Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-21

Thinks MIR. Platt's support Should Not
BE Sought After.

Ihfnks MIR. Platts support Should Not
he Sought After.
No one in the committee of seventy of
New York city will admit that Mr.. Platt
meant them in the closing remark of his
recent statement concerning politics about
self-constituted committees and ambitious
busybodies' who are seeking to boss
the legislature.
But there was one man who is allied with
the committee of seventy who regarded 1t
as an attack on that organization, and
took up a cudgel In its behalf. This was
the Rev. DIR. Charles H. Parkhurst, who
sent to an afternoon New York paper
the following dispatch from Lakewood,
N. j.:
"Mr. Plat Is quoted this morning as
saying that he does not want anybody
to boss the action Of the legislature.
He is handling a matter now in which
he can speak with the authority of an
expert.
"Bosssm is a question In which this city
feels a deep interest, and 1t is electrifying
to hear II treated by one who is no theo-
rist. but an accomplished experimentallst.
He slaps the committee Of seventy and
says that Mr. LeXow's committee will re-
sent their interference. If Mr.. Plat had
interfered a little more promptly and had
helped whip Tammany, and not postponed
his interference until after the victory was
gained, and measures had to be adopted
for turning the victory to account, we
could listen to his homiletical address to
Mr.. Larocque and his colleagues with
Personally, l have unqualified conf
derce in the integrity of purpose Of Nj.
Lexow and his committee. but know If
there is one thing that New York city
abhors second to Tammany ii Is the pro-
fessional boss, and the Lexow committee
will strengthen itself in popular favor by
taking means to make 1t apparent that
Mr.. Plat holds no brief in their interest.
Bipartisan commissions are to be avoid
ed as far as possible in the reorganization
of our city government, not only for other
reasons. but because they give political
manipulation an opportunity to hatch
deals.
1--WE want a city that shall be admin
istered purely In the interest Of its citi-
zenship, and we expect that Mr.. Lexow's
committee will bend every effort to secure
that for us, and we expect that the COM
mittee of seventy will bring It's wisdom
and genius to bear upon the same object
I'VE hope to have a city government so
compact in Its purpose Of administration
that dickers will be relegated to the past,
political Punch and Judy become a lost
art, and the first duty of a citizen be felt
to be to sink and merge himself as far as
possible in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of the
whole.
"Bossism is distinctly un-American, and
now that Tammany~is outlawed we must
take hold together and throttle its perilous
and mischievous confreres."
DR.. Parkhurst has said many things
about Mr.. Platt but never anything quite
SO sweeping as this. AS a general thing
Mr.. Plat has made no reply to DR.. Park
bursts criticisms. He was not ready to
depart from this rule last night when the
above dispatch was handed to him, and he
was asked If he had anything 10 say.
II think not" said Mr.. Platt.
do you care to say whom you had In
ycur mind when you spoke of 'self-con-
stituted committees and ambitious busy
bodiesT"
IT really could not say"
1.-THE members of the committee of sew
enty refuse to say that they think you
meant them" ventured a bystander.
"Well," said Mr.. Plat, smiling, IF the
shoe Ats anybody he can put 1t on. If it
does not he need not wear 1t.
Mr.. Plat would not say that he thought
the shoe fitted DR.. Parkhurst.