Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-06
ROOSEVELT AND BARNES
DISCUSSED BOSS RULE
sations Between Them Cover
ing Period Of Many Years.
AGAIN IS FoRCEFUL WITNESS
Former Republican State Committee
Chairman Quoted rs Saying That
People Could Not Govern and
They Had to Have Bosses.

SYRACUSE. N. Y. May 5.-The
ethics Of boss rule and machine poll
tics as Theodore Roosevelt claims Will
liam Barnes cxpounded them, were re-
lated by the former President upon the
witness stand in the Supreme Court
here to-day. The Colonel swore that
Barnes had told him that the riff
raft could not be trusted to handle
political affairs without a leader" and
had expressed himself as being in
favor of the Democratic and Republi-
can organizations combining to defeat
legislation providing for direct pri-
maries
The Colonel went on the stand at the
end Of day congested with testimony
about public printing and public
money. He related what he alleged to
be the 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 forccfullness at his command
In part, II follows:
Mr.. Barnes and I had many CONVEX
sations on the nature of the boss and
| the domination of the machine There
was more than ono conversation con-
corning the franchise tax bill.
There were some before Payn
tLouis +. Payn, State Superintendent
or lnsurance) was removed They
were In the spring Of 1899 and again in
: the beginning of 1000. Those conycr-
sations were upon the power of and
the necessity for the machine system
or party government.
COULD NOT DE TRUSTED
WITHOUT A LEADER
one conversation was just prior to
the appointment OF successor to
Payn. Mr.. Barnes said it was neces
sary that the head of the organiza
ton should have complete control. and
no instanced Albany County. He said
the riff-raff could not be trusted to
handle political affairs without a
leader
lie said 1t was not necessary for the
BOSS to issue orders to executive Of
iicials and Legislators. but that thew
round out if they did not support the
organization they could not get bills
through they would not be remem-
nered. He said it was to their inter-
eS's 10 ma out what they should do
and then do 1t.
Senator does not bully He does not
have to- He said it was quite suf
ficient to have 1t understood that IL n
man did not stand by the oreaniza-
ton he got punished"
What else did Mr.. Barnes sav?"
asked John NJ. Bowers. chief OF tho
Coloneis counsel
MIR. Rarnes told me either mt OYSTER
Bay or at the White House, after tho
election of Governor Hughes, that the
organization had complete control Of
the Legislature.
EFFORT TO BREAK DOWN
PARTY GOVERNMENT
He said the effort to pass the pri-
mary Dill represented an effort to
break down party government, and
that the Democrats and Republicans
should make common cause against it.
On another occasion he said the people
could not govern, and that they had to
have bosses"
You mention Democrats making n
common cause with Republicans Did
you mean all Democrats?" asked Mr.
Bowers.
Tho Colonel. with n smile, replied:
81 said the Democratic organization"
Colonel Roosevelt" said Mr.. Bowers.
Il show you articles that appeared in
in the New York World in May, 1913.
and ask you whether you read them
prior to the time you caused the pub
lication OF the article complained Of"
Il did. SIR replied the witness.
Did you rely on the statements con.
tained therein"
Il relied on them after making spe-
cial Inquiries about them"
One article first mentioned per
feet understanding between the Muir
Continued on Second Page.}