New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-10
SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

THE Brooklyn Eagle" Is greatly troubled lest
The Tribune be not sincere in its desire 1or the
continuance Of good government in BrooKlyn'
and asks several questions presumably to oo'aih
information and satisfy Its doubts, not 10 EN-
barrass the progress Of reform in the Republican
organization of Brooklyn by attempting to dis
credit those who urge that Republican voters
take measures to hold their party faithful to the
spirit which caused the election of Schieren An
honest uuestioner deserves an honest answer
and THE Eagle" shall have credit for deep ana
tr,Ie concern in the cause of reform, notwi'h-
standing its scepticism concerning our earnest
ness.
THE Eagle" SAYS: For years me 1rlDune ap-
.pealed to the self-supportng Democrats or TINS
city to overthrow the spoilsmen OF Wiloughoy
Street Time after time it returned 10 'he
charge, declaring that the city was under 'he
iron heel of a dictator and calling on all voters
retrospective Of party. to drive him out OF power
..Have changed conditions brought a change in
1.-THE spirit Of its dreams! Is it any worse lor Tue
democrats to be dictated to than it is for the
..Rcpublcans:" To both of these questions we
answer NO" We have not changed our spirit
We are as unalteraby opposed to BROOKLYN oe-
ing dominated by Jacob Worth as by hugh NC
Laughin. We even prefer Mclaughlin lor Ia
that case the disgrace Is not ours, wfiie worth
brings reproach upon the name OF our party III
whose honor we have pride. 1t is true Inc ltd
une has appealed TO Democrats to overthrow
their spoilsmen, and long before the last cam
paign. lust as ii is doing now began TO urge 'he
Republican organization to make no mistake
but TO nut ND a man in whom all who cared TO
shake off the rule Of corruption could trust.
Whom that purpose was accomplished and Mr..
Sch;eren was nominated, The Tribune gave him
and his Democratic fellow-canddate, Mr.. Gay
nor cordial and sngle-minde support, without
waiting with its ear on the ground to gauge the
issue Of the battle 10 place itself at the heao
of the victorious army when the victory WIS
won. The Tribune is not afraid OF supporting
cause that may be defeated. In Brooklyn cam
paigns for several years it has more OFTEN losi
than won: "The Eagle" has more often won man
lost. and the people Of Brooklyn have more often
had bad government than good.
The Tribune fully realizes the hold which JACOB
Worth has on the Republican machine. Would
no bosses generally control machines in summer
time The people come TO the front in the fall.
That was the case two years ago. 1t Is because
we believe that the only hope for the continuance
Of the good government established by Schieren
is in the people. and not the bosses. making the
Republican nomination this fall that we have
been so strenuous in seeking to arouse them
They have an eection-district plan Of orSaniza-
ton which responds readily to popular sentiment
and II they are thoroughly in earnest they can
nominate whom they WILL bosses to the contrary
Notwithstanding We can see no other solution
of the reform problem. If Worth controls the
md hn
work TO the same end there is no chance for an
independent to be elected. If the reformers CON
troll the Republican convention, there is no need
Of an independent candidate. And as for re-
form candidate Of the regular Democracy, that
is too old game for any body to be fooled by any
longer Whitney, Chaplin, Body. were all hon
orabe men, and many Republicans were bun
coed into voting for them Some people then
said as "The Eagle says now: You ask us to
put down the ring. Come and help us put 1t
down by electing these respectable Democrats.
But when they think of the shameful history
which those names signify they do not say it any
more When we think what good reforlners
these men were before election and what they
did afterward we do not feel like putting faith
in fgureheads set forward by the Kings County
Democracy.
SO we are firm in the belief that whatever hope
of honest government Brooklyn has Is centred in
the Republican party. While not underestimate
ing the danger that that hope may be brought to
naught through the failure Of individual Repub-
lcans TO do their duty, we still believe that if they
are in earnest they can have their way. We are
against spoilsmen on general principles, and
against the particular spoilsmen who use both
parties in Brooklyn. We wish to see the Repub-
lican organization free from the control Of bosses
for the party's sake. For Brooklyn's sake we
wish also to see it, for we are unable to discover
any other possibility Of an honest and indie
pendent Mayor being elected who will continue
the work Of reform.