New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-20
10 MR. EDWARD LAUTERBACH

TO MR. EDWARD LAUTERBACH
So. Edward. You had no idea when you gave
70 the press your Address to the Republican
voters of the State" of April that any one would
| make the mistake Of supposing that you did it
In your representative capacity as President or
the Republican County COMMITTEES! You did It
as an individual exercising the right of free
speech! You did not perhaps, observe that it
was given out as an emanation from the frcSi-
dent of the Republican County Committee and
so appeared in all the newspapers! Or, If you
did it did not occur to you that the publication
of your official title in connection with the Adj
dress had any significance. No: probably not.
And ii did not occur to you either that its being
sent out on the date of its issue 10 newspaper
editors up the State, accompanied by conf
dental" communication signed by Charles w
Hackett as chairman of the Republican State
Committee, and i. Il. Odoll. jr.. as chairman OF
the Executive Committee, in which 1t was de
scribed as the statement OF the Hon. Edward
"Lauterbach chairman of the Republican Coun-
"ty Committee and "a faithful review of the
situation and IF events leading up TO IT,, might
have a misleading effect. Oh, no. You did not
suppose that this document, though official IN
form from the State Committees lctterhead 10
the signatures Of the chairmen, would delude any
one with the notion that your Address was
anything more than an expression OF opinion by
an individual Republican fired with zeal for Re
publican harmony. And you did not think that
possibly the newspaper editors up the State, who
for reasons desire to keep on good terms Win
the State Committee might on that account give
Your Address more importance than your name
as an individual voter would give II! No; prob
ably not That is what We understand you to
say.
But did you observe, Edward-of course you
did YOU couldn't help it-that Messrs. Hackett
and Odell, speaking for the Republican party OF
the State Of New York, Of which they are the
official organs described you as 'one OF the fore
"most members Of the recent Constitutional Con
"yention." and as "a distinguished lawyer and
q gentleman of spotlesS character! What dld
they mean by that, Edward? Did they mean
that Mr. Joseph III. Choate and Mr. Elihu Root
who signed the Address which evoked your indig
nant outburst and whom you describe as am
bilious and envious men" bent upon the ruin
Of their party" were less foremost than you
In the Constitutional Convention or which all
three were members? Or that they are less dis
tingIished" as lawyers; or that they are not
gentlemen, as you are. "of spotless character!
What were YOU thinking OF, Edward, when you
procured the signatures Of the chairmen Of the
Republican State Committee and the sanction
of the Republican party OF the State 10 certiii-
cate Of YOUR official character as chairman Of the
Republican County Committee, your public char
acter as foremost member Of the Constitutional
Convention" your professional character as a
distinguished lawyer" and your private char
acter as "spotless" to aid in the circulation Of
scurrilous attack upon the character ana motives
Of such men as Joseph II. Choatc and Ellhu l'oot,
whose sole offence consisted in signing respect
full Address 10 the Republicans OF the State on
the subject Of Municipal Reform? Did you de
liberately intend 10 invite cOmparison-Or rather
TO suggest the contrast! If you did, you were
not wise. Messrs. Choate and Root are quite
well known. They hold pretty high place in
public esteem. 1t belongs TO them, for they
earned It. Your fame, Edward, Is more recent;
and, you will pardon us for saying so, attaches
more TO your patron and client than to yourself
1t was an obvious mistake on your part TO in
vite comparison. And monumental mistake 10
invoke the aid Of the whole Republican party or
the State to sustain your own rather compl
mentary view Of yourself.
You waited some time, Edward before making
your explanation. Didn't you know until the
meeting Of the County Committee, and the re-
marks Of General McCook on the subject, that
it was needed? Stand up Edward, and look the
Republican party in the face! Didn't you know
when you gave out that scurriOus document that
nothing in your public, professional or private
character could get its tangled incoherences a
moments consideration from the public, except
the fact Of your position President OF the COun-
~ Committee and YOUR relation TO Mr.. Plat as
his attorney? Didn't you know that even then
you needed certification from the Republican
State Committee to give it currency? And didn't
you know that from beginning to end it
deliberately concocted and shamelessly per
petrated fraud upon the Republican County Com
mittee, the Republican State Committee and the
whole Republican party OF the State? Stop
quibbling and petufogging, Edward, and tell the
truth. The people are not fools. You only tangle
yourself In trying to deceive them. Who put you
up TO ii, Edward! Has he lost his head entirely?
Why didn't you advise him differently? You are
old enough TO know that there's no profit in po-
litcal fakes and this, upon your admissions
was a fake, pure and simple; and extraord
narily silly one at that. You say you are ut a
loss TO conceive how the impression could have
been created or the idea generated, that your
Address was an official document; but since 1t
is so, you deem it your duty to remove IT. Come
off, Edward. That was the impression you in
tended 10 create and the idea you meant to gem
crate, and you never thought OF correcting or re-
moving it until General McCook called you down.
You say in conclusion that the facts embod-
led In your Address have remained uncontro-
verted and unanswered" Why, Edward, there
were no facts In IL Did you expect the eighteen