New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-11
MR. FAssETT AND THE NUGWUMPS.

embarrassed by Mr.. Fassetts nomination for
Governor. They admit that he is an able and
admirable Young man. with just the experience
necessary to enable him to carry out just the
policies they approve and wish to promote. " Mr.
Fassett's personality" says 1.-The Times" Is
the strength Of the ticket; he sustains and
even advances the praiseworthy record of the
Republican party in its GubernatOrial nOmina-
tions his ability has been abundantly demon
stratedr he is intimately familiar with the
laws of the State" and during the whole of his
eight years of Senatorial service he has almost
uniformly worked for right ends and SOUND
legislation" Moreover, according to "Ihe
Times" he possesses in pre-eminent degree
the knowledge and fitness to pass upon the great
problems of municipal reform, and he has the
further virtue of personal integrity and an I'M
stained reputation" If Republicans had nom
mated the Angel Gabriel 1.-THE Times" could
scarcely have sail more for him than this It's
colleague, "The Evening Post" is also delight
ed with Mr. Fassett. "He is an honest and
able man." says The POST he has had :" pre-
cisely the experience in public life which is cal
culated to fit him for the duties OF the ONCE
he is a man of !" liberal education trained
lawyer, q consistent supporter of ballot reform,
and if elected, would bring to the Office OF
Governor ability and fitness" And yet each OF
these journals closes its commentary on MI
Fassett'S nomination without in any way declar-
ing it's intention to support him.
The reason of this seeming mystery appears
in "The TmessD remark that Mr.. Fassett is
can out-and-out Plat man." and in "The
Posts'' that he is subject to Plat" and that
4. .f Coil Tod IN
the orders of his boss, we have never detected
the fact" Without arguing this allegation we
must inquire how, in view of the admissions
above quoted, it constitutes an objection to his
present candidacy? If he is a" Patt man, ana
if che implicitly obeys Platts orders" and If
the net result of that course consistently pur-
sued for eight years, is that he - sustains and
even advances" the record of party which has
such names as those of Seward, Morgan, Wads-
worth FentOn, Dix, Foger and Miller to Its
credit that he has almost uniformly worked
for right ends and sound legis lation," and that
he has always shown himself honest and able"
if this is the result Of his alleged intimacy
with Mr.. Plat, does it not argue that Platt is a
most excellent person rather than that FaSsett
because of such an association is unworthy of
support?
We have in this campaign and in the per-
sonality Of our young, Clean hlgh-spilted leader
a great opportunity to secure all the reforms
for which the honest men Of New-York have
been so long and so vainly contending against
David B. Hill and Tammany Hal. Temper
ance reform, ballot reform, municipal reform,
prison REFORM canal rcform--they are all to be
had for the taking For eight years Mr.. Fas
sett has led the legislative movement for these
good works carrying most of them through time
and again only to be in the end defeated by the
veto Of Hill The Independents have pro-
fessed, and sincerely we assume, the utmost
devotion TO these reforms They have stood at
Mr.. FaSsett's back encouraging and sustaining
him, and have ragged at Hill for his knavish
opposition Tremendously. They know that in
this campaign FaSsetr and these reforms are in
one side of the scales and Hill and Hilism are
in the other. They know that Fassetts election
will be a substantial victory for every reforma-
tive movement, for has he not almost uni
formly worked for right ends and sound legis
latonr and is he not honest and ableW They
know that his defeat will be the triumph Of
David B. Hill and Tammany Hall with all they
stand for including the overthrow of Grover
Cleveland Now, then, what will the Independ-
ents do?
The logic of these suggestions cannot be
evaded by alleging that Mr. Fassett is friendly
to ex-senator Plat because even supposing the
Mugwump view of Mr.. Plat TO be the correct
one. inasmuch as a consistent record for fidelity
to good causes and fierce opposition to bad ones
has been in the past consistent with "sub
lection to Platt" the presumption is that it will
be so in the future. For the sake of argu-
ment we are willing to allow any view of Mr..
Platt which the Independents choose to present
if they will explain how that can excuse them
for falling TO sustain the candidacy Of a man
whom they concede to be all we desire to claim
as against a candidacy bad in itself as well as
in all that it represents. The Independents
must support Mr. Fassett or they must aclnowl
edge that their position in politics is one of
illogical opposition to the Republican party, no
matter wv good its candidates or worthy its
purposes may be, and no matter how bad may
be the candidates and objects of the Democracy.
If this is independence, how it must tickle the
Tammany bosses and the peanut politician at
Albany ~