New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-27
THE CANE JP.

The game Of cross-purpOses between The
voters Of this town who desire municipal reform
and the gentlemen at Albany who pretend TO he
in sympathy with them. and anxious to enact
laws having that end in View. has been going
on now for more than ten weeks. 1t may rs
we'll sion II has literally been played out.
Each side now understands the other and there
is neither sense nor entertainment in further
DISCUSSES. If anything were needed TO make
the situation absolutely clear 10 the dullest I'M
dcrstandinC Governor MortOns ringing message
calling the Legislature TO its duty must have
been effective From his entrance upon the
duties Of his office the Governor has shown the
greatest anxiety to reconcile all differences in
the party and bring ii TO united and harm0nl-
Gus action. Knowing. as he did-for no one
with the slightest familiarity with the political
situation could help knowing it-that the condi-
tons under which Mayor Strong was elected
forbade his yielding to Mr.. Plat the control OF
municipal patronage which his knowledge Of
that gcntlcman's methods left no doubt he would
demand, the GOvernor-DOt wisely, as we think.
but with an undoubte1 good purpoSe-initiated
his administration by the appointment OF Mr..
Platts favorics to a majority, in fact nearly
ALL Of the places at his disposal He did II, no
doubt with view to what has come 10 De
called in stereotyped phrase, the "placauoh Oh
Platt'; process, 1t may be remarked, WHICH
has been tried over and over by no END OF pup
lie men and never with anything Ike success
There is such thing as greed that safety Only
Increases but does not satisfy.
Mr. Platt cannot be satisfied with anything
short OF the whole. Through all these ten weeks
he has been able to thwart the wishes OF the
voters Of this town for no other reason IMAM
that Mayor Strong, obeyng his own sense or
duty and fulfilling the obligations under which
he was placed by the terms of his nomination,
has refused to yield to the demands OF this. AFRO
CANT and overbearing Boss for municipal patron
age There has been no concealmcnt among
Mr. Platt's small but extremely active follow
ing Of the purpose Of holding back all reform
legislation in behalf Of this city until some ar
rangement or bargain or deal could be made
whereby Mr. Platts dependents now In office
would be made secure and those out OF Office
assured of positions All the conferences ana
embassies and interviews with which the news
papers have been filed for two months past
have been with this end in view, and no other.
The holding up Of some bills and the rafting
haste with which others have been threatened
TO be rushed through furnish the occasion and
the provocation for the mass meeting this even
ing at Cooper Union. The shameless procama-
ton of Mr. Platt's newspaper that the voters
Of this town would have to take the legislation
which he and his lawyers and henchmen offered
them or get nothing was Of piece with all the
proceedings Of the last ten weeks, to which
Governor Morton so distinctly and peremptoriiy
called n halt The Governor may not yet have
fully realized the fact established by the expert
cnce Of all public men who Nave had any deal
ings with Mr. Platt that there is no peace with
him short Of absolute surrender: hut be seems
TO have reached the conclusion at least that the
time has come when that genilcman's schemes
should no longer delay action upon the bills
! in which the citizens of NewYOrk are vitaLy
interested.
| And the statesmen in the Senate-who are
| wasting time in qubbling over trivialities,
souabbllng over petty personalities. and devils
| ing parliamentary tricks 10 delay action upon
| measures which they know the voters Of this
! CITY who are most concerned. ask for by an
overwhelming majority-may as well take notice
| that their game is understood. Everybody
/ knows now the purpose of il. Everybody knows
that between the voters of this town and the
| legislation which they want only one man
stands. They know him. They are getting to
know pretty thoroughly the men by whom be
! works his will. and the motives that actuatc
/ them And these voters are so much in earnest
J that they will not be betrayed and defeated
without knowing The reason why. There may
be halts and delays but the end IS sure. VIII
lam Nj. Tweed was elected Senator after he
| had been so thoroughly uncovered that honest
men thought it impossible. But that was his
last triumph. and ii was the end of him. HIS
tory may repeat itself.