New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-26


the Assembly passed into the hands of Billy"
Sheehan the Democratic leader, and 1t was one
OF the sights OF the Capitol that winter to see
the Buffalo statesman snap the whip over the
heads Of his Republican followers. Sheehan de-
lighted to show his novel power whenever there
were enough people in the galleries to justify it:
He ruled the Fish-Gibbs contingent with rod of
iron and desWsed them as utterly as they were
despsed by the loyal members Of the party
everywhere.
| 1t is only fair to say that Fish and Gibbs had
an excuse at the inception of their bad work 1t
began with the Worlds Fair measure; Plat
opposed 1t because he believed that Tam
many would control the vast undertaking.
/ There was a difference Of opinion, but the fair
minded people concede now that Plat was right,
though the course he adopted was extremely un-
popular and cost the Republican party thousands
! OF votes in the succeeding cOmpaign But what
; ever excuse Fish and his personal friends had at
first for acting with the Democrats, they certain
! ~ were without justification for maintaining the
alliance. When the issue of the Fair had been
disposed Of entirely, and when the State Commit
tee took them to task for their wrongdoing 1t did
not astonish Republicans that the punishment
meted out was ore Of unusual severity.
THE MEN WHO DENOUNCED MR.. FISH
This meeting of the State Committee was held
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. New-York, on May 81,
/ 1890 shortly after the adjournment of the Legls
lature 1t was especially called to consider this
| among other matters. Among those who at
! tended it, either as members proxies, were such
| familiar figures in the party as George w. AL
bridge. who is Platts candidate for Superintend-
ent OF Public Works; John w. Jacobus late
| United States Marshal; ex-Assembyman l.. L.
! Van Allen, Mr.. Van Colts adviser; Congressman
elect b. B. Odell jr, chairman OF the Republican
| State Executive Committee; Colonel George w.
| Dunn. Of Binghamton. who was made Clerk or
! the Assembly last winter by direction Of Mr..
Plat; ex-Congressman John A. Quackenbush. OF
| Troy who with Mr.. Dunn. was on the Committee
OF Five which decided in favor of the Committee
OF Thirty's claim; Congressman Charles A. Chick
ering. John Collins. who IS now holding up Mr.
Brooknelds hands in the WITH Assembly District
! OF New York; johnny Simpson, Tim" Camp
| BELLS bette nor; George billiard, who swears at
Jake Patterson 364 days in the year, and votes
for him straight the 365th Sheridan Shook
whose sole object OF political existence now Is
said to be his consuming desire to witness the ex-
termination Of his late cOmrade-ln-arms, the
veteran warhorse Of the Hudson Valley, Louis f.
Payn Timothy L. Woodruff. who blasted his
| political future by supporting Body for Mayor
| OF Brooklyn; George Campbell, who once had the
political destnes OF CohOes in his keeping; Police
Justice Scion b. Smith, who managed to hold on
to his office under Tammany even when MS SIDE
partner. Patterson. failed to do SO; Frank Ray
mond Of Harlem. who 1t Is SAID mas oeen caught
in the waves OF Reform at last; ex-Congressman
John Kellogg and Hobart Krum, Republicans In
whom Is no guile; John ). Kenyon, Clerk OK the
State Senate and secretary OF the hepuoi ,"a
State Committee: W. L. Parkhurst in whose
counsel Mr. Plat relies more and more: George
Cromwell who then represented the LIST Congress
District on the committee. and +. q. Moulton
who represented the XXXIst; John c. Barry, of
| the XVIII +. s. Smith. who held proxy tor
Congressman Weber, Of Piattsburg and C. NJ
Smith. Mr.. Proctor's spokesman. Inc AAAllla
District was represented by JOhn +. MnhOlllnd
The late General Knapp, # Auburn presGeu ne
being chairman OF the state Committee al me
time. Colonel s V r. Cruger was the member
from the Xth District. and his was the Only V2,e
not cas-; for the expulsion Of FISH ana Iipos. re
did not vote against the resolutions put aS go
because Of his personal relations with MI r'S'i'
10 be excused from voting.
II Will be seen from this list that all elements
Of the party were represented at TINS meeting,
and that ali were in accord in tne matter, 50 far
as the record shows.
THE STATE COMMITTEES ACTION.
Tho preparation Of the resolutions was intrustcd
to A subcommittee Of which Lou Payn. who is
Mr. Fsh's political manager now. was made
chairman. 10 Insure their warmth and vigor
Pawn and Fish having been AZ swords point
f,r several years Another member was Mayor
Aldridge 81 Rochester The report, which was
adopted without dissenting No'e' reNIe"yr .'c
work ~ the Republican Legislature. declaring
thai no session " that body ever displayed more
scrupulous fidelity to the interests or the lax
payers. The report sald;
! II vas pre-cmlnently a money-savinS LEGISLATURE
It's General Appropriation bill was 80 clean t '
not the Democratic Governor voien' p1rtflstif
he Is, was able 70 mn 50 mucn - In, uas
| item to which he could take exception. ou. ~
| actually compelled publicly 70 extol us nlcrts
The supply bill Wa equally free n ron rr ccono
is greatly reduced tax rate; 1t being this year ear
G"y s a" Of "f be ;c S 81 nea ys's s S
Then followed the arrangement Of Fish and
Gibbs:
Rut while the Legislature accomplished thiS ana
n ureat deal more 10 commend IL TO the inteiletht
vo,ers az the state do not forget that X WAS
prevented from rendering other cqulIiy Hlpo,,,at'
service through the reachery OF ham'tom r'sm,
tr and Frederick :. Gibbs. 10y whose influence an
element Of the party vas made an MY OF I'u-
many Hall and throughout the session "orkti IN
In. interest OF the Democracy. The erect OF thls
scanAalous coalition WAS TO cripple the msJor TX
and ns "A basefu consequence OF this was the All
mr.. Of Rapid Transit, Ftch License the -Non-
Partisan Police hlll and other eNccIcht measures
in the interest OF reform ana good government,
This committee does not feel that Il Is assuming
any mowers not properly iis own III ,alNlSn'E
oralnst the rcnon nation as member or me Legs
I,tur. Of any man whose Repuhlicanism can ne
",r1t,oueI or who Will not agree to support Tor
United States senator the nominee OF the iepup-
lean party.
Yet this same Mr.. Fish is now Mr.. Pla;ts
car5llate for Speaker IF the same Assembly
mar he once betrayed into the hands Of Tam
many and the Democratic state machine.
T. cannot hc said in defence of this proposition
th,t Mir Piatt had T. hand ~ Fish's eNpul-
cnn for as every tyre IN politics knows, MI.
pan controlled the state Committee far more
c,mnlatelv chan h. docs to-day II acted under
his direction: he was responsible for what was
Innc How is this marvellous chang" on his part
:, ho accounted for? who Is foolish enough In
a,tc,,nt IN do so? "Prnciplcs. principles.
ARENAS ward used ~ say. 81 halnt GOT any
principles; I'm in the show business
Yours AN OLD REPu BLlCNN.
Albany. Dec o. 1884,.
JrMp rRoN THE PorGHKEEPSiE BR'DGE