New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-02
NEW COUNTY COMMITTEE.
AN IMPERATIVE REQUIREMENT OF THE
EXISTING SITUATION.
THE ANCIENT BoGY OF REGULARITY AND WHAT
1T REALLY HAS AMOUNTED TO IN LATE
Rs-PLATT-LACTERBACH ORGANI-

ZATION WORSE THAN TAMMANi.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: As an observer of political happenings nave
watched with interest the recent developments In
the history Of the Republican party In New-forh
County have followed the trend of events
closely and as / am neither an ofice-holder nor an
aspirant for political position, but merely member
Of the party l am disposed to trespass upon the
columns OF your valuable paper TO set down the re-
suits OF my observations. ask permission 70 uo
so al this time because think a crisis has come in
the history Of New-York Rcpublicanism. II shouu
not pass to the disadvantage of the party. TINS Is
my excuse for writing.
The Republican organization OF New-York Is TO-
day on the lowest plane of its existence. Never DC
fore has 1t sunk to such depths. The official hea"
Of IT. Edward Iauterbach. is. you have properly
designated him. notorious lobbyist. You have
classed him with Ed" Phelps and Lou Payn.
| cannot speak for Phelps. but think Payn suffers
by the classification that you have made. Lauter-
bach is only lobbyist but as almost every one
knows. he has been engaged In dickers ana deals
with Tammany Hall for years. Who does not re-
member the old subway scandals and the various
surface railroad schemes with which this little man
has been identified? And who does not remember
when the Subsidy bills pending at Washing
ton the demand that came from the friends of these
measures for the immediate recall Of Lauterbach.
whose presence at the Capital had become so
dangerously offensive to actually jeopardize
these bills for the welfare of American shipping?
II is not my purpose. however. to indulge in per-
sonalitles. ! simply desire to call attention 10 TINS
striking fact of the existing situation. namely that
the Republican organization in its practical manage
ment is actually lower than Tammany Hail. tnan
which there is nothing baser in politics The orig
nal enrolment under the Committee of Thirty was
largely a fraud Its fraudulent character was dem
Onstrated at the time. Ii could not be other tnan
dishonest with such men In control Of II the old
gang Of district leaders-Glbbs Patterson. Van Colt
and The rest. So long, however, as men like Mr..
Brookfied were in authority, some semblance of
deconcy had be preserved. but with his enforced
retirement in favor of auterbach all the restraints
Of decency have been thrown 10 the Withstand
vi at is the result? That while Tammany Hall and
every other political organization in the county to-
day present open doors 10 all voters who desire to
become identified with them. the Republican or
Ganizaton closes it's doors and is to-day keeping
reputable Republicans by the hundred and by tn
thousand from Participating in the activities OF the
party Could there be a more amazing and scandal
Gus state of affairs in Republican politics?
And yet this Is in keeping with the history or the
organization in this county for generation or
more. II has always been close corporation. ana
has always obeyed its corporation instincts by
thron%h its confemntibe scbenes What are these
/ can sum them. up in one w0rd-Re gularity. This
wand in the hands OF a gang: it always has been
Beneath its waving all rebellion and honest oppos-
ro S 1t %Sfs So%a Of BaSe
and humLates the proudest. More political WRONGS
perpetratei under It than under any other word
allons a. IL inexbIIcabe or Course an organiza
tion only be regular IN the proper sense OF the
term so long az it faithfully reflects the true sent
ment OF the party which it represents. The mo-
ment II ceases DO this. that moment it becomes
irregular and unreiresentative. Ihao is the logical
the legal and the only true meaning Of the word
II the Republican party m New-Nork County be
lleycs in cheating lying misrepresentalon, nsrS3
In NET
and fraudulent practices generally then Mr. Lauter-
bach and his gang OF marauders really and truly
the regular party organization. But the Republican
party stands for what is decent an righteous IN
public life: il it IS the party Of the people anc
faithfully reflects the best and soundest public sen
at all times; n II stands FOR equal rights 70 al
and for the sovereignty Of the individual against
the domination selfish ard se.fconstituted bosses,
then Mr.. iauterbachs organization Is no more the
Newr lY COUNTY than is the Rogues Gallery a
collection OF the pictures OF representative citzss
lean to dispute the correstncss o. my assertions
VIVA, is TO be- done about II? what else can oe
done about 1t than to perform Inc nam'iGSo
can principles? WHAT Is that? WY smpy ro
form an Organization that WI be- tne rea a or
ganza;on OF the party and faithfully reflect IT'S
Ah. but viii this be done? Possibly not right
| away. Frederick s. Gibbs for example scouts ire
is force in what he says. He recalls the days When.
the instance Of eminent gentlemen OF the men mo-,
aglf f2 Sar ne maSn g at AbaHy as to lead
his expulsion from the party by the STATE oonl-
mittee When however, lie called upon MS MI ray
Hill allies to defend him, they found themselves
unable to do not because they ga not Wano aoB
in a warfare against the regular party organiLa-
ton" There YOU have IL again. Regularly con-
Gdence. and know that his confidence is shared
by all the old machine leaders Naturally the! .etl
one of the peculiar teachings OF history; that the
unexpected is constantly happening ana II is I 1ne
| If the Republicans OF NewYork do their duty a
| new organization. founded on strictly impersonal
bt VIII interests
of the party heart, is an absolute requirement
But some excellent gentlemen Ike General Nc
| Cook for example. view this PROPOSE ton win d!s
,ia cectjoS sna II is no time for Republicans to
| quarrel Let me suggest TO the doughty GENERA "a.
whose dislnclination TO fight seems SO uncharacter
| site OF him that the Republican party never car
RED Ney-York County until II became engaged IN
| tho most furious factonal warfare in its history
o're ana No. ~, TawYork state never ro..ed up such
Republican majority as y ga Wheh i.epuo'eSsai.
mere fighting one another from one end OF the state
Not only that but let me remind tho peace,
owing General and ms trlenas VA ~ Srova
| Cleveland. and ne notwithstanding the doleIu
| predictions OF the regular Democratic machine, car
riei the country for the Democracy by majority
that almost paralyzed for time Repuphcan ac'N
Let me say a word more about this fetch. i die
not fare vel IN the .ate election IN TINS STATE
| Coeeeshall was the embodiment Of rregularity, but
| candidacy Of the regular nominee seem a var
thing. The Hendricks crowd IN syracuse mad th'
sea of regularity soiemnly placed upon their FORE
! heads by Platt's committee and jim Belden
! followers were accommodated but when the votes
| were counted election night Beldens candidate FOL
MAYOR was ahead of Hendricks's man and both were
beaten by a twentv-e ght- year-o1 Democrat Yovnt
Barnes Of \ bany. was another Illustration OF Regu
| laritv Platt poured oil upon MIN in profuson an'
uttered al sorts OF frghtfu imprecations upon th'
ant.-machiue people. but that did not prevent th'
slaughter OF Barnes at the pODS
The king days" said Byron half century ago
ARE fast dying out" say the same OF Regularity
| 1t Is a boyle for fooH-something with when L
| brighten political infants and mbecies
| do not say. Mr. Editor what NewYork Repub
! leans will do for | have Illusions on this sub
! ject. but / point out their duty UNDER the presen
| DECENT POLITICS.