The New York herald., 1879-07-31
Governor Robin.on.s ..Case.v


call him great man; but he has good stuff
in him. He has opinions of his own, and
what is even better, the courage to stand
by them; he is honest and upright; as IN
dustrious as though he were book
keeper; and we do not doubt that he
has sincerely tried to serve the people
and the best interests of the State III
his place as Governor. 1t is, under
our constitution, not very difficult place;
its duties are not so arduous nor its respon-
sibilities so great that it has in recent years
tempted any brilliant public man to aspire
to it. There are many men IN both par
ties-a dozen of them at least In each
who could fill the place with credit
to themselves and with safety to
the State We do not say this to detract
from the merit of Governor Robinson's SER
vices; but we state plain fact, which it
may be of Importance to remember in
these days, and which it seems to us Gov
ernor Robinson forgot in his interesting
conversation with a correspondent of the
HERALD which we print this morning.
| In that conversation, which will be read
with curiosity by republicans and with
genuine surprise by some democrats, the
Governor talked with his accustomed fair
ness and moderation, and also, we are con-
strained to add, from his accustomed point
of view. 1t is one of the peculiarities of
his mind that it prefers to regard situa-
ton as it ought to be rather than precisely
as it is; so that it has sometimes
been said of him, and we think not un-
justly, that if he could only always arrange
his own Premises his conclusions would
be as unanswerable as mathematical
demonstration. This turn of mind is mis-
chievous when it is possessed by military
commanders, because they deal with the
lives of men and nations; but it
is tolerably harmless SO far as COM
munities are concerned when it hap
pens to be the mental popularity OF
politician, because he is presently left out
of the race. 1t is with public men as with
race horses-the condition of winning is
not merely that they shall run fast but that
also they shall run on the course. Now
Governor Robinson is confident that he
could make good time, but unfortunately
he insists on track of his own.
That is to say, he holds that the State
canvass this fall ought to relate to State
issues solely. Perhaps it ought, but the
difficulty is that it will not. In the pre-
vious conversation with HERALD corre-
spondent, to which he refers, he
insisted also that the State canvass
this fall should be kept entirely
separate from national issues and from
general politics, and should be made
solely on questions of State policy; but he
confessed then that this seemed difficult if
not impossible to accomplish. We should
think him wiser because more practical
statesman if he had frankly confessed, in
this later conversation, that however desir-
able it was impossible. He says he does
not seek denomination, preferring to retire
to private life; but if he should be renomi-
That is, of course, only roundabout way
Of announcing that he is in the field as a
candidate, and he adds 1.-THE one issue
before the people of New York in this can
vass is whether they will uphold the policy
of honesty and economy In the State admin
istration. If they call upon me to continue
it, it will be my duty to obey the call. Or
if they think it can be continued by some
other candidate for Governor he will re-
ceive my cordial support"
Now, if it were a fact that the issue this
fall is as he states it, we might agree with
all that follows But the truth which he
seems constitutionally unable to see is that
this is not the sole, nor even, as it happens.
the chief issue. 1t ought to be so, perhaps;
but it is not The chief question
which will be decided in New York this
fall is whether the democrats or the
republicans shall, by carrying the State,
60 into the Presidential canvass next year
with very great advantage. That may
seem to the Governor a matter Of secondary
importance. He develops very liberal ideas
about "bolting' in this conversation, and
may have notions of his own on the Presi-
Dental contest But to the great mass of
the voters it is, in fact, the question
of first Importance; it is not extravagant
to say that nine out of ten citizens, of both
parties, will 60 to the polls next November
thinking much more about the Presidency
than the Governorship, and about the coun-
try at large than the State
This then being plainly the case, what is
the real situation so far as Governor Robin
son is concerned? However excellent a
Governor he may have been it is clear that
he cannot unite his party, but that, on the
contrary, his denomination would cause
division in it's ranks which would un-
doubtedly defeat it. This again may be
all wrong-we are not now considering
the abstract morality of the political stua-
tion. Right or wrong, it Is true. Now, if
Governor Robinson were the only man in
his party capable of doing justice to the
States interests as Governor, then, perhaps
his friends might argue that he should be