New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-08
belief tllat sound financial theories find little
favor in tine Democratic ranks.

TIE REPUBLICAN, STATE CONVENTION.
Upon the confession of the most intelligent
Republican leaders in the State the Convention
which meets to-day at Saratoga will assemble
in the face of the most discOuraging cir
cumstances that have for many years
confronted the party. Our reports
from Saratoga are to the effect that
the consciousness of being in desperate
straits hangs over the preliminary gatherings
of the delegates like pail. There is no such
pulling and hauling for places on the State
ticket as heretofore. The struggle seems to be
rather to get out of the way, and let the lead
ing of forlorn hope fall on Others. The
Custom house people and the Oflce-hold-
ers are on hand i'll full force, to
be sure, for they always are as
blithe and jolly under the prospect of impend-
ing defeat as though the desperate condition
of the party was not due in large measure to
their own bad management their corrupt ad-
ministration of official trust, their arrogant and
dictatorial manners, and the high-handed way
in which they have so many years ruled
and almost ruined the party. with
them of course are many honest and sincere
men who love the party name and are proud
of its record, and who are anxiousy cropping
about to find some way out from the disaster
which now seems inevitable. But even these
men, with all their partisanship, will unite
with honest men of all parties in the State in
rejoicing at one most encouraging sign in
the political situation, to wit: that the
intriguing sclf-seekers, the timc-serving poll
ticians, the ring men, and men OF plumber are
compelled by the very stress OF the emergency
to stand back from the conspicuous positions
they are always so ready to seek, and let the
people have their choice Of public servants
from men of fitness and capacity.
1t is the one good sign that comes to us from
the preliminary caucusing of the Saratoga
Convention that the little men, the caucus
managers and convention workers are standing
back There seems to be Il very general
anxiety to put upon the ticket to be nominated
to-day the best men for the places We do
not enter into the question whether the p0lltl-
cal managers at Saratoga are sincere III this.
1t il enough to know that they have dis
covered in public sentiment drift toward
administrative reform, and are ready to recog-
nize and respond to it. The popular aspiration
for reform is in fair way to be
answered when political parties cater to
W
be regretted that the gentlemen whose
names have been brought so prominently
forward as candidates under this new
and healthy impulse should so pcremptorily
decline the responsibility and the honor
Much would be gained if both parties should
be put upon their mettle in Offering for the
suffrages of the people men of the highest
character for ability and probity, and defeat
under such circumstances would he no disgrace.
So far az the nominations to be made to-day
are concerned, though the outlook seems so
unprOmisng and the chances for success so
slim, it is by no means impossible for the Re-
publicans by wise az discreet action to
retrieve their desperate fortunes and regain
the State. But they may rest assured they
cannot do it by any resort to trickcry or
demagOgism. Z They cannot as some OF
their leaders at Saratoga are planning
to do, force the School question into such
prominence rs to Overshadow the issue of adj
ministratiye reform as presented by Gov.
Tilden and renewed in the call of the Demo-
cratic Convention. Their best and only chance
is in meeting tho Governor with manly
and Outspoken sympathy and Z support
in his reform measures and in striving
to surpass him, if /; possible, in car
rying them out and making them more
thorough and effective. They must remember
not only that the people have grown distrust-
full of parties within the past two or three
years, but also that this distrust goes beyond
their professions and down into their motives
and purposes. There is no way to overcome
this feeling except to Offer them the grand and
almost unprecedented spectacle of political
party acting in frank, hearty and generous
way, without resorting to cOncealment, evasion
or trickery in support of honest administration
and good government, through whatever party
it comes. The Saratoga Convention has at the
best to take the chances. This Is its best
chance.