New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-07
THE ISSUE IN NEU-JERSEY.

Democratic journals tell part Of the truth, but
not the whole TRUTH when they say that even the
best experts cannot judge what the result OF the
election will be in New-Jersey. Nobody can tell
exactly The shrewdcst men differ considerably
in their estimates. But there are sound reasons
for the hope that the Republican majority for
Governor and also in the Legislature VIII be large
enough for all practical purposes.
The first and greatest of these Is the one set
forth so ably by Mr. Grggs in his recent adj
dresses. namely that the people who rose against
The Democratic corruptionists and smashed the
rings know perfectly we'll that the work Of reform
is not complete and cannot be until Governor
has been elected over whom the Democratic rings
will have no influence whatever Crimes have
not yet been punished. Criminals have not yet
been driven from all places Of power and trust.
Provision has not yet been made by laws to
prevent recurrence Of the infames which reused
public ind gnatOn. nor can anything be done 10
complete reform and make IT lasting so long as
the power Of the Executive IS welded for the
purpose Of sheltcring the Democratic party.
Ii is not quite true. as Democrats assert, that
they have nominated candidate for Governor
against whom nothing can be said The one
thing which obviously can be said Is bad enough
20 make his defeat a necessity, if reform In New
Jersey IS to 20 forward. He IS the candidate Sc
lected by the very men who have robbed the
State. swindled the people and deied the laws
II is not In the least necessary to infer that they
expect Mr. McGill to be their conscious and will
ing tool or in the ordinary sense their dupe
They expect him to be Democrat. That is
quite enough For the crimes Of Democrats per
| petrated for the benefit OF the Democratic party
/ can never be fully exposed and punished with
out infctng upon that party blow which nc
| man who consents to be its candidate will ever
! infict The best Democrat in the State, If h'
were to accept the nomination from the party and
| become by its support the Governor, would finc
! himself under an irresistible obligation TO th'
rings and the corruptionists, as openly managers
Of the party in the past and its secret managers
now
The men who picked out Chancellor McGill a.
their candidate knew the man right well. TheJ
knew just how far partisan association and polit
| zeal feeling would influence him. They knew
how easy it would be to argue that further eX
nosure and punishment of leading and Influential
Democrats would not be necessary TO practica
reform. but would damage the party perma
nontlv. The worst rascals in the State hole
| high their heads today because they eXpec
| 10 be shielded from punishment, and re
tanned In practical control Of the machine, IL
order Ia save the party from defeat. They cal
culate that the partisan feeling of more than hal
the $4,000 majority east for Republican candl
dates last year will lead those voters to stop re
form rather than defeat the Democratic party.
The honest voters who want reform know al
this Just well as the corrupt ring masters, an'
knew It all when they set out to smash the rings
and are perfectly aware that candidate selected
by the rings will never finish the smashing.