New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11
AAFW POTTER IN LOCAL POLITICS.

During the Presidential year an organization
made Its appearance i'll Brooklyn which dld
most effective and valuable work for the Re
Dublican party During the canvass tins year
This same organization was a factor of great
importance in the FOCAL contest. 1t was called
the "Young Republican Club" Allowing its
purpose to he to secure honest municipal rule,
it succeeded III enlisting the hearty cooperation
of a large number of active, energetic men, ana
in exciting marked influence on the result oil
the campaign. La its original organization the
most conspicuous figure was Seth Low,
ng-old man Of thirty-twO with somewhat
strange and positive notions us to political ohh-
cations and the possibility and the necessity OF
conducting the affairs of a great city upon pre-
cisely the same business principles that he en-
ploys in his own commercial projects. The
selection of members made with the utmost
scrupul0usness, care being taken to exclude all
politicians and those inclined TO make politics
a profession, and to admit only those OF the
best character, who were willing to take an ac-
tive part in canvassng during campaign, aud
in manning and working at the polls Oh election
day. The plan was rot t formation of body
which would attempt TO mould public opinion
Inv resolutions, but one to effect the best posi-
bic result by actual hard and untiring labor.
The result of its efforts in Brooklyn has been
most gratifying 1t did more than any single
organization, outside, of course, OF the party
itself. to swell the majority of the Republican
candidate for Mayor far beyond the highest
expectations of the party leaders. 1t Is no"
understood that this club is increasing It's mem
bership, and that it will extend its duties to in
clude voting at all primary elections OF the
party, with the laudahle purpose and important
duty of securing in conventions the nomination
of good candidates. Heretofore they have had
to take the best of a selection OF candidates
not made by the best men Of the party here
after they intend to take part in the selecting
themselves.
Who will he the man to organize just such
body of Young Republicans in this city? There
is name, fame and opportunity for such man
if he have the power of organization and The
| ability to direct. He must be one with no mean
ambition; it must point him tn higher service
than that of any municipality, however great.
| He must be above and beyond the suspicion
that his activity is based upon hope of pecu-
mary reward He must be positive; his No "
having nothing of equvOcatiOn about it, and
1 Ills " CS 10 DC Itlitu Ols llC Iuunb bO ~
| worker whose expectation must be of reward
long after the service is finished, aud then as an
expression of gratitude of people whom he has
! benefited HoDors, if any he expects, must be
anticipated only after the work is done and
| confirmed and approved by time. He must
honestly start out not to supplant but to supple
ment the Republican organization; to improve
it by taking hold of it, getting inside OF 1T, and
not by first destroying it and then trying to
| galvanize the corpse.
There is need and opportunity for such an
| organization in this city, greater need and
| greater opportunity than there was for the
| Young Republican Club of Brooklyn; and in no
| city would the party or that great class of in
| dependent voters interested i'll municipal re-
| form more gladly welcome such organized aid.
| We had in the last Presidential campaign an
| illustration of the immense advantages OF even
| spasmodc organizations of this kind IN the
| formation of the "Tarltf Club" among the
| wOIkmen in the various factories We can
recall the inspiring effect Of that grand demon
stration of mechanics, merchants, manufac-
turers bankers and citizens generally which
was so admirably organized by General Lloyd
Aspinwall, and which in procession occupied an
| entire nRnU III passing luc IcNicWmS SV"hu
| These were temporary Efforts. Such club
as we suggest should be permanent; ever
growing in NUMBERS and ever extending
its field of labor until it influences the primary
elections of the party at the beginning OF the
wear, controls its conventions in the summer
and fall, and rests only when victory is attained
at the close of the polls in November. We
| want this new force introduced into our munich
pal politics until we succeed in insuring the
selection of the best candidates by all parties
and the election of the best man named FOL
each Office. Such N club would not only influ-
ence its own party for good, but compel the OPP
posing party to adopt reform measures and
good men aud this is ever /" a consummation
devoutly TO be wished"