New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-15
"RTSPECTiBLE."

Tn various journals il may he noticed mat
Governor Wcrts is still spoken Of as re-
spectable man. Right there it is time to stop
moment for reflection. What constitutes Il
respectable man, if he can be breaker on the
laws? When docs man cease To he respectable
who is guilty of violating law: II h" has al
WAYS borne Il high character in business. i'll so
cicty. In the church. and is found in the act
Of hcpng burglars 10 commit n robbery Is he
respectable after that: If his conduct proves
that he consented 10 take n place of the highest
trust and honor because gang of swindl'rS
counted on him as a sure tool in an emergency.
and does act rs their tool. is he respectful"
still?
The word respectable" ceases TO have any
meaning If it is applied to Governor VINO mas
opcnly acted rs the instrument or the confcd-
crate of lawbrcakcr'. He becomes on the III
slant what they arc-uttcrly unworthy tho re-
spcct Of any decent citizen. unless he can clear
himself from the foul blot on his character 10y
showing clearly that he acted III ignorance
Rut for Governor Wcris this VIII he to say
the least very difficult Every honest man III
Nox.Jcrscy will remember that this same COY
crnor Werts was nominated 10y the rascalS ana
the rings. TO the amaZcmcnt Of men. and that
there was more amazcncnt when he coischicu
10 take nomination at the hands of the worst
clements In his party. His friends said h" saw
an opportunity 10 reform the party. anu W"uld
use the power thus offered him 10 render great
service 10 the State. But the sc"undr"lS went
away and whispered quietly: 1T Is all right:
pile up the votes for Wcrs.' 50 he received
larger vote than WAS east In lN!- for Demo
cratic Congressman. and nearly rs large rs was
cast for the President. even in Hudson County.
and thousands of these votes were fiauiulcntly
cast by the Ring and its tools.
Was II entirely an accident that III" sc"'i'i-
drcls then controlling the Democratic party
selected a man who brought 10 their aid many
respectable votes, but who aftcrward proved
willing tool in shameless violation of law:
Or can the Governor make anybody believe
that he actually failed To be aware that the
Democratic mob pretending (" be In" Senate
included only Il minority of the Senators, ana
that the majority OF the Senators were M that
time organized rs the legal Senate and in session
elsewhere? Did he know ihat the messenger
sent 10 give him notice that the bogus Senate
was in session had climbed ont Of the window.
because the doors were blocked 10 exclude the
ma Iorty and that the Governors private sccrc-
tary bearing his message had 10 climb III
through Il window in order to get i, into the
Senate Chamber!
A high officer in the discharge Of n most re-
sponsible trust cannot be held guillcSs If he
merely ncglccts to know what with ordinary
vigilance and attention to duty he must have
known. But the Governor Of Ncw-Jcrscy will
find 1t hard to make anybody believe that he
was ignorant, however ccnsurabc such igno-
rance would have been. He was most certainly
Informed what the actual state OF things was
by Republicans who visited him, If not by Dem
ocrats who then regarded and now regard the
conduct Of their partlsans in the Senate as a
terrible blundcr. Is there any conceivable OK
cuse for him that does not imply his willing
ness TO tramplc under foot the laws and his
oath Of office, either in order TO serve his party
in an attempt TO steal an office else to do the
bidding Of rascals who had n hold on him!
When man becomes the confederate OF race
track swindlcrs and of lawbrcakcrs, and him
self violates tho law to help them, he ceases
to deserve respect From that moment, to call
him respectable is an afront TO every law
abiding citizen.