New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-09
A BRIEF REVIEW.


Now that comparative calm has succeeded the
clamor which some Of our contemporaries have
been raising for several weeks over the perils
in which the enforcement Of law had involved
free institutions ard the liberties Of citizens;
and the excitement has measurably subsidized
into which certain other of our contemporaries
had wrought themselves, through contemplation
of the disastrous effect upon the Republican
party at large if in this county the party should
fail to nominate 4 straight ticket, let us en-
brace the opportunity for a brief review of the
more important political events of the last year.
and find If we can, what it has all been about
A year ago, pending the November election
our citizens OF all parties were much more deep
" moved over the local issues which then
seemed to be at stake than they had been before
for many years or have been at any time since
The Senate Investigating Committee had brought
to light a condition Of municipal affairs under
Tammany rule which startled and shocked the
whole community. Abuses Of the grossest ana
most outrageous character In all the munlcipai
departments had been exposed; but most I'M
portant Of all were the revelations OF corruption
| in the Police Department. For coiled up IN thal
lay the potential forces upon which Tammany
depended to maintain its hold upon power ana
perpetuate its corrupt control. Under the stress
of q real peril which the investigation disclosed
| "A peril which, as could readily be SEEM in
yolved life and property rs well as morality and
| laval law-abiding and order-lOvng citizens
were driven into concert of action, which re-
shifted in the overthrow Of Tammany so far as
the organization could be reached in last year
elections This result having been achieved ana
an Anti-Tammany municipal administration in
stalled In Office the parties to the successful
alliance almost Immediately fell out as to the
policy adopted and the methods pursued. THIS
WAS not strange. 1t was, in fact. only what
! might have been expected. 1t would have been
in the nature of political miracle had 1t been
otherwise The first disaffection was on the part
Of orr Republican friends. who favored a
straight ticket last year as they have this. Con
WINGED by the size Of the Anti-Tammany ma
iorty last year that straight Republican ticket
would have been successful. and that there was
consequently Republican majority in the city,
they insisted upon division Of the offices among
Republicans without regard 10 the anteelecton
/ understanding with the other parties 10 the
union. They were angry because their counsels
I ,rore unheeded and their demands rejected
I Their demands, IT will be remembered, inciuheo
tho retention of two so-caled Republican Ponce
commissioners, who had been appointed by a
Tammany Mayer and were part of the lam
many machine
more violent disaffcctlon appeared when IL
the process of municipal reform a new Police
Commission directed the enforcement of tho
Sunday-cosing provision of the excise law
which. as everybody knew, had been passed by
Tammany Legislature and approved by
/ Tammany Governor for the sole purpose OF
strengthening Tammanys power by means OF
favoritism and Matchmaking facilities placed il
} the hands of the police. Then arose a great out
cry about the infringement OF personal liberty
and the hardships inflicted upon the poor by thf
enforcement of Puritanlcal enactmen's ahC
bigoted blue laws There had always been Sun
day laws, and they had always been enforced
But under Tammany rule never equally or i'm
partially They were only used to levy Diach
. mail or promote Tammany interests by favorit
, ism. When they came 10 press equally ana I'm
nartially upon all offenders, as under any homes
administration they must a considerable GAS
Of citizens entered an indignant protest. Ger
tain newspapers magnified their complaints an'
exaggerated their grievances until their habitua
readers doubtless began 10 think that create
unrising against the enforcement Of law wa
impending tnan ne one aSaihSt uhpii"i''
license and the perversion Of all law which wa
successful last year. 4 perlsal OF these Journals
q few weeks ago might have led one 70 suppos
/, that the voters Of this town were about to ris
IN in mass and not only wipe ont all Sunda,
observance but IN their anger bring back 4
; mower the party which, though il had passe
SUNDAY laws had wnked at their violation
And some Of the RefOrmers who last year wcr
loudest in dcnunciation of Tammany's encOur
. ocement of lawcssncss talked as though the
, believed that Tammany rule, or anarchy, o
chaos was better than the enforcement OF
law that had existed almost from time immemc
rial against the sale Of beer and whiskey OF
, Sunday.
The noise they made came near soaring III
? late Republican State Convention into snea
on the question of maintaining the day OF week
" rest and Of enforcing all laws Fortunatcl!
II was turned when almost on the run, anc
facing the issue with oldtime Republican coul
age, avowed it's belief in the maintenance q
Sunday laws and the equal enforcement OF "A
laws And now the noise has pretty much SUI
I sided. There will be no demand for the aDol
I ton OF Sunday laws or for widc-open saloons a
5 day and all night long all the year round An
the straight ticket shouting has ceased. In spit
= Of II all. the elements which combined last yea
g against Tammany's lawlessncss and corruptio
+ are again united, and in their union the sur
omens Of the triumph Of municipal reform III
e pear The moral Of all Of which Is that II Is nc