New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-06

r,,o 'r,ibune Is under no illusions concerning
an iaoo, municinal government. 1t does not look
| o., ,ho absolute determination of abuses, rooted
| I'm tho weakness of human nature, which grow
| I'm rs naturally as nOlsome weeds III THIN S''
nor for the elimination OF self-sfeking politics
from the conduct of municipal analrS. AiihlnS
| at tho extinction Of abuses. it VIII no' su'i'i
discouracemcnt if only their mitigation! anu
amplioration be attained. but will hopefniy keep
IN the fight Believing personal politics. s'iilsh
ambition hunger for office and me passion io'
mower 10 he the bane Of republics ana Inc great
est obstacles 10 good government. II Is hos'iie 10
! whatever promotes or encourages theW. b"' II
indulecs in no dream Of eliminating them ~
| constant and influential factors from the nein
Of nolitical activity. II is moi so optimistic Us
| to believe that we shall have. at least III our
| own time anv government that Is fr"e from
| them nor SO peSsimistic as 10 suppose maj 'hei'
! continuance puts free institutions in danger ''
immediate overthrow. What The Tribune docs
| horeve Is that much better government III most
of our cities and especially \cw->orK i pres
| emily attainable because the great majority vi
voters are profoundly in earnest i'll ihcir desire
for H. In this city they have made an unlhiS
taxable demand for II. They had me proni'Se
! Of it from the political combination wn'h P"'
| Mayor Strong in nomination. ON me sr'ns'"
nf II they elected him and overthrow the organ
| ization which had So lorg misgovernrd ana pun
dorod Them. They await the fulhlmcnt of the
promise.
Navor Strong is a Republican. BY far the
greater mart Of the votes by which he was elect
.d We're cast by Republicans. The Republican
| party is properly held 10 the largest snare Vi
the responsibility for his administration It's
I
N. prestige Of the Republican parry. lis fail
IRE will discredit the party and seriously impair
It's nrospccts for future success. Upon that sue
| ccss all Republicans believe the welfare al the
country in unusual measure depends. Not I'M
uo,urouv current political discussion reyolves
around the question how Mayor Strong can help
h,ud nm the Marty. So far as he has developed
his norv. 1t is in the direction Of wha, is called
non partisan municipal government II hshI
ne more. titlv described az recognition of all
the partisan elements that combined III Ms sup
mort in opposition TO the organization that liz"
| been in power. Upon the theory mat all were
equally sincere iu their advocacy OF muiiicipai
reform the responsibility for conducting Inc
movement 10 success has been app )riioned among
representatives of the several allied organlza-
,ons as nearly AS possible in proportion to ihe'r
| numerical strength That is what the Mayor. ~
we understand has been aiming to do. Keeping
T., ,,ou, of course the necessity for making nj
ness and capacity essential tests raiher 'hah
partisan affiliations.
The chief objection TO this policy has come
frop the men who call themselves practical
politicians" They assert that With R"pub-
| lIcan MAYOR in office for three years. now Is 'h'
time 10 build M the Republican party, and mat
| buil ur a
offices with active politicians, who will have Il
personal interest in using all the patronage ana
all the OPPORTUNITIES Of power for party advan-
tape They say that all is fair in politics ne in
war and that no matter what was the under
standing upon which Mayor Strong was elected
his duty as party man is to use his Office 10
strengthen his own party and 10 ''Se II III 'he
manner indicated. They are saying. too, quite
openly and with apparent INCONSISTENCIES 'ha'
If is a confession Of weakness that the Tam
many gang will undoubtedly return To power al
the expiration Of Mayor Srongs term. and that
Republicans consequently should make the most
Of the present opportunity. AS though it were
| not possible or practicable for Republican, adj
ministration TO conduct the affairs Of this city
50 honestly, intclligenty and ably as TO retain
the confidence Of the voters who elected 1t ana
| earn a continuance in office.
To all this there is sufficient answer
There Is only one way TO build up party so
that II will be firmly fixed and stay built. That
Is TO do what 1t promises. No matter what may
have been the mental reservations Of the pra2
teal politicians or Bosses when they fell into
the arrangement by which Mayor Strong was
elected the Republican party as an organiza-
ton was fully committed to the platform Of the
Committee of Seventy. That was promise to
the people and the whole party would he dis
credited and disgraced by failure to redeem
! IT, Mr.. Platt and his followers are Of the opin-
Ion that the way to build up the party is to pay
no heed TO anteelecion pledges. but proceed to
| divide among the workers whatever official plun-
der is in sight. II is his way, but not-as he is
now finding out--ihe party's The Democratic
marty has lust passed out of power amid univer-
cal execraton because of its fathlessness to its
n,edces. and because its leaders believed in the
policy OF trickcry and deceit on which political
Bosses are so apt TO place their sole dependence.
! The Republican party Is strong only as IL ~
honest straightforward and clean. we nave Il
Republican Mayor in this city today only De-
cause the people believed the party could DO
trusted And so long as they continue In mat
belief the Republicans will remain In control
Men who ought 10 know better are talking mere
and at Albany about shaping legislation with Il
view to the certainty Of Tammany's return to
power. II is a humiliating confession OF weak
ness. Republican ascendancy here is not acct
dental They who treat II so belittle the VIC
tory Of November and misapprehend the temper
Of the people. The voters OF this city want hon
est government. They will keep the party In
power II II gives II to them. And the party can