The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-03


gates TO tho national conventions Of tho
Democratic, Republican and Progress
sivc parties will be chosen at direct
primaries tomorrow, The three parties
will also choose their state and county
committees at this primary. Tho polls
will be open from 3 o'clock In the after
noon until 2 o'clock In the evening.
Only the enrolled voters Of tho parties
may participate In these primaries.
There will DO comparatively few con.
tests, not only for election as dele.
gates 10 the national conventions, but
even for election to the various PARTY
county committees. Tho theory OF the
direct primary Law Is that 1T affords to
any man tho opportunity to go before
the members Of his party as a candi.
date. All candidates for party POSI-
tons must be designated by petition
and any one may file such a petition.
The trainers Of the law expected that
this system would eliminate the con-
troll of political leaders over candida
cies and invite participants by the very
openncss Of the field.
Same Men stiII Dominate.
As the law has operated the designa-
lions have for the most part been filed
by the very men who under the old sys-
tenn would have controlled nominations.
Designations for delegate TO the ma
tional conventions have been made by the
Assembly district leaders In the Congress
district. Those for members OF tho
State committees have been made ny the
election district leaders in the ASSEM-
bly, district and the district leader has
had himself designated for membership
In the county committee. In the case
OF candidates for the State committees
and the county committees the leaders
In any particular Assembly or election
district have had generous advice n
assistance from those who are In control
Of the county organization.
While the law provides for unofticial
primaries in any Of the units OF repre-
sentation for which primaries are held.
this safeguard against control OF the
Designations 10y the political leaders has
been rarely used. The result, is that
there will lie actually less competition
In the primaries tomorrow than there
was, for example, four years ago. Al
the spring primary IN 19l. there were
spirited contests among those who
sought election ~ delegates TO the Ntlri-
Gus Congress district conventions at
which the delegates TO the national con-
vcntiors were chosen. Taft and lioose-
welt men wageh long and bitter cam
III " tfN ~ 49,
venions and throughout the state these
contests were followed with great inter-
est because OF the light they threw upon
tho increasing or decreasing chances OF
the Presidential candidates of securing
control OF the States delegation IN the
national convention.
DemOerats In One Contest.
There is no contest In any Of the
parties over the election OF delegates At
large. These men wcrc designated by
unofficial state conventions and while
differences developed at both the Demo-
cratic and Republican conventions. they
were ironed out with apparent success.
The Democratic parties enrolled voters
will elect -four delegates at large and
cighty-six district delegates. two from
each Congress district and their alter
mates. There il hut ono contest III tn"
\ entire State. This Is In the First Con-
| gress district. which comprises Suffolk
| and Nassau counties and q snail part VI
| Queens county. There are 1000 en-
rolled Democrats In the suffolk Nassau
| section of the district and only 1000 In
the Queens end of the district. Ralph
| Pulitzer and Rowland Miles are running
against Dayton Hedges and Richard :.
Sewcombe and have the organization
backing.
-Four delegates nt large and their al
,ernatcs and eighty-thr.o district dele
gates and alternates will he chosen by
tho Republican voters. Tho party
voters will elect two Delegates and Two
alternates from each Congress district
except tho Twelfth, Thirteeutii and
Twentieth, w9lere there will be- only one.
the Republican vote IN each Of these dis
tricts having fallen below 100 At the
| election of delegates In 1908 and at the
election OF a Congressman in 1911. Ac-
cord.ngly there will be- e~ighty-seven
members OF tho ~liepubliciil delegation
from this state.
There ara contests IN the seventh.
! Tenth. I'oriieth. ~Forty-hrst and Forty
second districts, Jacob Bronncr and
Alexander NJ. White arr being fought by
Michael ;. Dady In INC Seventh district.
Mr.. White is treasurer Of tho Republican
state nmittee and he and Brenner
have tho backing az a majority OF the
Assembly district leaders, hut Mr.. Dady,
having on his hands Il fight to maintain
his leadership of the First Assembly dis
tr.ct against the ambitions of Mr.. White,
decided to carry his war into the pri-
maries.