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

The most striking feature OF the present local
nolitical situation, after all, IS that the persons
who besides taking themselves with uncommon
seriousness. are most profoundly impressed with
the gravity and momentousness Of the whole
business are really so funny. AS matter OF
fact there is no occasion for much jumping up
and down or beating the air or making the
welkin ring. The county offices to be filed as
The Tribune has heretofore pointed out, have
little relation to political issues, and. except as
the general result shows the trend Of public opn-
Ion toward reform or reaction, the election has
not much significance Notwithstanding which
there is an apparent disposition in several quar-
tiers TO create political crisis out of II. What
makes 1t funny Is that the persons who are work
ing themselves up into frame of mind over II
are for the most part standing on their heads
or indugng in gyrations which have no appar-
ent purpose other than to amuse the spectators
with confusing and sometimes startling exhibit
lions of political and intellectual gymnastics.
Here is our good friend DR.. Parkhurst over
flowing with zeal for the cause Of Municipal
Reform and apparently profoundly iihp''ss'u
with the notion that the election OF County 'eih
and Register and several Judges Will nave much
10 do with the progress or retardatloh vi ''0
cause Because he suspects that IN inc s'i'o
ton Of union ticket for county Officers ~
representatives Of several organizations no lSs
earnest and sincere than himself III ueNo'lo"
TO the cause one man whom he consluerS "'n
gerous as a political leader has had voice VI
exercised some degree Of influence the Do''oi
shakes his head and Is in doubt whether ne ought
70 support the ticket He knows, Of course thal
| tho dofeat of this union ticket though II might
not operate directly and Immediately 10 proino'e
| reaction against the cause Of municipal REFORM
would tend in that direction by giving new cour-
age and hope to the Tammany crowd VINO were
| thrown out of office last year. Bu, he says 10
| himself Better five Crokcrs than one flat'
and in his excess OF zeal incnes to The opinion
| that he cannot under any circumstances vote
| for a ticket which is not opposed by flatt mat
| Is since Platt will insist on siding with nm
against Tammany, and he cannot down fla''
| and down Tammany' at the same Time Ne VIII
| 10, I'm on Tammany and, on the whole, won't
helm down" ANYBODY. This attitude OF Dr.
parkhurst. while it may grieve the judicious,
amuses the rreverent.
Then here are the Good Government young
| persons. who in similar excess OF Zeal juniper
| In ahead Of all other organizations anu hoi'
| mated a county ticket which they seeiheu W
think the other organizations in last year unioh
would accept and adopt without ques'oh' hwy
are very nice young persons, no doup'' anu '''
ouestionably quite in earnest. But Inc! never
could have supposed that the allied orgahi|a-
tions-made up, as they are, OF older ana iioie
experienced persons, with numbers compu'aple
and quite in excess of their own, ana equaiiy
Jealous with themselves for the cause I'D WHICH
all were enlisted would fall In AFTER thelr ieau
and give unqualified approval to the Candidates
whom they had selected. The Good "oVerhihen.
Young persons are innocent ana fresh anu al
that but they must have enough kho"leuee Va
human nature If they are OF voting age 10 w
aware that the programme they set up WAS
utterly impracticable and had no chance WHAT
ever for being adopted. And now that UNION
has been formed without them some OIL the mos'
ardent Of them are proposing to go IL atone
The result Of that, Of course, VIII be 10 u'iue
to the extent TO which they go 1t aiohe-'he
Anti-Tammany and AntGood Government
forces and aid indirectly Tammany ana 'n'
enemies Of Good Government. Yet inc "ooo
Government clubs were organized Tor Inc sou
purpose OF driving Tammany out OF power II
the casual onlooker the attitude OF the youhI
persons seems not merely amusing Dut ID! III
inconsistency and contradictoriness aDsolu'e!
absurd.
Here. too. Is the German American REFORM
Union. called by It's initials the "Garoos. VIVA
, did they undertake to reform when they nance
themselves? Why the municipal government
Of course And how; BY turning Tammany on
Of power Why should they turn Tammany out
Simply because Tammany was lawless and cor
rupt; because II oppressed citizens, robbed IN
taxpavcrs. and levied blackmall upon all classes
2 and especially upon lawbreakers. by whose al'
: It maintained itself and perpetuated its power
The German American Reform Union helped
! last wear in the overthrow Of Tammany VIVA
is II uroposing TO do now: Only this: undo las
I years work and bring Tammany back Why
Because "A Reform Administration has done pre-
e ciscly what the German-Amercan Reform
i Union said last wear ii wanted 10 have done
!. il has enforced the laws impartiay. So nov
: this Reform Union goes over bodily 10 the SUI
\ port Of the organization whose inquiries
= started "A Reform crusade against; and becaus
h | ii Is dissatisfied with the enforcement OF al
l. obnoxious law. marches over into the camp q
J. the party which enacted IT, No more remark
q able tergivcrsation than this ever took place II
: the politics of this or any other country An
r what makes II more funny is that they ar
= marching back into Tammany without eve
. crlsing from their banners the Reform Whlc
. they inscribed on them when they marched ou
. Of Tammnny year ago. They seem ratie
r more serious about IT, too. now than they di
k then.
h These are the aspects Of the local sItuatio
t which TO casual observer lend 1t clements q
n humor They are heightened also BY the ovel