National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-25
The heAdministration VS.. The Republican
Party

|
To go into the caucus or not go is the issue upon
which the whole contest is now shaping itself
The followers of Conkling have undoubtedly a
majority of the Republicans of the Legislature.
Eighty votes are necessary to elect Senator;
| there are JOG Republicans in the Legislature. If
the Conkiing faction can induce 81 men
to go into their caucus they will not care in the
least whether all of them vote for Conkling and
| Plat in the caucus or not. A majority would un-
doubtedly do so. 1t would be claimed, of course
that al the participants in the caucus were bound
: - - ths action Of the majority. On the
| other hanu, tIro is.-.lus " Inc administration
think they can show that Republicans s :re
under no moral obligation to enter such caucus,
and that it is for the good of the party well as
their own that they should remain inde-
pendent of it. If only 26 Republicans
| refuse to enter the caucus and refuse to vote
for Conkling and Platt the twin candidates
Will have but so votes, and cannot be elected
by Republicans and as Republicans. Twenty
IS a small number compared with the whole num-
Der of those who unhesitatingiy disapprove of the
reelection of ConkEng and Plat. Barely one
half and it would seem strange indeed if many
more than 26 were not ready TO fight it
out on this ineif it took all summer. But it
Will require more nerve for men to stand out
against caucus than for or against a candidate,
and the Conkling managers expect to concentrate
upon these at the capital and apart from their
constituents every appliance of political machin-
cry and every influence which can sway the mind
or heart Their fears for their political future their
ambitions, their cupidity, their business and per-
sOnal connections will all he used with incesSant
energy; in short, the machine, with all its great.
power. is about to make superhuman effort to
break down the friends of the administration in
this State.-NclU York Tribune
hn Oh Il - a
bany. The Republican party is to be de-
feated in the election of Senators if the
administration has power enough to do
it. In the election of United States Sena-
tors the party can only speak through
majority of its members in the Legisla-
ture. " The followers Of C0nkling hare a,a-
dOubtedly MAJORITY OF THE REPUBLICANS
Of the Legislature" says the TiJune's cor
respondent. But he adds: "The friends
of the administration think they can
show that Republicans are under no
moral obligation to enter such caucus"
That is to say, the administration, being
unable to control the Republican party
In New York in the matter of choosing
two United States Senators, has the
moral right to break it up by seeding.
That is plain and easy to be understood
He admits that " it viii require more
nerve for men to stand out against a
caucus than for or against a candidate"
That is, the administrations men find it
uphill work to impress Republican mem
bers into the service against the Republi-
can party! He means that the ma
chine that is, the majority is trying
to break down the friends of the admin
in New York-meaning the
of the Republican members of
the Legislature. All that the administra-
ton asks is that the majority of the Re-
publican members shall vote as they may
be commanded by the minority. In
short, all it asks is to have its own will !
full way, despite the majority, and |
if this is not conceded the stand !
ard of revolt is to be raised |
and the commissary stores are to be re-
lied on to induce desertionS from the |
regular organization. Do not the Repub-
leans of the country now see the cloven
foot beneath all this Robertson perform
ince? Do they not see that it is the de-
iberate purpose of the President to build
Up spoils party, to be called an admin
stration party, on the ruins of the Re-
publican party? 1t may be found by
md bye that this scheme embraces Dem
ocrats in both Houses of Congress. We
nave no fears that sufficient number of
Republican members of the New York
legislature can be seduced from their al
egiance to the party to reduce the caucus
below the number required to elect.