The sun., 1919-04-30
PARSONS TALKED OF
AS CHECK TO BARNES
Opponents Of Old G.. O. p.
Leader Plan Counter Move
to His Activities.
ROOSEVELT A NEW FORCE
Present Committeeman Re-
garded as Safe Head for
Party's State Organization.

Leaders in the Republican State Or
ganization who are viewing with more
or less apprehension the quiet work that
William Barnes and those who follow
his Leadership have been doing in an
attempt to eassert his old control, are
seriously talking about building UP a
counter movement around Lieut.. Col.
Herbert Parsons.
Those who are interested in check
mating the known desire Of Mr.. Barnes
to control the New York delegation to
the Republican National Convention in
oushly In sympathy with the idea that
Colonel Parsons should be placed In a
position Of active leadership in the
State. They point out that the relations
between Chairman Hays and Colonel
Parsons, who has been the member Of
the National Committee from New York
since 1912. always have been OF the
most cordial character. and declare he
Is anxious that he should assert his
leadership more actively than In past
years
II is natural that the National Chair
man should turn to the member Of his
committee from that State for any ad-
vice in regard to a particular State.
but in past years 1t has not been true
that tho National Committeeman has
been the actual political leader in New
York State. This Leadership, since the
death OF Senator Thomas C. Plat. has
usually resided in the chairman OF the
State Committee
Not Opposed to Glynn.
George A. Glynn, the present State
chairman, has been generally recognized
as the personal appointee OF Gov. Whit
man. who, while he remained at the
Capitol at Albany. was in control OF the
organization. with the defeat OF Gov.
Whitman his organization lost It's CO.
hesiveness and the general feeling was
that sooner or later strong personality
would have TO be raised to bring the
party together again. This Is in no
sense opposition TO Chairman Glynn,
who IL popular, but is due entirely to a
conviction that a man who had been SO
closely identified with the Whitman ma
chine could not be expected to continue
in control after the power OF the Whit
man patronage had been removed
Those who wish to have Col. Parsons
assume the position Of Acknowledged
leader right away do not assert that this
necessarily means any change In the
State chairma nship-not for the present
at least. 1t will be time enough to re-
organize the committee later, unless an
attempt should be made to capture It by
the Barnes forces within a short time.
Chairman Glynn has never been a
Barnes man and probably would be
found in the opposition camp II II should
come TO a showdown.
But II is felt there must be some
strong political force put to work at
once to keep track of the Barnes ma
chine movements and to see to It that
they DO not succeed in their plan TO cap
ture the organization for the conserva-
tive element in the party.
The Barnes programme for 1920 in
cludes the denomination Of United States
Senator James W. Wadsworth, Jr, and
the selection of a man for Governor of
the type OF Judge Nathan l.. Miller OF
Syracuse or Speaker Thaddeus c. Sweet.
Parsons for Minimum Wage.
In his first political speech since his
return four weeks ago from France.
where he served on the General Stan,
Col Parsons openly criticised the Repub-
lican Legislature for it's failure to pass
the minimum wage bill. Its defeat was
credited to Speaker Sweet and was in
line with the avowed attitude OF Mr..
Barnes. In asserting that the politicians
here would have to heed the lessons
taught by the great movements abroad,
Col Parsons said he believed il to be the
duty OF those who had been privileged TO
study some of its inner meaning at close
range to bring back the lessons thus
learned TO tho political organizations
here.
In what he said on behalf of a more
liberal attitude toward the people Col.
Parsons said he was able to say that 1t
met fully with the approval Of Major
Ogden l. Mills, who IL still in France,
but 10 expected to return shortly. Sem
ator william NJ. Calder Is In favor OF the
Parsons leadership. In 1912. when Mr..
Parsons was made national committee
man over the opposition Of Mr., Barnes.
he had the support OF Fred Greiner OF
Buffalo. Francis Hendricks of Ononda ga
and George w. Aldridge OF Rochester.
II Is believed that he can count on that
support to-day. Just what the attitude
OF William l.. Ward OF Westminster
might be Is problematical, although he
opposed Mr.. Barnes in 1912 and retired
from the National Committee when Mr..
Taft, instead of Col. Roosevelt, his choice,
was nominated for President
Col. Theodore Roosevelt, son Of his
father. Is counted 10 actively support
any movement that looks to the elimi-
nation OF Mr. Barnes from further ac-
tive participation In the affairs OF the
Republican organisation.