Meet To Organize Empire Democracy.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 18, 1912:
Those Wishing to Attend Conference on Move to Put Down Tammany Force Open Session.
FRIEDENWALD OPPOSES PLAN
Tells Insurgents He Fears Effect on Wilson's Campaign of Any Split In the Democratic Ranks.
    With the launching of the Empire State Democracy at a meeting held last night in the Hotel Belmont another call was issued to independent Democrats to revolt against the influence of Tammany Leader Charles F. Murphy and the clique that stands with him in Democratic affairs in this State. This time the appeal was made on the ground that the continued domination of Tammany Hall in the Democratic organization might endanger the National ticket in this State.
    The meeting last night was intended merely as a conference of some thirty or thirty-five men of pronounced anti-Tammany tendencies, who were summoned to meet by letters sent out last week. But the plans became public, with the result that about one hundred men, many of whom have been interested in similar movements before, came to the Hotel Belmont anxious to join in the first meeting; of the Empire State Democrats.
    Senator Franklin D. Roosevelt, who is at the head of the temporary organization of the new movement, and some of the men who are helping him organize it, were not altogether pleased when they found it necessary to turn what they had expected would be a secret conference on plan and scope into a free and open discussion along the lines suggested by the call for the meeting. After this had proceeded for more than an hour with five-minute addresses in which varying degrees of unfriendliness to Tammany Hall and its leader were expressed, the discussion was brought to an end and those formally invited to attend went into executive session to carry out the original purpose of the gathering.
    This included plans to call within the next two weeks a conference to perfect a State organization of the Empire State Democracy. Senator Roosevelt said after the meeting had adjourned that the call probably would be formulated and the time and place for the State conference fixed some time to-day.
    When the Executive Committee went into session there was referred to it among other 54rtthings an address from ex-Senator Thomas C. Whitlock of Brooklyn, which together with a resolution from the same source urged the Empire State Democracy to put in the field complete State and local tickets this Fall. The resolution protested against fusion with any other party or organization. The address said:

To the People of the State of New York:
    The Empire State Democracy invites you to join it in ridding the Democratic Party in this State from the leadership and control of Mr. Charles F. Murphy and the men whose instrument he is.
    They have brought a once great, flourishing, and representative political organization to the verge of ruin and to the borderland of disgrace.
    They have seized a great representative, majority political organization, and by using it as an instrument only for place and profit reduced it to a hopeless minority party, which it will remain so long as they control it.
    They are the representatives and agents of that class of "big business" which knows neither parties, nor principles, save that of gain, and finds both Cannon and Fitzgerald equally serviceable.
    They, at Baltimore, opposed the nomination of Gov. Wilson because they believed he would defeat President Taft, and supported any candidate whom they believed President Taft could defeat.
    They have pursued the same political practices, and by the same means and methods, for so long a time, that their brains have become politically atrophied. No hope of reform can be genuinely entertained, so long as they, or men of similar beliefs, desires, and political principles, are permitted to control the Democratic Party.

    Senator Roosevelt presided at the meeting last night. There were many speakers. With one exception they declared in favor of the proposed anti-Murphy organization. The exception was Dr. Herbert Friedenwald, one of the men invited by letter to attend the gathering.  Dr. Friedenwald based his opposition on a belief that the movement would injure the prospects as a Presidential candidate of Gov. Woodrow Wilson, whom, according to the sponsors for the proposed organization. It was designed to aid. Dr. Friedenwald was the first speaker.
    "I rise with reluctance to express my very strong opposition to the formation of the Empire State Democracy or any other organization along the lines suggested in your letter at this particular time." he said. "I oppose it because personally I believe that it may lead to the defeat of Gov. Woodrow Wilson. I do not want to be a partner in any movement that may render such a thing possible. I believe that if every Democrat will put his shoulder to the wheel and push hard Gov. Wilson will be elected President, but I believe it will take a long pull and a strong pull and a pull altogether to bring it about.
    "To achieve that result I, for my part, would be willing to work with any sort of boss. I would work with Barnes if that would help Wilson. Horrible as the idea may seem, I would work with Theodore Roosevelt if that would elect Woodrow Wilson. If you want to elect Roosevelt President, then you can go ahead with this movement, but if you want to elect Woodrow Wilson, it is my advice that you work in harmony with any kind of a Democrat who is willing to assist to that end."
    It was evident that Dr. Friedenwald had a whole lot more on his mind, but under the five-minute rule he did not have time to say any more just then.
    As far as any outward manifestation of sentiment was concerned Dr. Friedenwald appeared to be in a minority of one. Just one man who sat in the gathering applauded his utterances in a half-hearted fashion. After Dr. Friedenwald finished several of the speakers who followed dissented from his views.
    Charles F. Rattigan of Auburn, a member of the Democratic State Committee and political lieutenant of Thomas Mott Osborne, Murphy's ardent foe in this State, was the first to take issue with Dr. Friedenwald.
    "Wilson is going to carry the State of New York by 250,000 if Tammany gives him a chance," said Mr. Rattigan. "For that reason I am here to say to Mr. Murphy, 'give us a decent State ticket that will not endanger Wilson's chance of election.' "
    Julius Henry Cohen, who is prominently identified with the Citizens' Union and many reform organizations, appeared as a regular Democrat at last night's gathering. He expressed the firm belief that Gov. Wilson would be elected President despite Tammany Hall.
    "This meeting can do nothing better," he went on, "than send out a challenge that unless Tammany gives us a State ticket which we can vote for without holding our noses we will take advantage of the split in the Republican Party to nominate our own ticket and to prevent the State being prostituted any further than it has been."
    There was much enthusiasm as Thomas M. Osborne, ex-Mayor of Auburn, who has been the leader in Democratic anti-boss movements for years, got up to speak.
    "Why are we for Wilson?" he asked. "Not because he is Wilson, but because he stands to us as the symbol of true Democracy. But if we should accept any sort of a State ticket Tammany may fasten on us for the sake of harmony, would that be standing for Wilson? I think not.
    "We up-State Democrats are through with that sort of thing for good. We are willing to accept defeat this year, and next year, and the year after, and the year after that, to the end that some day we may have a decent Democratic organization in this State— an organization symbolic of the sort of Democracy Wilson stands for. We can never have that with Murphy. Whenever we try to get the sort of Democracy Wilson typifies Murphy and his clique are always found blocking the way.
    "If you want Murphy down here you are welcome to him. But keep him down here, where he is appreciated."
    Before the meeting adjourned Dr. Friedenwald again got the floor and implored those organizing the movement to confer with friends of Woodrow Wilson in their State before going any further.