New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-28
THE LAST WEEK.

Tho Tribune congratulates. on this the opening
dav Of the last week Of the campaign. all friehdS
of good government and honest administration
rs well as all good Republicans. upon the 1aVor
able outlook for the election. The poli'lcai con-
1,,ons of the last two or three months. so far rs
this city and county are concerned have had no
naroIlcl in history Never did a political situa-
zion so resemble absolute chaos. During this
ti,no II has seemed as If all the centrifugal forces
,rero I'm operatjo,, not only 10 disturb the CO.
besion of The great parties. but to disintegrate
even the wings and factions Of parties, ming
the mir with fylng fragments, so that men VINO
| had long been associated in political effort were
sonorated and estranged and hardly recognized
each other 1t looked like chaos come again.
Rut ont Of thjs state OF things there has come
during the last week or two something ike ORDER
and arran gement. and at last the lningup, shout
der TO shoulder and elbow touching elbow OF the
qrcot mass Of voters who think alike and are
willing and anxious to work together upon the
| main questions AT issue. All the signs now point
70 concerted and earnest effort The part OF all
citizens who favor honest municipal admlnlSlra-
zion. and 10 that end are willing to sink minor
| factional and personal differences In order 10
secure legislation which will complete the work
/ q
earnest concentrated effort there can be no DOUBT
Of the result The only question hitherto mas
been whether amid such divided counsels ana
such widely divergent views as TO methods ana
polcies. any effective union was possible For
II is only truth to say that amid all the diner-
ences as TO candidates and plans and policies
the main purpose to he accomplished mas Deeh
the same with all The differences have been
Nd
Meantime. while the gradual coalesclng OF the
mass of voters who are animated by desire lor
good government and municipal reform affords
so much encouragement. II Is also OF no shght ac-
count in estimating the prospects of success
that the divisions among the enemies Of Reform
which have been equally marked and perhaps
more bitter and uncompromising. are as 1ar as
ever from being healed The efforts Of Senator
Hill TO bring about harmony in the Democralic
ranks by some sort OF arrangement between the
Tammany and AntTammany factions have re-
sulte1 in almost complete failure The Tam
many which will be arrayed against the frends
| of good government one week from tomorrow
| will not be the Tammany OF old. 1t Is no longer
the powerful organization which so long held
this community by the throat and Knocked at the
complaints and protesations of the taxpayers
testimony TO the efficiency of the reform meas
,lrps Initiated last winter and their benehcent
Influence upon the conditions of our civic life is
in the fact 50 patent that it hardly needs 10 be
pointed out that in the minds Of all citizens
there Is today the confident assurance that on
November j we shall have an honest election.
The changes made in the election laws by a
Republican Legislature. the reforms In the police
| o,,J .ho iu1nO changes
ments in the personnel and morale Of the force,
have already had an effect which is perccptbe
in the diminuion Of registration in those dis
| tricts where heretofore colonization has Deeh
common and frauds upon the ballot-Dox no
! torious. In consequence Of these reforms ana
| nartly too. because the Tammany leaders who
have heretofore held official positions and drawn
from the CITY Tres ury the money with which TO
corrupt the ballo. have been deprived OF that
source Of power. we may confidently count upon
q minimum OF fraud ,his year. There Will be less
colonizing. less repeating, less violence and in
! timidation at the polls. The election VIII De
both peaceable and honest If there were moth
ing else 10 show for the work OF the last year.
this would be its justification.
As TO the other sources OF comfort ana en-
couragement in the outlook, they are so evident
but extremely active band Of political freebooters
who undertook to swing the entire German
American vote over TO Tammany, In their hatred
for Sunday laws and their desire for saloon
Sunday, have ceased their buster and threats,
and since their merger In Tammany little has
been heard Of or from them. The Crosses and
Tamsens and Ridders have gone to their own
place SO the O'Brien and Steckler factions,
having made their little disturbance because
tbcr demands for recognition and official plum
der were not needed. have queted down and
tapered off into merted insgniicance and con
tempt. The Good Government clubs which for a
time seemed disposed to insist upon leading the
whole Reform movement and debating ticket
of their own selection, have for the most part
abandoned that position and decided TO support
the Fusion ticket for county officers and Repub
lican candidates for the Senate and Assembly
These are all signs Of promise, from which the
friends Of good government in this county may
take great encouragement In the State the out
look is still brighter. Our advices from all parts
OF the State are to the effect that the Kepub
licans are everywhere at work and everywhere
fnll OF confidence while the Democrats are apa
thetIc and discouraged. So we enter upon the
last week Of the campaign under the most favor
able auspices If the friends Of good govern
ment In this county and the Republicans through
ont the State will give this week 10 the cause, we
shall have as great cause for rejoicing on The
morning OF November 6 as we had over the mag
niiicent result last year.