New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-12
THE B1SER ELEMENT.

Moralizng over the withdrawal q Ncrcior
from Quebec politics and the corrupt methods
bv which he maintained himself - long in
power, "The Evening POST takes occasion t.
say that il is worth noting that in Canada rs in
tho United States appeals 10 party fcay have
been the most powerful means Of preventing
an earlier reform of political abuses, "just as"
it addS-with benevolent desire, no doubt 10
stick the poin. Of the moral into somebody within
easy cach-"THE TRIBUNE has assisted the
baser element by urging support Of a straight
Republican ticket in this city instead Of gen
era union against Tammany." Now " the ba>cr
clement may be considered relative term.
If our contemporary means thereby the element
that docs not quite come up to its own superior,
or supreme, standards Of intellectual and moral
excellence it is quite probable that TIE TRlB
UNE has frequently assisted it, but in jrstifca-
ton it may be said that it has done 50 only be
Cause it WAS compelled to by the circumstances
Of the case, there not being enough of the su-
reror, or supreme, element as represented by
the editors of "The Evening POST to fill more
than a small fraction of the Offices Until the
editorial staff OF our contemporary is enlarged to
such an extent that all the offices can be filed
without assisting the bascr element to some
extent unless, indeed the offices are doubled
up or some of them left vacant If We have
assisted the baser element IT has been only be-
cause Of the limitations of the superior
As to the specific offence alleged" urging
support OF straight Republican ticket in this
city instead Of a genera union against Tam
many''-it is hardly necessary TO say to our read
ers that THE TRIBUNE has on many occasions
urged general union against Tammany even 10
the abandonment Of a straight Republican ticket.
And as it does not claim infallibility or in
errancy, it is frank to say that upon tho whole
it is not clear that in so doing it has always been
wise. THE TRIBUNE has a firm conviction as
10 two things in this particular connection, first,
that the Tammany organization as a political
machine is an unmixed evil, and second, that
the Republican party is the only organized body
that can be depended upon for constant and
effective opposition 10 it. There have been
times when the political situation in this city
was apparently reduced to choice Of evils.
when it scented the part Of good policy for Re
publicans to unite with the better portion Of The
Demo- ratio party in the city who were Tempo
rarly aIienated from the ruling society in order
10 prevent the posslol!lty OF the Guys Delng
turned over absolutely to the corrupt and dan
gerous classes who are the natural leaders of
Tammany Hall. We indulge the hope that by
pursuing this course We have sometimes assisted
in wardng of the disasters of thoroughly bad
administration Of municipal affairs. But we are
satisfied that there was never Of this
kind in which the interests of the city would
not have been more faithfully served and its
affairs more honestly administered by the cleo
ton of a straight Republican ticket instead of
accepting the choice Of evils to which the hide
bound partisanship of so-called Democratic re-
formers forced lis.
There only enc party to-day opposed to
fsmmany Hall. lndocd, there never has been.