New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-17
THE TOO TiLKATITE HACKETT.

THE TOO TALKATIVE HACKETT.
II it was by advice of Mr. Plat that Chairman
Hackett, Of the Republican State Committee,
strenuously withheld from the public the ex-
PLANTATION Of his circular ndorsing Mr.. Lautcr-
bach's untruthful and abusive manifesto, for
which the public clamored. Mr.. Plat must be
credited with having advised wisely. Mr. Hack
cit would have said too much His tendency 10
say too much has Just been Illustrated On Mon
day night a typewriter interview with himself
was given out from the State Committee head
quarters From this 1t appears that he is enjoy
ing a summer vacation in the wilds OF the ~.
Lawrence River. At the time he WAS called
upon to explain his official signature to the circu-
lar above referred TO be was enjoying a winter
vacation in the wds Of Florida. 1t may be
owing TO the difference In the season. or pos
sibly difference In the effect OF the two
wilds. but he Is much more readily tapped oil his
information In the summer In the -. Lawrence
wilds than he was In the winter In the WlldS OF
Florida. The present Interview appears 10 nave
been drawn out by a casual remark OF Mt VIII
lam Brookfeld. Commissioner OF Public Works.
10 the effect that the Republican state Commit
tee. Of which Mr.. IIackctt + chairman, would
have been delighted If the union ticket In this
county had been defeated last fall and The Re
nubiican State ticket and Legislature elected AT
the same time incidentally Mr.. Brookheld re-
marked. referring doubtless TO the free criticism
OF the present municipal administration 10y the
chairman and some Of the members OF the Si''c
Committee that the County Committee. OF when
Mr.. Brookncld was chairman, did not receive
q dollar from tie State Committee In AID OF The
local campaign.
Mr.. Uacketts explanation Of that clrcnm-
stance Is profuse. 1t was enough Ia say. Tor
that Is The essence Of II. that "thc Stale Com
mittce had no money" but he amplihes 1t by the
statement that the Committee Of Seventy, when
was made up Of wealthy men and the repre-
sentatives OF wealthy men, had exhausted
every source OF campaign Contributions nj
very early stage OF the campaign, and TO such
IAN extent that the State Committee were sorely
crippled in every attempt they made TO obtain
funds for the canvass" 1t did not occur 10
Mr.. Hac5ett perhaps, that in making this state
ment he disclosed the fact that the wealthy men
and representatives Of wealthy men. who are
the ordinary source Of campaign contributions
were lacking In confidence In the State Com
mittee. and that they consequently preferred to
put their contributions In the hands or men
whom they could trust And be probably did
not stop 10 think that. on the whole the result In
this city furnished such justification for their
course that they were likely TO repeat II. 1t APP
pears. on the whole, to have been 4 wise diver
sion on their part however much 1t may have
prIeyed Mr. IIackett. Nor does II seem 10 have
occurred to Chairman IIackett that when he
complalns that 1.-THE State Committee were sore
ely crippled in every attempt they made to obtain
go, ha he
gests 70 the honest Republicans Of the State, who
were astonishcd and delighted at the results Of
the State election, the reflection that II such con-
sequences flow from the State Committee being
crippled for funds, the best thing to do is to
cripple 1t again and keep Gripping II until we
have a new committee that can be trusted. Mr..
Hackett must have forgotten that the only hold
his Boss has upon the party comes from his abil
ity to extort contributions from wealthy men
and corporations, TO be disburscd by his own
check; that while this practice was continued
the party suffered defeat year after year, ana
that Immediately upon It's discontinuance 1t en-
joycd an overwhelming victory. Mr.. Hacketts
explanation is too profuse. lie tells too much.
Another thing in this interview will strike the
intelligent reader as an lndlscreet disclosure Of
underlying motives on the part OF what Mr..
Hackett calls "the Republican State manage
ment." He says the management was CON
cerned for the success Of the union ticket In this
county not only because the candidate for Mayor
was a Republican, but because "in the presence
Of two witnesses he had given solemn
pledge" that he would always take the advice
"of the representatives Of the regular organiza-
"tion." That Is, that Mayor Strong solcmnly
pledged himself to cheat the representatives Of
the allied organizations and repudlate the plat
form upon which he was elected. 1t Is only fair
to say that Mayor Strong absolutely denies the
assertion, and that no two witnesses have ever
ventured to publish any such things over their
own names. But what disclosure 1t Is Of the
motives, purposes and plans OF these persons
whom Mr.. Hackett calls 1.-The Republican State
management! What sort OF men, what sort Of
citizens. must they be who, when candidate
Is nominated for public Office upon published
platform and his own published declarations,
take him aside and In the presence Of two wit
nesses extort pledges from him at variance with
the platform and his own declarations? BY
what right does any individual or any manage
ment' require special pledges from candidates?
Here too, Mr.. Hackett tells too much. The pub
lie Is not an IDIOT The public took Mayor Strong
upon his pledges to Ito the mass Of voters
And when any man or management" has the