New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-17
TIE GEPCBLICAN FUTURE.

TIE REPCBLICAN FUTURE.
Tho Tribune has already pointed ont mat nor
wI,bstanding the shortcomings ana foih's' tue
weakness and the faults. Of the Legislature wmc'
has lust adjourned. 1t id give Tx some'h'"S ~
thc way of reform legislation, even though gr'''-
;rcv and reluctantly. and that good ci'lzcnS ha''
reason 70 be thankful for that. True we are III
1oh,od for II almost entirely 10 Governor Nor
tons boncst purposc and determined VIII. pn'
r may NJ least give the Legislature credit ~
wo have before said for having the sense anu
discretion 70 listen TO his counscls ana be gov
ernod Ivy his advice. Not great praise To W.
srrc but something by way OF palliatloh. Like
oil ;,s predecessors this Legislature IS pro-
uo,,pcad Inv the exacting and censorious tine
orst ,ot" II was bad enough. but II was ho'
that 1t has not broken the record Tor 'ncoii',
o.o,cv ovtrovagancc and corruption. lhouGh II
might easily have done 50 had II ioiio"'u VI.
d,roct,ons Of the irresponsible Boss who aspired
70 absolute control Of its action III opposition ~
,ho cooler and wiser connscls Of The Governor
Wi,bout undertaking any defence OF It's action
taken rs "a whole. there is this TO be slld III ~
nl,nation Of it. and Of the motives by when
its members may be supposed 10 nave pcVi' "'''
,tod So far as the Senate is concerned, 1t Is an
o,ors felt that they were under obligations %
Mr.. Plat becaus, Of the contributions 10 NV"
o,ec,ion expenses which the Republican H'al'
Committee had permitted him to eXtort III '"'''
name from sundry great corporations ana us
bursc by his personal chcck-a mschic'ous pray
,ico which must he discontinued or the parry
,,.;u srr.r shnwreck. Moreover. they were
elected in 1893. before Republicans had become
fuly aroused TO the dangers 81 Loss rule III 'h''r
own party. As to the Assembly II may DE- sa'u
that n majority OF the Republican members were
nominated by the machinery when MI. iia''
had occupied himself with pcrfecting dur'pe the
period Of Democratic ascendancy win 'he per
pe,uation Of which it dovetailed. ana though ui'y
owed their election to the uprising against BOSSES
and machines, many Of them recognized flatt
as their benefactor and sponsor Still. the record
Of the Assembly is incomparably superior TO that
Of the Senate
ca much I'm explanation. And now, what:
The LEGISLATURE has TO some extent falied Us IL
has left undone things II ought 10 have done ana
done some things it might better have lcIt uh-
done. For It's faults Of omission and commission
It's members will be held TO strict accoun'a-
hiitv by their constituents. We feel certain that
none OF the more conspicuous Offenders VIII De
returned II nominated they will be defeated.
PM we feel also a reasonable degree OF conf
donce thai they will not be renOminated. The
| Renublcan party owes IL to Itself TO prevent H.
For these men have donc almost everything In
,her mower. and quite everything they dared TO-,
to bring the party into dscrcdit by wan'on be-
travail OF principle and shameless disregard OF
promises souarely made and pledges publicly
given. They have done this IN obedience 10 the
orders Of Mr. Plat, simply and solely to furnish
that person the opportunity to make traces ana
deals at the expense Of the partys honor ana
good name for his personal advantage and the
fermentation Of his power rs the partys BOSS
| ANY effort to rrnomnatc these men or others OF
the same kidney will present very sharply 'he
| issue between Rcpublicanism and Plaitism In
| thc State The triumph Of Plattisin would mean
Rcpublican disaster, and that we do not look Tor.
We do not undciratc the strength OF THIS man :
hold upon the party machinery In the STATE, ana
we do not mean 10 be Ovcrsan2nine IN counting
upon the continuance Of the present feeling OF
indignation and disgust AT his malign influence
But we do believe that the inonstrous bluiidcrs
| he has made during the last SIX m0n'hs nave 80
cifectually opened The eyes Of The voting RepuD
lican masses throughout the State 10 the fa'al
consequences Of his sefconsliiuted leadership
that they will shake off their sloth ana indiifer
cncc and meet his Vaccinations at The primaries
with the same determined opposition which they
show TO Democratic Boss rule at The polls. The
record Of this Legislature furnishes such incon
testabe proof Of the blightlng influence OF MS
leadership that unless the party deliberately con
tcmplatcs suicide 1t must throw 1t OF absolutely
Meantime one or two OF our Democratic ana
Mugwump contemporaries, fastening their atien
ton upon the failures OF this Pait-rlddcn Legls
| lature 10 do all that was expected or hoped rol
good government and municipal reform, and re
ftising to give credit for the good 1t did do under
the spur Of Republican Governor. are saying
that the Republican party has forfeited public
confidence and wasted It's opportunity and tina
presently 'rammany will come back to power
much more strongly intrcnched than before.
But why? In the name Of common-scnsc, why
should the voters. who signhed their desire las
November 10 turn out Tammany, root ant
branch. and institute sweeping reforms in nj
In power because II has only half answered thc
expectations. and restore the party which. by IL
representatives in the Legislature, opposed stub
bOrnly and bitterly even the half-measures o
reform that have been granted? What logic o.
reason or sense IL there In that proposition
None. 1t is cold. pure Mugwumpery. Upon tina
process Of reasoning we might expect Churcl
Church did not incorporate total abstinence II
Eta Greed, to ding himself out and start 0. gipmil