New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-23

TIE INJTDICTOUS COURSE OF THE GOOD GOVERN
MENT cLuBs-wHY THE FUSION TICKET
SHOULD BE SUPPORTED.
Police Commissioner Roosevelt yesterday sent
the following communication 20 Prebe Tucker,
secretary Of the Council OF Confederated Good Gov
eminent Clubs, in reply the latters open letter
to him:
Preble Tucker Esq. No. l2o Broadway. New-York.
Dear S.r: OF course. | have all along appealed 10
the conscience vote. Equally certainly, whenever
the conscience vote acts without common sense, /
am all separate from IT. II you read iuii report
of what ! said. you would have seen that | spoke
ty OF the motives OF the Good Government cluD-
men, but emphasized the fact, which Is familiar 10
teal politician, that when conscientious men act IN
a silly manner they may be quite as noXious as the
S e I9es Of 81 sooa of ba
list in this country you VIII not only see what l
ger to which you and your friends are expposPg. not
only the cause OF good government IN New-iorh,
little at a loss to meet your argument, because
frankly. it is difficult TO understand how any one
cal who keeps his oath OF office and enforces the
law. with the course of political organization
law by dividing the forces OF the adherents Of
decent government. | cannot but think that such
either OF the duties of public officer or of the
proper functions of bodies like the Good Govern
cannot enter into any ordinary case of the en-
forcement q law The honest enforesme9t Of law
government; but DO civilized government can ever
succeed II It's politicians, its public men and It's
heed to questions Of expediency, both practical and
political no less than to questions OF principles
Have You ever read "Tae Federalism? ii So you
know that the Constitution could not have been
formed at all II questions OF expediency had not
been given full weight, no less than questions Of
principle; You also know that Alexander Hamilton on
ineorperated IN it, lad ne obeyed your
nrins
refused support the better OF the only two prac
tIcable courses, he would have been mere curse
You say you obliged to support the principle
of non -partisanshp in local offices. Now in your
ticket you have been careful to nominate men
OF both parties 70 have the candidate for County
clerk Republican and the candidate for Register
a Democrat ard to divide. as nearly as possible the
tudgeshlps between the two parties You have de-
liberately strVen to bring about representation
Of the two parties. Your ticket falls short OF your
own IDEAL; perhaps the Fusion Ticket may not come
quite AZ near 10 this ideal: but it f. a very good
ticket. it does represent union OF Democrats and
Republicans and j; Ia the only ticket which there
is a chance OF eecting II comes quite as near the
principles for which you contend as did the ticket
which you supported last year. II you construc
your pledges to mean that you never will support
any ticket which has any chance OF election, why
Of course you have no excuse for existence hope
that in the end you can educate the people OF this
city up the highest standard in non-partsanship
in local afnirs. but the course you now follow
them from being thus educated AT times il may
be necessary to run a ticket simply protest
against the action OF the machine: but when the
machine does well such course is ludicrous.
II thu Republican party had run straight ticket
this year. ! would doubtless have supported any re-
spectacle fusion ticket: but when the Republicans
agreed to put into the field fusion ticket. which
IL the whole excellent. whic, is Endorsed the
best Democrats and which has the cordial approval
OF the Committee OF Fifty opposition TO 1t Is simply
harmful to the best interests Of the city You either
misunderstood my allusion to the aboIitions,s or
you have forgotten the incident TO which referred
spoke OF the Abolition vote in 1854 Lincoln was
then running for reelection to the Presidency He
oSd for G the pHGe S OF gny ana Of
third ticket. the only effect ~ which TO help
the opponents OF union and liberty, exactly the
only effect of ticket IL to help the enemies of
decent government In this city.
The Judgment Of every competent historian IS that
the action of the AbolitiOnsts In lsGi when they
the separate ticket showed that that particular
conscience vote had gone mad. Common sense
without conscience will at times breed crimirally:
but conscience without common may also at
times breed folly which is but the handmade OF
crimiDal!ty. Very truly yours
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.