New-York tribune., 1889-11-04
THE CONTEST At TIE POLLS.

RemhHcaniSm or TweedSm, which shall 1t
he? This question, in which the interests OF
every citizen of the State are involved, VIII be
answered tomorrow. What will a vote for the
Renublican ticket mean? 1t will be vote to
conserve pure. frugal and progressive govern
ment It will be a vote of Endorsement of the
nolicv Of Protection upon which General Har-
rison carried Newly ork last fall-and therefore
a vote to promote the prosperity OF American
labor and American capital. 1t will be vote
for ballot reform-and therefore vote for the
masses as against the political bosses. 1t will
be a vote for high licenSe-and therefore vote
for the homes as against the saloons. 1t Will
he vote to rid the public service Of officials whG
have grossly betrayed their truStS-and there
fore vote to turn out instead Of rejoicing
candidates who were smiIched by the Assembly
ceiling infamy.
What will vote for the Democratic ticket
mean? 1t will mean an attempt to revive
TWeedsm. This is not an eXtravagant state
ment. Under David b. Hill the moral tone of
the Democratic party has come to be as low and
its methods as inquitOus as they were under
William NJ Tweed. In this campaign, in
fragrant defiance Of good morals it has pre-
sented as it's candidates for the two principal
State Offices men whose infdelity to public duty
is notorious. In enc of the Buffalo districts 1t
is supporting for the Assembly the Democratic
leader of the last House, who was a member OF
the Ceiling Committee-a committee whose
shameless inefiiciency enabled raScaly con-
tractors to plundcr the people This precious
trio, Wemple Tabor and Sheehan, ought to
have been scourged into retirement. But no.
Hill chose to cOndone fraud, so all three are
running for the places which they have dis
honored Hence there is warrant for affirming
that a vote for the Democratic ticket will be an
attempt to revive Tweedsm. And if further
proof of this proposition is needed it is found
in Governor Hills refusal to suspend Controller
Wemple in face Of the fact that it has been
shown to the satisfaction Of all intelligent men
that he has forfeited his Office by his unlawful
and indecent relations to contracts for building
canal bridges. The Democracy of 1869 under
Tweed was menace to the common veal The
Democracy Of 1889 places its main reliance upon
the saloons and the saloon corruption fund. 1t
is stumbling block in the path of the great
reforms Of the day which are designed to con-
serve the greatest good of the greatest number.
1t practically has taken the position that one
poor term in public Office deserves another,
and it has for its head politician whose char
acter and achievements have earned for him
the name of Whiskey's Governor"
The time for argument, however, has passed.
The one exigent duty which remains is voting
The Republicans have made an earnest and
united canvass and will 60 to the ballot-box to-
morrow confident that full vote will give them
the victory. The principles Of their party.
the record of their party, the candidates of their
party, are incOmparably better than those Of
their opponents. Republicans down here be-
| low Harlem River are determined to do their
best, and their brethren in the interior promise
to meet the highest expectations. Accordingly
the situation on the edge Of the battle is most
hopeful Our friends can indeed beat themselves
by polling only an oh-year vote. But if pains
are taken in all the districts to guard against
that danger, The TRIBUNE will have the pleas
ure Of ieporting on Wednesday morning sig