New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-11
"PCGTLIR AND PROPER"

Lot ne not confuse the issue The issue is not
who shall be the leader of the Republican party
in this State not the composition of the d"lcgi-
tion TO the St Louis Convention. not the success
ar foilurc of Governor Morton in securing Il Pres
idential nomination. not even whether or not
Thomas c. Platt will be able to dispose of the
scvcnty-two votes of Ncw-iOrk TO the candidate
making satisfactory terms important as that
question is to all those jealous for the honor OF
Ncw.York Rcpublcanism The issue presented
10 the party in this State has nothing To do WIN
any Of these matters. 1t Is simply whether OF
not the organization shall become the Official
patron of political corruption and fraud. All
those persons who hope to profit by fraud
whether they call themselves Republicans or
are frank supporters of Tammany Hall. are IN
dustriously striving to distract attention from
the real facts OF the situation by personal mis-
representation Of the eminent Republicans who
have simply demanded that the organization be
honestly managed. and by vociferous waning
over the horrors of fractional strife ana proclama
ton of the supreme necessity or forgetting every
thing else for the sake of giving to Governor
Morton delegates who If not his already are
made doubtful by the dishonest methods of these
self-consttuted champions
That is the usual method with every rogue in
terrupted in his operations. But it cannot CD
scure the one point Of prime mportanc" when
the action of the State Committee on Saturday
forced upon the attention Of all thoughtful Re
publican voters The permanent Official hcad
of the Republican organization. after pretcnce
nj hearing evidence presented 10y some of the
most substantial trustworthy and DISTINGUISHED
Of tbn this city declared rs lis
deliberate judgment that it is regular ana prop
or" for the local machine ID pad it's rolls in one
Assembly district with IS per cent of Illegal en-
rolments in another with II per cent, in another
with 80 per cent. in two others with - per cent,
and i'm still others with fraudulent entries III
VARYING proportion. The State Committee pro-
nounces it regular and proper for the Rcpub-
licans in this county to be governed by officials
owing their position to the votes of Iammahy
Hall General Committeeman 1t is regular and
proper" to keep the names Of faithful RepuD-
ucans off the rolls and prevent them by force
from participating in the partys action II Is
"regular and proper for the State Committee
to receive positive and indisputablc proof OF all
these frauds carried on at wholesale. anu, III
derision of the reputable citizens who make
Them TO refer the charges to the consideration
of those by whom the frauds were committed.
1t is regular and proper" for II small band OF
conspirators to ride roughshod over the wishes
Of the decent Republican voters Of this city ana
deliberately try TO rob them Of the results or
their long fight to overcome Tammany, and 10
plunge them once more into the misery Of cor
rupt municipal rule.
All this may be regular and proper in the
opinion of the gentlemen who happen officially
TO compose the Republican organization. But
il remains to be what view OF the proceed
ings the people who compose the party VIII take.
There is vast difference between the orglnlza-
ton and the party. though politicians are prone
to forget IT, 1t may be easy to control con-
venti0n, but 1t is vastly harder to control the
popular vote. Some years ago a forged proxy
was a potent factor in determining the action or
n State Convention, but it brought upon the in
Docent beneficiary Of that fraud the worst de-
feat eyer suffered by a candidate in Newly DIRK,
and raised TO prominence the only man who has
brought defeat to the Republican National party
since it was first intrusled with power. II may
he possible for Mr. Plat and Mr. Croker and
Mr.. Lau,erbach and Mr. Sheehan to run the
party machinery, of which they have secured
control by coopcration Two of them make no
Drptpncp OF WlSDlHv ~ no any tniHS ""' ~" A.
into the ground, and with the other two ambl-
ton for personal power outwcighs interest IN
party prosperity But the mass Of Republican
voters. who car. more for the party and its ptn-
ciplcs than for the distribution of spells. under
snch conditions are forced to consider how these
'rcgnlar and proper proceedings must result.
Will the great body of independent honest ciii-
zens. on whose support every political organiza-
ton must in the end rely. give their adherence
10 a party so lost to the sense of its own char
acter that IT will permit itself to be ruled by vio-
lcncc. usurpaion and fraud: Even if timid Re-
publicans in the organization fail to resent such
indignitics put upon them. will majority of the
voters who scruunZc parties and their actions
be equally lcIIicnt on Election Day: The issue
is plain 1t IL at once an issue of morals and an
issue of policy II involves the scf-rcspect OF
Republicans 1t involves the good repuc OF the
| party. on which depends its future success.