New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-26
INDIGNANT REPUBLICANS.
TREA CBERY IN THE RANKS.
HOW SHALL TRADING AND SELLING OUT BE
ERADICATEDl

TALKS WITH PROMINENT PATTY MANAGERS,
WHO EXPRESS THEIR CONDENSATION II
STRONG TERMs-soME STRINGENT
REMEDIES SUGGESTED.
Now that the general chorus OF iubilat1on and
rejoicing has partially subsded. sub
Iect the consideration Of which arouses inter-
est OF an entirely opposite nature comes uppermost
in the minds OF the more thoughtful members OF
the Republican party in this city, and is being
energeticaly discussed by them on every side IL
is fact, although a dsagreeable one, that the
recent election in this city furnishes exception
TO those held for several years previous in having
been fruitful Of mplaints OF treachery to one
more Of the Republican candidates in certain OF
the Assembly Districts Such revelations this year
have been a genuine surprise to many, who be-
lieyed that fearless exposure and punishment OF
proven party guerilas during the last two years
had wrought change Of conduct, IL not Of heart,
in tho local leaders who have been rebulled, as
well as in those who might be disposed to initiate
them in the betrayal Of their trusts.
To ascertain the full scope and extent Of the
feeling which is abroad, The Tribune has SOUGHT to
ascertain the sentiments Of number Of pub leans
who are prominent in the partys management and
thoroughly represent it in this city. The opinions
more efficient method than has yet been tried must
be adopted for punishing disoyalty on the part Of
district leaders and that where the will to do 10
is so strong it appears be at present the way
will quickly be found Probably never before has
there been evinced such grim determination that
the eiders and abettors OF party chicanery shall
not 90 unwhipt Of justice.
This feeling is not confined merely 20 the de-
feated candidates or to their friends but seems
to pervade the party generally. Although there
are several districts in regard to which evidence
of trading and selling out will doubtless be forth
coming one Of the most significant features Of the
interviews is the prevailing disposition to attribute
all the crooked work to the With Congress Dis
trict as the hotbed of the trouble, and TO point
out John j. O'Bricn as the most prominent and
dangerous of the plotters engaged in IL.
There are several reasons given for this. In
the first place, it is affirmed that the trading
of votes which has been going there for several
years has been done with scarcely any attempt
at disguise while John j. Brien has had charge
Of matters in the district. 1t is also pointed out
that such reprehensible work could not go on
without his consent and appr wal, yet no direct
evidence Of his participation in it could be pro-
duced He has Therefore remained for years in
name, well in fact the leader OF the district
and chairman of the delegation from his district
to the County COMMITTEES.
After the election held last year, ch'rges Of
selling out parts of the tclzrt were preferred
against O'Brien and others in authority In the
district; an investigation was held before sub
committee of the Executive Committee
and the result Of ii that the entire
delegation from the With was dropped from the
County Committee. re-enrolment Of the dis
trict association was ordered, and completed in
! o1o Ton In1n vxrQa
ordered, and out of the tiirty-two chosen, twenty
four had gone out with OBrien John f. BrodsSy
was chosen chairman but it is commonly supposed
by those in position to know OF the intimate
relationship existing between the two that
Brodslxy' spells OBrien every time, and that
the former condition OF affairs has undergone
no change O'Brien, however, stayed out OF the
County Committee, and there is, IN fact, a great
deal of doubt expressed as to whether he Is even
an enrolled member of the With District Asso-
citation. Yet it is argued that lac must retain his
former influence or he would not have been sent
rs one of the delegates to the National Convention
at Chicago.
That the usual game of trade and barter went
on in the With an extensive scale on No
vcmber 6 is apparent from glance at tho
official returns. Harrison received b,Oa3 votes
and had plurality over Cleveland OF $40. let
plurality over Erhardt was 3,5i4, Notwithstanding
the fact that Hewitt poed ,94S votes which, It
is fair to presume, were east by Democrats almost
exclusively These figures tell their own story
and comment is unnecessary. But the selling out
did not stop there The candidate for Congress,
julius Schwartz, was outrageOusly sold and the
Republican vote Of the district thrown for
Mccarthy. the choice of Tammany Hall.
On this subject II. K Thurber has a story to
tell lie thought he saw an opportunity TO
gain Republican representative from the With
Congress District and bent his whole energies
toward that end. IIisexperience with the With
Ass molly District, which, With the iVth ana
! With make up the With Congress DISTRICT Is
| best told in his own words as follows:
was very much interested in Schwartz whom
! regard as high Hungarian Hebrew. as wen a'
did all could to push his canvass ana 10 ns eeSs
| lin. On November went over 10 the East sldo
s sbere o"s at ol 10 o'clock IN the morning was that
schwartz Erhart tichets were being run out OF tho
Which, as you know is controlled by ~Johnnys
oe as he Is 9ODaarSy SscS called d. h The h IYi on s%s
sress District. behaved all right. SO far as know
rachs for %S' had ,Oa
lion that he Intended to sell out out schwartz for
tho friday evening before Election Day and saw
O'Bren there. charged him with intending to sell
gt Mr TSYrbe, , do Teu SUPPOSE II intended to do
what you charge would be fool enough 10 tell any
one about IT OF course. had to admit that did
rot think he would. Then he said: " DO you sup
pose that the man who eolng TO plohi by my
action would tell Of IL - And again | Obliged
to admit that did rot think that al all likely
10 happen. Then O'Brien dened the whole charge
from beginning to end.
Even then | not fully satisfied. and a night
or two after my interview with O'Brien, I called
uuon Cornelius y. Bliss ard John J.. Brodsky. Both
OF them suTed that O'Brlen meant 20 fairly.
l have no doubt that Mr.. Bliss much surprised
by The sequel as was.
lie went far as TO send for the leaders Of
the lyth and VIth Assembly Districts and they
ncwed their pledges OF loyalty both 10 him and 10
me. I think they kept them fully. Mr. Brodsky
also told ne that the tickets had been punched and
wonid be tho NIlth District all right, and
| that reassured me TO a considerable extent. am
confident that they there I'm proper form.
T. my belief that they changed by OBrien's
agency after they got into the hands OF tho District
afue