The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-05-23
MIR. Litticjohn and the Republican
Nomination for Governor.

Among the leading Republicans whose
course in the last Legislature has blasted
their prospects of future political advance
ment in this State the Hon De WITT G.
LrTTLEJomN of oswcgo stands prcGminent
This gentleman had a wcllfoundcd right to
regard himself as in the foremost ranks OF
his party in New York. Endowed with con
spicuous abilities, he has been n member of
the Assembly ten or n dozen sessions, and
five or six times Speaker of that body. lie
is close observer OF men and events is
well vcrscd in commercial affairs, has fine
presence, is urbane and personally popular,
and has q ready command of that sort of
clocution which gives its possessor an
unusual degree Of influence in the more
numerous branch of our Leg stature.
with these qualities united to so ripe an
experience in public affairs at the State cap
itll, it is natural that Mr. LITTLEJonS should
have been regarded by the Republican party
as its leader in the last Legislature, and
should himself have confidently expected to
be its candidate for Governor n the autumual
contest. But his course in respect to somo
of the cardinal questions which came bcfor.
tho Legislature not only disappon tod his
party, lut has made it TO the last degree in
cxpedicnt that he should be its nominee.
There was never clearer line of policy
traced beforc minority party than that
marked out for the Republicans of the Legis.
lature by the controversies among their oppo-
in tlnt hpl 10 ~ Ii,
many stellar occasions during the quarrels
u. yecn the Barnburners and the IIunkcrs,
the Republicans should have encouraged the
weaker faction by their voices and their
votes. 1t was in this mode that the Wings,
after their overthrow in 1871 regaincd power
in the State, and held it for more than half
the time down TO the formation of the Rcpub-
lican party, thus crippling and finally com
plctely Frustrating the most powerful politi-
cal organization in the Union.
But, disrcgarding the instructive lessons OF
the past, the Republicans in the Legislature,
from tho inception to the close of the bit ter
contest between the factions ftheir opponents
last winter, invariably and ostentatiously
gave their moral and numerical support TO
the stronger faction. Thus they enabled Tam
many Hall to promptly crush out the Young
Democracy, upon whose continued quarrel
with Tammany rested the only hope of n
triumph of the Republicans next autumn.
And foremost among the Republicans who
devised and carried through this stupid, das-
tardly, disgraccfr1 surrender of their party
to the Tammany Democracy, stands the tall,
Bwarthy figure of De WITT c. LITTLEJouN
Corruption rather than cowardice, venality
rather than stupidity, are generally assigned
us the causes of this surrender. The van
tage ground wherein the Republicans stood
was, II is openly charged, abandoned to the
Democrats in pursuance of corrupt bar
gain, or series of bargains, whereby some oil
the Republicans in the Legislature receiv ed
cash some received promises of7Democratic
support for their pet schemes, such as an
appropriation of q million aud half of dol
lars to the Midland Railroad, on which Mr.
LITTLEJoHN had set his heart while the
Ring Republican outside of the Legislature
were to get places under our new charter
wherein greasy jobs could be cooked up t.
order.
These promises were only partially per
formed. The cash was paid down at Albany
and the places were bestowed in this city
but alas for the Midland Railroad 1t 60
its million and Il half into the bill, but, ate
Mr.. LTTLEonS's influence and vote were
past recall, Gov. HOFFMAN vetoed the bill
Further comment would be supcrAuous