New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-21
MR. sgEEHAN IND THE RIGHT OF PETl-
TON

IION.
The nrominent place given to William f.
sbeoban on the Democratic State ticket ought
aside from other considerations, TO secure Jus
defeat. A party which has any further use for
Shooban manifestlyis unworthy Of the confidence
e ,.o,,r+abla men. Do the bosses who placed him
IN nomination suppose that the voters have al
uoodv forgotten that it was Sheehan who last
,y,nter dspraoed his Office as Speaker Of the AS
sembly by denying his fellow-citi7ens the nsht
of netition? His course in that matter was 10
the last degree discreditable. 1t was an Insult 10
avery New Yorker, no matter what his politics.
who is Jealous of his fundamental rights, rights
guaranteed him by the Constitution. body OF
New York clergymen, believing that one OF the
measures pending in the Assembly was menace
N the purity, the good order the prosperity OF
the State, united in forwarding a respectlui peti-
ton to that body demonstrating against It's pas
sage. But Mr.. Sheehan refused TO allow the peu-
tion to be read And why2 Simply because inc
bill in question was liquor bill ana ne was
afraid to do anything which might offend his
masters, the saloon-keepers
This is the person who received the nomina-
io,, for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS at the hands OF the
Democratic convention If Murphy, Croker and
the other party leaders who dictated the ticket
had been bent upon demonstrating publicly and
Enthusiastically their contempt for popular rghts
tbev could not have done better than to put
Sbeehan forward. If ever public servant had
earned Reputation at the hands OF his party /.
was he. In applying gag to the mouths Vi
those clergymen who came to the Legislature 10
nresent petition he committed crime agalhS0
government of the people which never ought 10
have been condoned. That act convicted him OF
Hacrant disloyalty to American institutions, IL
nroved that he was equal as opportunity offered,
TO betraying his fellow-ctizenS for the sake OF
Wandering to the greed of class. Among the
many rumors which went flying about Saratoga
before the convention assembled there was one
crediting Governor Hill with saying that ohee-
hans name on the ticket, in view of his denlal
of tho right Of petition would cost the Democ-
racy thousands of votes. The Governor may OF
NAV not have made the remark, but the 1act
remains that the Democratic ticket IS heavily
handicapped by Sheehan 1t would be strange
indeed if pubic-spirited Democrats by the thou
sand did not Indignantly refuse to have any
thing to do with ticket on which his name ap
nears. The reckless and INSCRIPTIONS bosses
who are responsible for his candidacy were, OF
course, we'll aware that the nomination was one
grossly unfit to be made from any point OF view
involving the public welfare Nevertheless with
the brazen effrontery of Tweed when ne asked
"What are you going to do about lt?" they
named him for Observation-Disclosures
him for the most important Office save one,
within the gift of the people at the ensuing cleo
ton.
Mr. Sheehan has been member OF the AS
sembly for the last seven years. During all that
time the enemies of reform have had in him
faithful ally. Ballot reform, excise reform canal
reform havo encountered his active hostility. His
devotion to machine rule, to the rum power, to
the canal ring, has been ardent. Two years ago
the Assembly ceiling investigation damaged the
regulations of several lawmakers, some Republl-
can and some Democratic including Mr.. Shee-
han. The Republican offenders were punished
by their party, denominations were denied them
and they were retired from public llie Mr.
sheehan, of course, ought also to have been sup
pressed. But his political friends in Erie County
condoned his betrayal of the public interests and
sent him back to Albany. Instead OF rewardng
their clemency by bringing forth fruits meet for
repentance, he added still blacker chapter to
his record by this denial of the right OF petition
For many cogent reasons the Democratic ticket
invites defeat Prominent among these reasons
is Sheehan. He is milestone about its neck.