New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-04
NEW IDEAS IN POLITICS.
CRITICISM AND SUGGESTION BY A.
DRAPER.

AN ENHANCEMENT OF THE LEGISLATURE FAVORED
BROKEN PROMISES OF DEMOCRATS.
fFRox AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE,
ALBANY, Aug. Judge A. 3. Draper. of thu
Court of Commissioners Of Alabama Claim
stopped in the city yesterday for few hours on
his way from Washington to the ThousandlIsla,da
where he went to Join his family. Judge Draper Il
chairman OF the Republican State Executive Com
mittee and member of the State Committee from
the Albany Disrlct. He was found at his of,oe
arranging private papers. He gave few minutes
to conversation on political tories. although rcuot-
ant to express opinions for publication
81 have been at Washington almost continuously
since the last election" said Judge Draper.
land my duties there have pre.
vented my devoting time to the politics
of New-York State. Indeed, l feel that all know
on the subject IL what have derived from follow.
ing the course of the newspapers and such con.
illusions as have reached from reading them.n
"when. in your judgment, should the State Con.
vcntion be heidi"
"Ibelievet would he best to have late conyen.
ton and short, active campaign. II the State
Committee should meet tho last week In August or
the first week in September and call the conven-
tvn for the last or next to tho last week In Sep
TENDER, ample time would be allowed for the party
to make up its mind about candidates and to choose
campaign of four or five weeks, which would
be ample After the long Presidential
campaign Of last year, the people Of
the State this year will be better
satisfied and will enter more earnestly into politics
if the campaign is made short and active whle it
lasts. do not seen any important advantages to
be gained by holding convention either before
or after that of the Democrats The Republican
party has always acted independently Of its oppon.
ents, and il is as able to do now as it ever was
The party must have its own creed 1t must take
advanced ground on questions In which there is a
live interest at present 1t must be progressive or
it must be prepared to go the wall. At the Same
time no can read the newspapers and
talk with the voters Of the party without
being convinced that there is at present substan-
tal revival of the old war feeling going on In tho
party, and consequently revival of tho old spirit
of Republication. From all I can learn this has
been brought about by the large number of South
ern appointments made by the Administration and
by the largo number of Union veterans who have
been turned out of subordinate positions in the en
ploy of the Government. This sentiment does not
seem to have been aroused BY politicians be-
leve 1t is the spontaneous repugnance which is felt
in the North at the restoration to offices Of honor
of men who once broke their oaths and tried to be-
tray those positions. The feeling does not ex-
tend to all Southern appointments judge, but
chiefly to the appointment of men who held Office
in the army or navy or civil life, were sworn to
support tie Government Of the United States and
then broke their solemn oaths. 1t is possible too.
taat the illness and recent death of General Grant.
which have revived an interest in the topics Of tho
war have contributed to this feeling. Whatever
he the cause there can be no doubt, think, that
the feeling exists and will make itesIf felt many
States this autumn"
"What is your judgment abont the candidatesto
be named y
From all can learn there seems TO be an earnest
desire on the part of all Republicans to subordinate
their personal preferences to the choice of ticket
that shall be acceptable to the whole party. This
| is a sentiment which am heartily glad to see. No
Republican this year has right to become so en-
| listed in the cause of any candidate that no
will feel aggrieved If the nomination
shall be awarded by the convention to another
man than the one he would have chosen am
decidedly of the opinion that the candidate for
Governor in particular should BIO a man altogether
| acceptable to the Independents Of last year. do
| not think he should be man who did not support
the National ticket last year, as such q man would
be in danger of losing the support OF the Multitude
who did vote for Blaine Furthermore, the Inde-
pendents claim and think with entire truthful
ness that they do not want Offices and nominations
themselves; but they only want proper and repre-
| sentative men named / recognize the fact that
| thousands of entirely conscientious men who
have no axes to grind for themselves and
who have been lifelong Republicans voted
unwillingly against the National ticket
| last November because of their convictions. /
think they were mistaken but that does not alter
the case SO long as they honest in their
and disagree with me to the propriety of their
action You can't go along the Republican line
with a club. The party is not made up of men whd
can be driven into doing what they believe is
wrong We want these men back again in the Re-
publican party, where they naturally belong and
this year we ought to name candidates and enunc.
ate principles that will either call them back OF
demonstrate that they were not honest IN the pro.
fessions t'.ey made last year and make now"
IF candidates of the character You describe
chosen, what issues will be most prominent in the
canvassT
Reform in legislative methods municipal re-
form and the industrial problem the great ques-
tons of the future in this State, and it is only
natural 10 look for agitation and discussion these
topics this fall. There be no question that the
Legislature de;eriOrating, and change, think,
| has been noticeable in the last ten years NY own
impression is that both the Senate and the Assem-
bly are now too small in numbers to represent fair
v the purposes and sentiment Of the people. Look
at the facts The number of Senator's has renamed
at thirty-two ever since 1903, when the population
of the state was less than GOO 900. ard the number
| Of Assemblymen was fixed at 1913 in 1921.
when tie State had population OF less
than a million aud half New
we have population of at least five millions and
| a half A State Senator represents constituency
of 40 900 people. larger constituency, believe
than any ether legislator IN the United states rep
reseuts, and tie average popriation OF an Assem-
| tricts Assemb ymen and Senators are too far re-
| moved from the scrutiny Of .he,r constituents 10
L. ,o,afrI always IN THAR Legislative action Per-