New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-25

SENATE THIEVES OF 1891, OR THE MEN RE.
sPoNsIBLE FOR THE MIsGovERNMENr
OF NETWORK CITY.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRrRrN1J
Saratoga Sept. &-In the mind Of a man A
ordinary intelligence who has looked for nuu.
Der Of years In succession upon the shftn.
scenes of New-York politics and observed ,hs
movements Of the statesmen who disport them.
selves on this ample stage. not many illusion.
remain. A very few years observation Of IN.
most active and conspicuous Of the Statesmen
who are at this moment wr.ggng round a,
these piazzas or weaving webs in quiet chr.
ners Is sufficient 10 dispel the Illusion thu,
they are at all in earnest about anything sv
cept how to get there themselves. The lah.,
on the convention which meets tomorrow 1.
Democratic" but hardly any two OF the in
fuentlal statesmen who will compose ii agree
upon what the label means, or upon what Ia
the purpose OF the convention, beyond the sim.
pie and perhaps natural one Of keep.
ing in power upon one pretence or another the
party which gives to each one Of them the en-.
joyment In present possession or the hope in
future of some lucrative office or position OF
influence
Whoever undertakes to cipher out how
i'"lSdHCey -Nl'Vii' WIZ ~" Htdts ago
was "whooping up a hot campaign agalns,
Colonel Fellows for District-AItorney because
the latter was an reflcient officer and i'm.
proper person. can be working in harmony
with the Colonel here: or how The statesmen
of the ElleIy Anderson and Charles Fairchld
stripe who keep themselves narrowed up ten
months in the year over the crimes Of Tam
many. can be sitting in council here with the
r., fol WI commit he nd
live on the proceeds; or how the Brooklyn DEM
ocrats who last year in a spasm Of virtue or
remOrse. or something else, bundled off 10 Sing
Sing sOn;e Of their most efficient leaders.
be harnCniZins with the men against whose
criminal misdOings they then protested in an
effort to put and keep in power the party In
whose behalf the crimes were comnitted-who-
ever. | say. undertakes to cipher out how these
things come about. upon any other theory than
that the best Of the persons concerned are politi
cal tticksters whose professions are insincere,
and their practices clearly dishonest has a
difficult task in The arithmetic II casuisiry.
The spectacle would be amazing were IL not so
common. Bur the Kaleidoscope changes in
NewYOrk politics during the past twenty years.
with reformers and rascals skipping from one
hall to another. in and Que of Tammany cross
ing each other on the way or joining hands II
q grand struggle and change. have made /
familiar. Ii Is not impossible To understand
how. under the influence of heredty or habit
any other Limitation which hampers the in
tegence or narrows the view. men may have
gone year after year voting the Democratic
ticket when ii represented IDEAS and notions
with which they were not in entire accord, be.
cause they did not consider the differences suff.
cient to separate them from the party. | will
not say that no man who has an honest and
unsefsh regard for he public welfare can
sympa thize with the purposes OF this conven-
ton or take part in its proceedings But do
say that the purpose Of this convention being
u strengthen and sustain the party which
cOnfessediy organized and carried The fla
grant outrage of 1891 upon popular rights and
public honor. honesty and common deceney.
and which stands responsible for the proven
rotrenness of all departments If the New-York
City government. do not understand how any
honest man can justify himself To his own con-
science for having any connection with IL. lam
willing To admit. however. that wha, seems 10
me- sometimes to be inscrutably mysterious in
politics is quite simple and easy 10 the people
who confuse me. For instance. could no
more understand the patriotism Of Democrats
who during the late war protested their love
for the Union while upholding those who were
trying To- destroy 1t than can now the honesty
of Democrats who protest against the corrup
ton and crminaity Of Tammany while doing
all they can to sustain and strengthen it.
In justification OF this view let me call attention
To just two specific and undenable facts. FIRST
the Democrat" party-not merely Tammany as
the ruling faction but the whole party-is re.
sponsibie for the condition of things in New.
York City. which under the probe 81 Republic
can investigation. las been demonstrated 10 be
not merely burdensome and oppressive 10 the
taxpayer. but a constant menace To The lives.
the personal safety and the property Of all ci,i-
Gems. 1t IL a condition which no man now has
the hardihood to defend. but against which all
honest men cry OUT. Second. tine success Of the
party which meets here in convention to-mor-
row is the sole hope Of the gangs Of thieves
who profit by this condition for It's continuance.
These the two salient facts in the sua-
ton. In view OF them how can any honest
man help in the deliberations OF the conven-
ton or hope for the success Of its candidates!
leave IL to tho casustry ~ the political econo.
mists. who put the promotion OF their economic
theories before the security Of the citizens
property or the safety Of his person. TO answer
the question.
Until this evening /, has seemed almost GER
tain that the "fim-fiam" game by which these
managing statesmen were intending 10 palm OK
upon the voters another man better than his
party in the person OF Judge Gaynor would be
played successfully. The smart politicians who
think they can keep on fooling the people year
after year had notion that they would not
see through the trick Of putting up reform
Democrat. Judge Gaynor, as is well known
would never have been thought of for Governor
by these people except for the fact that ne
made last year such magnificent fight against
the election thieves IN Kings County who had
been manufacturing Democratic majorities and
doing other dishonest work for the party. IL
Is partly through the work he did last year,
though more largely through the exposures OF
the Lexow investigation. that this fall the
people are aroused against the Democratic
party, and the leaders Of the party are on the
run. 1t was thought 10 be a fine piece OF pohu-
cal strategy by the smart politicians 10 set
back-fre against the reform uprising by nomi
mating so conspicuous a reform champion a.
Gaynor. As II the average voter would not sec
the absurdty OF attempt TO rehabltate tns
party OF election frauds by nominating a man
whose chief claim To consideration was that no
had sent some OF the most active and pronInen'
of the scoundrels OF his party 10 prison!
The most amazing thing about this propo-
siton. however was that Judge Gaynor
should permit himself for moment y, "
toy with the temptation these managers nero
out This he certainly did. IL he has been GU III
rectly reported. For though. according 10 VIC
report. he said when first approached on ~. ~
subject that he not a candidate TOT Wv, ...e
nomination, ii was not because he saw any iN'
proprety in IT, but simply because he ulu nv
believe the men who would control the coh'esn
ton had any idea OF soliciting him IN .n
he certainly did not make creditable sho""S
for himself He should have known that 10 os
cept the Democratic nomination for Govern@
In existing circumstances. when the enect "