New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-13
BEFOGGING THE ISSUE.

Tho active Republicans who wanted
straight Republican ticket last year, and IN 1ac'
had II all made up in their own minds pe1ore
the marty had formally signifed Its purpose 20
load the allied organizations in the movement
,or >,unic,nal Reform have not changed their
views ON that subject. They are. II anythihs'
moro ardent for straight ticket this year Than
last Because why? Because. as they say, last
,.o,rs oxnerence with a mixed ticket was I'M
satisfactory. Because with 1t we got TamSen'
1oro,oman and Hoeber, none Of whom 1t must
no admitted. has fully answered the expec'a'
,,ors other Of the Reform party as body or
the separate organizations which put them on
.ho Hcret BECAUSE further, many OF Mayor
Strong's appointments have given dissausiac-
.,or Put ,he argument upon which they lay
most stress Is that the Republican party is. as
orr esteemed contemporary line e"-ioiN
pross" nuts il. too big, too full Of purpose 100
"sincere in its faith, too devoted 10 ts pi'h-
"ciples. to permit any politician OF coi'p'','',
"of politicians to divorce 1t from us 'nc'i'
.duty and its mission" and Consequent! A.
should not permit itself to be merged IN an! SO
called non-partlsan movement, but shouiu wiz"
dignity and determination assume us proper IT.
sponsbity In this view OF 1t our es'eemeu
contemporary adds that the Republicans OF 'n's
county would be faithless indeed 10 'he prih-
"cp,es they profess If they hesitated 10 declare
their purpose to do all the nominating ihis laii
(Which Is done in the name OF the RepuDi'c'H
"party." The argument Is addressed not mercy
10 the self-complacency, but to the proper anu
honest pride Of all Republicans in the recoru vi
the party and what IT stands for we recognize
its force
But suppose we step down from the coh'eh
nlation of the abstract, inspiring though IL De
for fog sometimes intercepts the wide view from
the heights-and take cold. practical look Il.
the concrete: at the situation directly III lrohl Vi
us. the details of which we can distinguish WIFI
ont fieldgass or microscope, for they are qu'e
evident TO the common, naked eye Inc ques
ton Immediately ahead in this county Is not
whether the Republican party as politcai
entity Is animated. as our esteemed contehpo
rary says by sense OF high oDhgahoh ana
| motive of public morality such as never mas
been and never can be developed in any other
| political organization, or, the party being wha'
II Is. whether the organization in THIS count! Is
called upon 10 assert its moral superiority IN the
manner indicated, repelling, by this offensive Ms
sumption, the aid and cooperation or all WHO
do not recognize the superiority or admit the
claim That Is not the question al all. our
esteemed contemporary will pardon us for say
ing that it does not seem actuated by the desire
for harmony, which 1t habltually expresses wheh
It pronounces these Republicans fai'hless 10 the
principles they profess" who do not take It's
view Of the duty Of the party to "do all The nom
mating which is done this fall The pending
question is closer and nearer home. III II were
whether the Republican party Is SO Dig so
.full Of purpose" sincere in Its faith ana
so devoted to its principles" that ii could do no
wrong In this county or this State; couid not
under bad leadership make bad nominations ana
stultify itself by playing into the hands or It's
| opponents why, then II might be necessary TO
take testimony to review the record, and per-
bops introduce the files Of the very newspapers
which insist upon a straight ticket on the
strength Of the party's moral superiority.
Fortunately, there Is no need Of all that The
simple question is whether or not the Republican
party Of this county-the whole party, not a
faction Of It's SO tired Of the work it began
last year, or so disappointed In its results. that
| II Is ready to turn It's back upon 1t and resume
the relation to municipal politics which 1t held
before It entered into last years alliance. That
relation-let us not mince matters Of public
! notoriety-was one in which the great body OF
the party was hopeless and ineffective minor
ity. while few leaders used its very hopeless
ness and ineffectveness for their own personal
profit A straight ticket last year meant among
other things, the retention as Police Commission
ers OF Charles Murray and Michael Kerwin
both Tammany appointments 1t means this
year pretty much the same thing. That is, as
the Patt-Iauterbach people put it, it means a
reaction against last years work because, among
other thlngs-but this chiefy-it resulted in the
removal OF these gentlemen with other Tammany
officials and the appointment Of the present
Commission. For the most conspicuous Of the
derelictions with which Mayor Strong has been
charged by the straight ticket. reactionary fac
ton IL his removal Of two Republican Police
| Commissioners. The issue need not be be-
logged by talk about the greatness or c0nsclen
tiousness or devotion TO principle Of the Repub
llcan party. The plain truth Is that the party
found itself last year In the absolute control
of man who used both its power and its lack
and said its good name should be used 10
longer. The reactionary faction say that 1t was
only squirt, n monetary impulse, and that
the late primaries furnish evidence Of a change
of purpose We shall see. But, meantime. L.,
no Republican be bewildered or befogged. The
question staring us all In the face is whether OF
not we are sorry for what we did last year and
ready TO return TO the trading era OF Platt and
Lauterbach and Murray and kerwin. And with
them In the city. Raines. Coggeshau. Lou