New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-23
THE OPPOSITION TO PLATT.

THE OPPOSITION TO PLA1T.
I, il hardly worth while TO pursue the dis
cuss;on If tho o,e ion whether Mr.. Thomas {.
p,att "a n fit person 10 put in control OF me Ike
,ub,ican marty in the city and State upon the
limos laid down by the newspapers III the IN
terior of the State which, upon the cue gwen
,he,n bv the Boss are insisting at great
lenqib and in language not always parliament
t,,v ar nolitp. that the opposition 10 him Is en-
tirelv pcrsonal and due TO disappointment or
,,i,o Nr Plaft did not enter the field of poll
tics Yesterday He has made politics Il pursuit
for several wears Something of what he has
done is publicly known. great deal more is
not only widely suspected but Is an open secret
among politicians Of both parties II Is upon
tbis norton Of his unrecorded connection with
no,itics and parties that the overwhelming ma
ority Of the Republicans OF this county base
tboir conviction Of his unfness for the posi-
ton. to which he aspires, of absolute dicta'"r-
This IS independent Of the feeling which Is al
most universal that the principle OF BoSssm
which he represents is altogether wrong sub
versive of good government, and fatal TO the
influence of the party which recognizes and
maintains it. Even If the principle were cor
rect and the system justiiiable they hold that
Mr. Platt Is by training. habit ASSOCIATION ana
nrevim,s record totally disqualified for the posi-
ton For they know that he has FOR years used
the opportunities of leadership for purposes ab-
soluely AT war with those OF the Rcpublicah
party at large and in the interest only OF III
unprnciplcd and venal gang OF party camp
followers. That is why Mr. Platts ambition Is
opposcd. in addition 10 the fact that II Is an
ambition In itself unworthy and destructive.
The County Committee Of the regular Re
publican organization will tonight meet 'he
question fairly in the face whether or not II VIII
accent Mr. Plat as It's dictator. Whatever may
be the result. thing is to be borne III mnd:
that the fight goes on Neither faction VIII ac-
cept it as final Mr. Platt's hold upon the party
NAV be weakened by adverse action but 1t VIII
not he released. 1t Is strong enough elsewhere
To warrant him in keeping up the struggle III"
he is not the mar 10 give up the nSh' n'cfuS'
Of any repulsc The skirmishlne Ills per
sistence and his fertility must not be underes'i-
mated He is n fighter. whatever else lie IS
and he has no scr,iples as la either METHODS or
WEAPONS Beaten here tonight he VIII come up
smiling at Albany tomorrow. ON the other
hand II his plans succeed and his attorney Is
elected chairman OF the County Committee. II
must not he supposed that the great mass of
honest Republican voters. who believe III ihelr
hearts that the party has higher mission than
Ia nut any set OF politicians In office or Keep
Them there-ihe men who. when they elected
Strong meant 10 abolish Croker and his syS-
tenn and not swap him off for Plat and a new
canr-will quietly sit down under IT, They are
TOO mich In earnest for that Whatever argu-
mcnts nav be made for submission on the
ground Of regularity and prcccdent. and how
ever weak and iimid the men may be- who are
recognized AS leaders against the rlatt domino
ton. they will certainly assert themselves and
demand recognition For they. too. mean busi-
ness and will not be overrulcd in their purpose
by the Vaccinations of men who. pretending 10
In I'm accord with them. are secretly conirlvins
their defeat
They believe that Mr.. Plart has been in collu-
sion with the leaders Of the IaInlnany Deinr-
racy for many years. and that through his con
nection with them hc has been able To dspeIS"
some crumbs Of patronage 10 creatures OF his
own. who would he ready 10 do his and their
bidding They believe that he had an under
standing with the Tammany leaders whereby
two nominal Republicans were put ga ID" Po-
lice Commission and that the Terms IT mat ui-
dcrstandng were inconsistent with and hostile
10 the plan for a thorough and searching invesii-
CATION and exposure Of municipal msruc. They
believe that he has used his control or supposed
control Of legslat ton AT Albany 10 extort money
from corporations in this town for campaign
purposes and that he has dsbursed such con
tributions In such way as 10 strengthen his
own hold upon power by building up faction
upon whose support he could count in an cmer-
gcncy They believe that in furthcrancc Of his
own ends and to crafty his personal aInbl-
ton he mas thrust in mcddlcsomc and i'm
pertinent interference in every appointment AT
the disposal Of Republican administration In
city, State and Nation and that the files OF all
the departments nj Washington and Albany are
crammcd with the evidences OF his pcrnicious
activity They believe. too, that In many in
stances corporations desiring 10 procure or pre-
vent legislation at Albany have been held up
until they "came down with campaign con
tributions at Mr.. Platts command. They be-
lieve IT, because 1t Is open and shameless TAX
i'm the inner circles Of politics; and unless prac-
teal politicians class gratuitous ana
unnecessary liars II must be true. They say
this was the Tammany practice and Cookers
way, and they want no more Of II. That il the
reason for the opposition 10 Mr. Plat, and the
reason why it will not stop.