New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-28
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
AN EXPERIMENT AND A FAILURE.

HOW THE GREAT CITIZEN WAS SILENT WHEN
THE GOOD oIrzEN NEEDED HIS HELP.
TO tho Edito- of The Tribune.
Sir: have fully performed the duty OF waiting
far as concerns the duty Of Republican voter In
New-fork with regard to municipal affairs. Against
my own judgment haze waited until the Peoples
Municipal League has tried out it, experiment, voting
meanwhile for its candidates without exception sub
scribing something 10 its fund, rcfrainne from all
expression OF encouragement and counselling my
friends to give the movement their support. have
also refrained from protest when my pastor and my
church were engaging in movement which thought
quite alien to their functions. and the primary motive
Of which, on the part OF those who originated IL, felt
quite sure my friends did not so much as suspect.
Now, because 1t is proposed to continue the Peoples
Municipal League and because believe myself but one
Of many in like case, ask you to allow me few
words.
in Morley's "Lfe Of Burlse' 1t is well put and
conclusivey illustrated that whoever attempts po
ltical reform has two main elements to deal with One
OF these Is the abstract principle that is sought to be
applied the other is the antccedens and the situation
Of those who are urged to adopt IT, Whoever ignores
either invites failure. The abstract proposition which
apparently the motive of the League, that munich
pal affairs are business and not politics, is doubt
stictly true with perhaps this slight change Of ex-
preston that they ought to be business and not politics.
The practical question ,--c10Sc who took II In hama
was. how best TO give practica, force TO this dogma
There were before them two alternatives. One was
to appeal to tire conscience of individual voters and
ask their individual action in the way that was so
powerfully illustrated In this State by individual Re
publcsns in the defeat Of Judge Folger That course
would. in this instance, have involved saying to the
Republicans Of New-York "Put up for Mayor a
man Of unquestionabe character and will support
him and urge other n0n-Republcans to do sO' This
would have had the merit Of simplicity and would
also have been homogeneous with the general rule
that should prevail with every voter to hold his
party TO strict account for all unworthy nominal
tiOns. 1t would have had the additional merit Of
concentrating the strongest element. The last
municipal election showed that the anTammany
vote, under the strongest leadership, not so
strong at the polls that for the Republican n0m1
nee, for Colonel Erhardt received 1907 votes as
against II 079 votes for ex-MayOr Hewitt The other
alternative to attempt the cxtempore organization
of third party, third party whose scope and plat
which, with all the deficiencies Inherent in extempOre
organizations and third parties, should contest the
field with perhaps the most efficient partisan organiza-
ton In the world, at the same date with an election
Of great National Importance In which that PARTISAN
organization In full sympathy with great Ma
onal party moving to the contest with full assurance
Of success To choose this was to invite what has
occurred.
Now it is proposed, by the men at whose instance
this course pursued. to keep mp the Peoples Mu-
ncpal League. The proper answer Is found III study
OF the of the late campaign. Almost from the
day it began to the close the fact was increasingly plain
that its supporters were combination and not a
fusion. They were working TO put down Tamlnany,
but were not. aiming to expunge politics from munic
pal affairs. This was The frequent editorial comment
In THE Evening POST well AS elsewhere. The
meaning Of this disclosure and Its lesson could and
only be that NewYork City is not ripe for third
party whose sole plank shall lie that municipal affairs
business and not politics. There Is a field Tor
education and appeal in behalf Of that proposition and
for the individual voter to give practical effect but
apparently for years it must be directed to teach
ing the two parties that a large contingent may be
won BY putting forward candidates of high merit and
of unreasonable honor When that has been done
a third party may be reasonable.
There Is another suggestion, which during the cam
paign it would have been ungenerous TO make: but
which IL Is, perhaps, but right that Republicans
should consider. IL Onealf THE Evening Post's'
charges against Tammany were believed. IL was ap
parenty the duty Of good citizens TO support any
movement that gave reasonable promise Of Tammany's
overthrow and 10 show that every available force might
contribute TO that end. There was in New York one
force that II available would have been wenlgh de-
csive, one voice the expression Of which could have
stamped Tammany at least its present methods and
control. AZ something rcpugnant 10 and dsav0wed
IL not by the National Democratic party AT least BY
the good Democratic citizen. There YVES hope and yet
doubt OF the Issue Of the contest with Tammany Both
hope and doubt imposed duty on the Democratic
citizen In common with the rest. The voice was silent
and left Tammany to say, as II said boastiuy and
often, that Il the only Democratic party In New
York and tOssucceed upon that basis. T.
New-YOrk Nov ID, 1890.