New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-01
TIE Dirty or EPUBLICANS.

TIE DUTY or REPUBLICANS.
The call for the Republican State Convention
which the State Committee issues this morning
onens thc c,mpaicn of 1892 with peculiar hit
ness II starts out with 4 contrast offered IN the
first note CT the call TO the action or inc DEMO
cratic party in this State The date OF the con-
venton furnishes ample opportunity Tor 1i'll ana
free discussion Of all the questions lnVoI'cu III
the selection of delegates and there II uh'e
onouph allowed for something like consultation
and elaboration among, not only the leaders, but
among the rank and file of the party, before the
nrimaries even are called, at which the dele
yates are to be chosen who in the state Con-
yention will select delegates to the Natlonal
Convention. There is nothing Of the "snap
business about the call. The date is put lar
enough ahead to leave all the time that could
be asked by any reasonable person for the as
cussion of every question possible to arse IN the
choice of delegates
So we start off with striking contrast 10 'he
action of our opponents. shall we keep II up
That is really the next question. For we hoiu
that the present business OF the kcpuphcah
marty. in view of all the accomplished miSdeeoS
and all the contemplated misdolngs OF the De
mocracv is to present very positive contrast a
,vell defined alternative, to the people. Now
.bor what il the next contrast we should oiier
II suggests itself-suggests itself with such en-
phasis that the thought OF the reader runs 'o'-
ward to it at once. If we have avoided the mis-
take Of hurrving forward the State Convention
we have only placed ourselves IN position 10
discover the cause of that mistake on the part
IF our onnonents. and to avoid that also-if we
can. 80
The trouble with the Democratic party IN TINS
State is. as everybody knows, two leaders. pom
orv question of principle there is really no differ
ence between the tNo factions into which the
party is divided. For, as matter OF 1ac' tne
Democratic party has only one fundamental pfih-
chile and that is to "get there Inc diner-
ence is simply as to which of the two fac'lohs
will "cet there" That is all there is IN the
present contention between them; simple q'lcs-
tion whether David B. Hill and his hackers or
Gover Cleveland and his hackers will control
the next Democratic National Convention, ana
nv consequence the whole party in the Nation.
Neither Of them cares the toss Of a copper for
Free Trade or Free Silver, but both are JUST
tumblinc over themselves to "gct there" on
o;,ber ;ssue or neither or both, so they "gct
there"
We hold further, that the Republican party IN
its history, in its hopes, in what 1t has accom-
plished and in what it proposes, offers at all
points an absolute contrast to its opponents
Is il TOO much to ask that in the very next step
in the campaign Just about to open 1t should
offer no less striking contrast; that 1t should
show bv its action in the primaries, easily fol-
lowed later in the convention, that 1t /, not di-
yided into two miserable, worthless good-ior-
nothing personal factions, but that 1t is a lnted,
harmonious organization, caring little Tor men
or for leaders, but earnest, enthusiastic, deter
mined and united in the support of what 1t be-
lieves in? The suppression OF personal anDi-
>ions and the forgetting Of personal animosl'leS'
we are well aware. are things more easily suG-
scstcd and talked about than actually accom-
nlished. But we are on the edge Of an extreme
" important political campaign; campaign III
which persons and individuals are OF the small
est possible consequence. Men, leaders, no mat
FER how great shrink into inslgnliicance III com
harrison with the greatness of the issues involved
In thjs State we are confronted with questions
that 20 to the very root OF the whole problem
Of mans capacity for selfgovemment. We
have 10 meet IL WIFI piOipuHu oNH'D VI 10 'i''
portance and of our responsibility. And we
cannot ford to 90 foolng round with any one
mans consequence, or his ambitions, his aspira-
tons or his grievances
The Republican party has great work in hand
for the next nine or ten months. IL has TO
make fight, not only for its own existence, but
for the existence of principles and doctrines and
beliefs which it sprang into being to advocate
and has had no other reason for being except TO
maintain. 1t must not be forgotten that the
masses of its voters believe in the principles OF
the party, and make nothing of men. And the
marty has the right at It's entrance into one OF
it's greatest struggles to command down all per-
sonal aspirations, all petty ambitions, all lac
tonal strife, and call into action all OF its best
impulses all its highest purposes, all It's I'M
selishness. That, it seems to us, is the thing
for Republicans to think of to-day that there
is no factional difference worth remembering ;
no person or leader of any sort OF consequence
in presence Of the overshadowing necessity for
long pull, a strong pull, and pull all together
for Success For success that will mean, not
merely somebody's election, but that will put
upon the page of history the stamp OF great
peoples reprobaton Of the crime of stealing
State.