New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-07
hopelessly great, despite all the boasts and all
the achievements of our nineteenth century sci
encP
DID YOU REALLY MEAN IT.

Yes: we put the question TO you, good Repub
lIcan and good citizen, and we put IT straight
Did YOU mean It? Were you In downright ear
nest about II? A year ago this month the reveal
lions OF municipal rottenness In this town under
Tammany rule were Just beginning to take effect
upon the public mind. and put In operation the
machinery by which In November following the
Tammany gang were put to flight and reform
administration brought In. Good citizens were
thoroughly reused Irrespective OF party afia-
lions and political predictions, they came to-
gether to work for a common purpose In com
mon cause They assembled In massnceilngs,
appointed committees to arrange conferences
and agree upon the details necessary 10: har-
monious action; attended the preliminary gather
lngs in person-ln short took up the business
OF municipal reform rs II II were matter OF
personni concern: which. Of course. 1t was, and
nothing less You did all that, good Republicans
and good citizens, and you did II well You
acted az though you not only had heart In 1t,
but as though II was matter almost OF life md
death And II actually was almost that; for at
the rate Tammany mlsgovernment was proceed
Ing Il was only question Of time when no mans
life or property would be safe under the most
yIllanous police system that ever terrorlzed hon
est men while Matchmaking corruption and pro
tectng crime.
you wore In earnest then. Beyond all qucs
ton. for the moment you meant business. You
could not otherwise have accomplished what
Won did. Had you not been profoundly moved
by the conditions Of your environment which
had been brought to light by the Senate Com
mittees search and had you not acted thereon
with energy and vigor and n willingness withal
% ptfo nd 10 N
the public behalf, we should not now be enjoy
Ing a reasonably wholesome and honest munc-
ipal administration, with the laws enforced I'M
partially and administered uprightly, and every
citizen secure In his person and property and
all his rights. You brought this change about
because you had become thoroughly aroused and
were In dead earnest for the time. But did you
do II "for keeps? Did you mean to set up good
government permanently, or only make one
great. big number thirteen kick at rascality and
rascals and then subside, leaving the rascals to
mil themselves together and re-establlsh ras-
cality at the next opportunity! was II squirt
Of righteous Indignation; passionate outDurst
Of anger at men who had too long tried your
patience and trespassed on your good-natiire, or
was II the deliberate expression OF deter
mined purpose 10 get finally rid OF rascally
regime, when you rose up last November and
bounced them all out?
You have already accomplished much. TO be
sure. But your work is only half done Mis-
government dies hard. The men who subsist
upon It are always alert and active fertile In
devices. united In purpose and desperate In emer-
gencies You on the other hand, after the stress
and strain Of a great political struggle and trl-
umph, resuming your ordinary and legitimate
occupations naturally lose your interest in the
cause in which you have exerted yourselves so
intensely and fall into inactivity and apathy.
We do not need to quote TO you the trte OBJ
servation concerning the need OF eternal vigil
lance" absolutely and everlastingly true as 1t
Is. as the price Of good government as well as
Of liberty; but we do beg you to consider that
s,pincness or Indifference this year on your part
will mean a discouraging, II not fatally disas-
trOus halt to the magnificent work In the dlrec-
ton Of wholesome and honest municipal govern
ment which your earnest and enthusiastic ef-
forts did so much toward initiating last Novcm-
Der The original impulse may have somewhat
lost It's force; the excitement attendant upon
popular uprising may have in a large measure
subsidized; but the question recurs Were you
in such dead earnest as you seemed to be then!
And II So with the work you set ont to do only
half done, why should you not be just as earnest,
enthusiastic and determined nowf BY some
manifestation OF last years spirit yon can give
the good work OF reform a strong push ahead.
BY Indifference and apathy you will throw away
a that has been with 80 much effort accom-
pshed Was 1t then last year squirt of en-
thusasm, frothy and almless, or was II the
beginning Of solid and substantial benefits IN
the line Of good municipal government? II Is
for you TO answer.
Does any one now ask how he may demon
strate his earnestness; how help instead Of hin
dering reform? Easily answered. Are You
Republican! And enrolled? II n Republican
and not enrolled. attend to that duty first. II
enrolled, let there be no meeting Of your district
association at which you are not present In per-
SON. Are you friend Of municipal reform and
not q Republican? Make 1t your first business
to connect yourself with some organization OF
citizens opposed 10 Tammany restoration, and
then attend It's meetings In person, showing by
your presence your sympathy with the cause and
your willingness to share in It's work. The high
est political duty of every citizen today is to take
an active part In the preliminary work OF this
years reform campaign. VIII you, who did so
well last year. make some little sacrifice now to
consummate the work? That Is the real ques-
ton.