New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-06
TIE SIRATOGA CONTENTION.

Saratoga OH Wednesday has plain duty be-
fore it, and not very hard one. There have
been few gatherings of this sort during recent
years when the policy of the party has been so
clearly defined in advance by the course OF
events. In the last campaign the chief anxi-
ETY. of the Administration leaders in this State
was to keep obnoxious and Unreasonable
voters out of the party, and they succeeded SO
we'll that they converted Republican majority
of $4,000 in 1872 into Democratic majority
of $4,000 in 1874. That was a lesson which
they have not forgotten, and they enter upon
the campaign of 1875 with q realizing sense
that they need more votes instead OF fewer,
and that this is no time to talk OF lnsubordl-
nation. The Independent voters-call them what
you will, Liberals, Republicans, or Democrats,
control the next election rs they did the last
If the Saratoga Convention wishes to win
them it must first of all overcome the coward
ice which destroyed the chances of the party
last year, and upon the three great questions
of the day it must speak in language which it
shall be impossible to misunderstood. The
independent voters demanded last year an eX-
plicit declaration upon the Third Term.
They demand it with far moro en-
phasis now. They will not be put off
with evasive answers. They will not pretend
to believe that Gen. Grants letter has settled
everything. They hold the political cOnven-
tons to their duty Of denouncing without
qualification the dangerous schemes OF some
of the Presidents friends and any further
Sinking of that duty they will most assuredly
refuse to overlook. In the next place they
require decided declaration upon the finan-
cial question Fortunately there is no great
difference Of opinion on that topic in our State
but it is nevertheless essential that the
con ycntions of the richest and most powerful
member of the Federal Union shall set an ex-
ample to the rest. Finally, they require an
uncOmprOmsing support OF the movement Tor
canal reform. The one great work for New
York to-day, ircon,parably the most pressing
of tasks at our hand is to root out the enor-
nous abuses in the management OF the
canals, and to pursue and punish the thieves.
All the politicians this year have got to take
decided stand, for the Canal Ring or against
it. Thus far the Administration Republican
press, as general thing, has Numbered
about tiis canal business inexcusably. Yes
terday it ridiculed the reform as matter of
no moment To-day it inquiries with trucu
starting the reform before. Tomorrow it will
attempt to show that all rcformers outside the
Republican party are from the nature of the
case cheats, liars, and humbugs. From the
start it has embarrassed the Governor in every
possible way, and made no secret OF the fact
that it desires him to fail. This sort Of thing
must he stopped. If the Republican party i'll
New York wishes to win, il must at all haz-
ards pledge itself TO the support OF the move
ment which tie Governor heads.
The Republican parry was beaten last year
bv the votes of O.d-time Republicans 1t will
be beaten by the same voters again unless
they arc satisfied on a calm survey OF the
field after all the conventions have been held
that on the whole it has PIT forward better
ticket on better platform, and with
better prospect of securing genuine re-
form than any rival offers. These
voters did not oppose it because representa-
tives of any particular faction were not given
Offices and they will not be onticed back by
the Offer of places to such representatives, now.
Their demand is very simple one; it is only
that the party shall nominate lis very best
men. They would be we'll pleased with
such nominations as that Of Frederick w.
Seward for Secretary of State, or that
of Gen. Z. A. Merritt for Controller.
No reform, however, can prosper just
now which does not command the ablcst sup
port in the Office of the Attoney-Gcncral, and
it is to that point that the utmost watclful-
ness must be directed. If the gentlemen of
the Committee, who invited "all who unite
"with them in desiring good government to
meet at Saratoga, want to know the sort of
candidate that would best commend their
ticket to the voters whose support they seek,
we can give them no better suggestion than to
induce some such man as William NJ. Evarts
to do them and the State the favor of serving
as Attorney General.
90 L YplpI1RIE"