New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-25
AGAINST THE BLISS PLAN.
AN ADDRESS SENT OUT BY ANTI-MA-
CHINE REPUBLICANS.
Some REASONS GIVEN WHY THE RE-ENRoI.-
MENT PROPOSED BY TIE COMMITTEE OF
THIRTY SHOULD NOT BE CAR,

part with the Anti-Machne Republican orsahi~a-
ton was issued by the special committee appointed
by the General Executive Committee OF Anti-Ma-
chine Republicans last evening:
Colonel Bliss plan for reorganizing the Repuon-
can party IS essentially tentative In character
There is only absolute provision In H. ana mat
is that he and his fellow-rnembers or the Com
mittee OF Thirty shall have entire charge OF me
work Every other feature OF the scheme ma, sr %
as ne and his associates elect. The third paragraph
OF the plan reads:
Such organization and enrolment shah De
made as far as practicable In accordance with the
following provisions but power s hereby conferred
upon said Organization Committee In case OF hects-
sty 20 alter or supplement the same IN 'n''r ''''
cretion." $500 .staouo
II Is difficult therefore, 70 give serious consdera.
ton to the various propositions that ne mas SCI
forth since al OF mem ag re their value
Indeed from the present outlook the prIspeiS' w
any OF them reaching the stage OF actuai 'r' 10 CA
The first impression made on the mind Of the IN,
teligent reader IS the vagnsnssss a wav in which
IL abounds In contradictions ana ihcon S 80;
one cardinal point for example - ,ar IN every
election district but not word is saih az 10 noW
these 1lS7 places Of Meeting are 10 De I'm os ~
maintained. a moderate estimate OF tne .,oo ga Oh
rent FOR such places would be $40 II month SlN eacn
ycar making total Of Si2 w Lor ms si"
Let us assume that onethird of the election @
,',u,d ba sslfsustaning and still nave an out
law OF almost 100000 for rent each year, anu 81,
must pe ~, paSu aKe Of the old County Democracy and
v mon the hospitality OF the liQuorshops ana peer
c,ioons Of course such a supposition as TINS Is u.
,.ni IN connection with the eminent gentlemen
composing the Committee OF Ihirty Alu it
another practical reason also nop oor raoons to-
day 10 provide for onc-fourth or these DE- ,hara ~
there are whole assembly $780, But this is
not all These headquarters must % Of the
Twenvnve dollars IS very moue, nsce Of meet
Ing Here is $29G75 more-wfhin ie% r,i.u le
dollars Of the sum the Committee ,S o, tbev must
clared at It's meeting last l"eS'a' ''"
raise for the whole work
WHERE IS THE MONEY TO COME FROM
Now where IS this money to come from nv
"a IN proyide It? The old organization mas io'
been able for years 10 raise money eho"s" ~ ~
nostaye stamps to send out ballots nha ,pa unon
II is in doh; now il IL usually In deDt' u Itriii
~ - So and National committees for funds VIZ
rho Union League respond 70 the cal. ~ wv NJ
raise 500 du,,ms he .'S campairns Of late years
nave been a par with rs EFFORTS last ia1I
Going 20 assume the responsibility ior this iv ny
ssy"andiuIre? IL must be borne in mind that VIM
the name OF this great club Is used aler an 'i &c
clement reresented by th niu and it
docs not follow by any means that the cup WI,
carry out Th hen there is another right at
the begnnlag-the cost Of enrolling for t llS
"a, mon viii be required for two days accoruli.s
a. The p,an. No worker who will accept pay WIZ
be satisfied with less than $ day mere ~ &C.
OF $3.50 Let us assume that Gnena Tbe p ain re-
viii work without compensation Inere .,'' - he
mains the larger half OF the sum estimated 10 NJ
required by the Committee OF IhrlEs. ~. w
expect all the enrolling officers to work for notn,ns
II they do then +; is absolutely certain me MN n
bers Of the old machine VIII get ~, their ear pay '0"
The Bliss plan out avowedy TO decnntraSe
power-to distribute as thoroushiy as Gnu,
Its creation In the shape OF inc swav
mittec H. the very embodiment OF aulVSrd.ic on
The Republican party Of the Cty sn anu namoleey in
tho hands OF two or three men. for this Orgdniza-
ton Committee has power Of the most r., pace
names The enrolling officers in every eS.iDh mil hai
be selected There is not single pr9vsion ~ o ,ry
constitution from beginning 10 END 10 'hrow HilS
politician knows what this means ree thrne Ell, hsr
selected to make the enrolment have II IN .h ha
rboose viii they be selected from the old machine
following? Certain members OF the od
clement This Is hardly possible in the light OF re,
cent Incidents. Then where will they come from!
practlca, politics Ths would be even more IA
inevitable for every citizen knows thar II ,nres &c
mon who are not practical politicians take charSe vi
the enrolment In election district there ~ hVths
to prevent the roll from being hled up MIN iie
ma mes Of Tammany hc@iers or any other unueslrdpe
people. In other words, 1t is not only loyal Kepuo
leans who are needed for this work oni men men
districts. and OF the voters in them There are
scores Of districts in this city where 1t VIII be so
rolling outside OF the ant!-machine organization
without going to Tammany Hall
JUDGE PATTERSON WILL STILL BE ON TOP
There Il no doubt. OF course, who the enrolling
officers will be- There Is no doubt the Committee or
Thirty will look to Judge Patterson to carry OUT
this part OF the plan. just as they did TO nave IL
adnnieI That f. the memorable logic OF the situa-
ZION Let II be assumed that they Will Ihey say
that Il the enrolment is not fairly made those VINO
,S wh r m pTGyes "A HfS
Re3uhjicans treated by the County committee
G ~. from tails assurance There was every
reason to expect fair play on That OCCASION me ne
6sshotn wa An that was asked by the few protest,
who were present how WG YER, XIX sre 100
fresh in the public mind to require anything more
'' lnt WV should the Committee OF Thirty name
the enrolling officers: Why are NOT me yoter S m
the different election districts as Gope,sr 10 ~
I'm, the avtocratic sway of the Organization Com
mice does not end here Another amusing feature
~ the plan is the high handed way In when th e
e;ection district associations are treated by the
Eiection pls,rit, Committee: IT reserves TO itself
the right to set aside any enroment ana to orde t
fhc district The expression OF this power recurs
Constantly. Thus it is provided that lin case any
district association the enrolling officers
snail proceed summarily to hear and determine the
same" But the enrolling Officers are the ap,,
pointees OF the central body, the people nave not
One OF the principal charges against the Old ma
chine was that IL made the enrolment OF any per.
eons except those in sympathy with II az diicut
and burdensome as possible. Under this new pan
"nro.mcnt may be rendered still more difficult and
vnxatious Under the provisions OF section a good
hep ut ,wo Of tie enrolling officers in any cleo
lion district might be denied the right to enroll;
me further provision that any applicant refused
enrolment may appeal from such action TO the
ORGANIZATION Committee cannot DE regatueG as a
sufficient safeguard. The enrolling officer being the
annoratus of the Organization Committee their ac-
ton would be more than likely sustained by the
ia.te Thus tho district organization might he
nade select little cOteres instead of Associations
omen n all good Republicans, rich and poor alike.
4 DEPARTURE FROM THE PHILADELPHIA PLAN
Although the Bliss plan is ostensibly based on the
philadelphia system. which has admittedly worked
we'll there is a radical and utterly unjustiiaoe de,
narture from the latter In the wlpins out OF
Assembly district lines An essential feature OF tne
Ward Executive Committee" corresponding TO our
Assembly district committees. and which strongly
hold together the various division associations cor
rrsnonding to our election districts. Under the
scheme OF the Committee of Thirty there Is no
cohesion between the various district organizations
MANY of which In their relatively weak condition.
would become exposed to the wlles OF rammany
Hall Eleven hundred and eighty seven segregated
organizations would IN many cases Inevitably iaii
a prey To Tammany Hall
But with characteristic Inconsistency while aboI-
shing the Assembly district leader the Bliss plan
creates another boss In his stead. Article 80 or
the constitution provides that each election dis
trct association shall annually elect delegates to
convention called by the County Committee for the