New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-04
nLENTLON ND ANSUER


A, q r,lc nothinc is lost by frankncSs. even
in politics II is embarrassing al times 10 any
ana # con,lcmnnly instincts to be pressed into
a position where candor ANA truhiuli'SN S'''
unnn the surface 10 be Inconsistent win the
ordinary cOurtcScS of lifc. 1t Is h"' gum ~
accord with the social amenities 10 Noi""'''i
the remark ihat person Is untrnsiWoI'N anu
dishonest in that persons presence even II ""'
has actual proof Of The fact ready AT hahd' h"'
the diecourtcsy of it Is only because u s''lnS
unnecessary to disturb the general soou"l" y!
the ufterancc of an Obvious truth. 1"l'ehesS
does not require Of anybody who IS pressed 10
choose between them the sacrifice OF cahdor I"
courtesy. Consequently. when our cs'''h'"
Democratic contemporary me New i"'A
Sun" commenting upon the remark OF the HON
Levi L. Morton tie other night That lhe ISSUE
"hcre involves the power Of honest men 10 gov
FERN themselves 10y an honest administration OF
public affairs. inquiries whether Mt Morton
really means that "GOycrnor Flowers adiiiih'
istration has not been honest or mat '"'-
ornor Hills would not be-" that gentleman j.
COMPELLED in MI candor to answer mat III
means precisely that and nothing less. Inc
questions call for categorical answer ana we
do not believe that the Republican candidate
for Governor would attempt 10 evade IL OF
hesitate for moment 10 give frank ana I'M
eauvocal response. So far as The Tribune i
concerned and We speak now as well for the
entire body Of Republican voters as for al
their candidates for office We recognize that The
oues'ions are dircct-siraght from the Shon
dor and the answer is no less straightforward.
| Governor Flowers administration has not been
honest and Governor HIS would not be.
II may be said that this makes the issue per
sonol I, does. The conditions forbid that il
ebould lao otherwise All intelligent voters
recognize II 10 be 50. No on" who reads ana
| reflects can disguise from himself the fact. No
one is under any illusion regarding 1t. GOV
crnor Flowers administration has been from
start to finish thoroughly dishonest in motive
and purpose in everything that concerned the
moral ana political welfare of the people Of
this State. For it has in everything been AM
| mated by the sole purpose Of fastening upon
This city and the State the rule OF IN organlza-
| lion which ne could not help knowing 10 w
| foul with corruption and rocking with crime
| His effort TO defeat investigation OF muhl'ipai
| mslue bv vctoing the appropriation Tor 'h''
nurnosc was but one If a series OF acts III Inc
! cnursc of his administration all tending directly
| 70 thc perpctuation Of power in the handS OF IL
/
| unrrincnled a gang Of political frc"DootcrS ~
! .vor throttlcl a citizen or looted treasury
! Dishonest? Beyond all question il was. Can
dor compcls the answer. and no stretch OF
! courtesy can cvadc II. Would HIS admins
| trotion he dishonest! Twice Governor. III Doth
! forms he broke the record rs the most auda-
c,ouslv unscr,Ipulous Executive that ever dis-
| craced the Office Ii il waste of words 10 as
cuss that question. The people know him ana
his record And they will next Tuesday not
only render a decision upon his claims, but
| pronounce Judgment on his character
| Once in n while there comes from some such
ouestion as these which our contemporary pro
uounds the opportunity TO purify the close ana
| noisomc atmosphere Of political discussion with
breath Of wholesome air. We recall II Rcplb-
| lican State Convention at Worcester, Mass,
| several wears ago in which the late General
BENJAMIN T. Butler, himself a delegate partici-
pating in the proceedings. was candidate Tor
the nomination for Governor test question
arose upon the admission Of a contesting dcega-
ton. General Butler insisting that no delegate
was eligible who did not consider himself bound
! to abide by the result and support the candl-
| date of the convention. whoever ne might De.
1t was a question which the opponents or Gen
| cral Butler were DESTROYS to avoid, many OF
| them being determined not to vote for him II
| he should be nominated. There was much talk
ing all round the question; but, as usual In such
cases, very little directly 10 the point. Al length
| the late Rev James Freeman Clark, who was
a delegate took the platform. and, standing n
few feet from General Butler nearly in front Of
him. after rcmarking that there seemed to be a
! disposition TO evade the direct issue, said: Il
desire to say for my own part that II General
"Rutler is nominated by this convention'-turn-
Ing to the General and looking him squarcly in
the facc-"I shall not vote for him because do
not think General Butler is an honest man"
This was a very unusual thing to say in a po-
litcal convention. II bewildered the politicians
| full force of the speakers straightforward man
illness and candor and paid him the tribute Of
hearty and prolonged applause. 1t may not
have been good politics from the politician
point Of view. but il was a mighty wholesome
ntterance all the same. and II cleared the air.
| General Butler. who never permitted himself
10 be disturbed by Il little thing like that. sim
ply said In answer. that Mr. Clark was the
only man who had met the question fairly, but
that. while his candOr was worthy the highest
respect. he had disqualified himself by it from
taking part in tpe proceedings Of the conven-
ton. The General not nominated. how
ever, and the truth did no harm
AS matter of fact 1t never does. In this