New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-25
The Failure of the Direct Primary

The practical certainty that Governor
Whitman will be renominated at the forth
coming primary is a striking evidence OF
the failure Of the direct primary itself.
The successful intervention of the Federal
Administration to anticipate the primary
bv compelling the Democratic party organ
;zation 10 commit itself to the candidacy
Of Justice Seabury is equally conclusive
evidence Of the same truth.
Every one knows that if the Republican
candidate for Governor were to be noml-
mated at a convention of party leaders and
delegates this year Governor Whitman
would not be named. Every one knows that
the Republican leaders and delegates would
recognize the fact, patent to every one
that his denomination this year would
mean a severe handicap to the national
ticket and a possible loss of the state n
the local campaign.
There is a very wide difference of opln-
ion among Republicans as to whether Gov
ernor Whitman's weakness as a candidate
is due TO faults and mistakes or to accl-
dents for which he is hardly responsible
There is an absolute and honest division OF
oninion as to whether, on his record, he
has earned reelection, but there is little or
no difference Of opinion as to his weak
ness as a candidate.
Mr.. McAdoo and other Democrats asso-
ciated with the National Administration
have imposed their will upon Murphy and
his associates. who control the Democratic
organization in this state They have en-
tered Murphy's unofficial primary at Sara
toga and forced Murphy to accept justice
Seabury. Murphy. with city election az
hand. has sacrificed his own desires TO Fed
eral wishes and will expect Federal reward
when the mayoralty campaign arrives. He
may or may not be disappointed, but the
whole affair is perfectly transparent.
Lacking any intelligent leadership, dl-
vided by local organization disputes, torn
nv the rival ambitions of sectional leaders,
the Republican party in New York State
has permitted the situation to drift to
urinary election at which it is inevitable
that a candidate whose weakness at the
pols is universally conceded will have
only perfunctory opposition. No one has
failed to see what the consequences Of this
would be. but there has been lacking the
courage and the control to deal with the
situation.
In effect the Federal Administration has
named the Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor with the deliberate purpose to con-
tribute to the strength of the national
ticket in New York State. The result has
been that the Democrats have the strong
est candidate of recent years, and it is pat
ent to every one that Justice Seabury will
materially aid Mr.. Wilson in New York.
Thus the Democratic primary will merely
register a certain number of votes, cast by
the Democratic machine, controlled by
Murphy, indorsing the Murphy-McAdoo
bargain made at Saratoga.
As for the Republican primary, it will
simply record the votes Of certain small
fraction of the party membership, which
will 20 through the form Of voting, but
will actually acquiesce in the ineptitude of
their leadership. This is what the direct
primary has come to in this state, and the
next Legislature can do no more useful
thing than to restore the official party con-
vention, leaving its decision to be submit
ted to the voters at the primary.
As it stands the direct primary law
in this state has not in the least af-
fected the boss, as the Democratic action
shows, but has materially increased the
difficulties Of a party which is not con-
trolled by boss and has no Federal Ad-
ministration to club it into exercising po-
litical common sense.