations personally were per-
fectly pleasant.
Met Hughes at Harvard.
Q.-Where did you meet Governor
Hughes? AT the commencement
day a. Harvard.
Q.-Wss it by appointment, or acct
dent? At was with knowledge on
his part and on my part. He had com
municated with me through Mr. Chad
bourn on the subject and had request
ed me TO speak with him at Harvard
commencement.
Q.-And the subject was taken up?
A-Yes.
Q.-At what date was that? A
The end of June, 1910.
Q-I will ask you 10 state the issues
o. 1910? A.-The two Issues were
whether or not bosses should be per-
petusted as necessity in party gov
eminent and whether or not we should
have direct primaries in the State OF
New York.
Did you make any declaration
after you had had your talk with MT.
Hughes Of the stand you were intend
inc 70 take? Al sent the telegram
by Governor Hughess request
Well. 10 whom? Al have Tor
gotten 10 whom. 1t was to be pup
lshed in the papers.
Platt Meetings Not Clandestlne'
Q.-By Mr.. Bowers Now, l Will ask
you about the breakfasts with MT
Plat. Was there anything clandestlne
about them? A.-There was nothing
clardcstine about them, but | insisted
that every meeting between myself ana
Mr. Platt should be known to the press
that there should be no possible con
cealment Of the fact that | was meet
ing Nr. Platt, and that wherever II was
whether il was at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel or At my brother-in-law's or IN
Albany or anywhere else.