The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-25
Mr.. Choato Had Better Have 1t
StOpped.

There Is a movement, originating in fac
tional ambition and carried on with char.
acteristic Mugwump venom, to get Mr..
JOSEPH II. CHoATE chosen Senator through
the agency of the Republican majority in
the Legislature, and this is what it evolves
At the Choate meeting on Wednesday
night, it's practical leader, Mr.. w. d. GUTH-
RTE, insulted the Republican party Of New
York, as follows, in a fool effort to smite
Mr.. THOMAS c.. PLATT. Think Of q petit
toner before the Republican caucus, in dis
/ claiming the idea Of .robbing Mr.. PLATT of
deserved credit and reward,' delivering
himself of this:
Can there be any question that the candidacy OF
Mr.. MORTON was hopeless from the beginning, and
thatit was put forward merely as q basis for decker.
ing and negotiationsi"
Such is the view of Republican politics,
and of one of its most distinguished
representatives, held by the gentlemen
who have set out to have Mr.. CHoATE
run for Senator. The Republican party
had once supported Governor MORTON
for Vice-President, and he had been
chosen Governor of New York by a sensa-
! tional majority and we exaggerate nothing
in saying that, in the whole circle Of
Republican craftsmanship there was not a
man approaching Mr.. MORTON in eminence
and political Importance who SO fully and
completely, in himself and in his surround
ings, embodied the issue on which the late
campaign was fought and won, namely, the
maintenance of the gold STANDARD against
all efforts for its direct or indirect degrade
ton. Yet, for the purpose of now discredit-
ing Mr.. PLAT, Governor MoRToN's unwav-
ering supporter and the successful champion
of money unequivocally sound, the Choate
leader would persuade people that the Pres
idential candidate lately named by the New
York Republicans was no better than a
humbug, a fraud, a trick, a mere device for
political buying and selling. 1t is not in
our power to r~ecollect an equally gross in
suit to any political organization or to any
eminent public man, or a more lunatical
comprehension Of public affairs.
Having thus considered Governor NOR
TON and Mr.. PLAT. Mr.. GUTHRIE proceeded
in regard to Mr.. PLATT's relation to the St.
Louis money plank:
"Then comes the gold clause. for which Mr.. PrAr,
Notwithstanding his loud pretenoes, deserves abso
lutely NO credit"
There is much more profitable business
for us all than the opening up ofdebate about
the Republican money plank. but open it is
in Mr.. CHoATE's lame. TIL loud pre-
fences" referred to, instead of being Mr..
PLATT's, were the reports in the daily news
papers of the conventions proceedings.
We know that the platform ON which
Mr.. MORTON was nominated for Presi-
dent called for the firm and honor
able maintenance of the gold standard -
we know that the Ohio plank was swash;
and we know still more the week before the
st. Louis nomination, while Mr.. PLATT was
fighting like a lion for the predominance of
New York over Ohio in the platform, the
New York Tribune, the chief anti. Platt
organ in this State, whether under the
direction of Mr.. WHITELAw REID or of Mr..
JOHN Z. MILHoLLAND is immaterial, struck
another blow at Governor MORTON, Mr..
PLATT. n the cause OF honest money, with
the opinion that the words gold Standard"
the rivet of anti-Repudiation, might we'll be
left out of the platform. Doubtless plenty
Of Ohio men had gold planks stuffed in their
pockets all the time, easy Of production after
ward; but they do not concern the case.
1t is charity to Mr.. CHoATE to suppose that
all that his friends know of the late election
and the events preceding it, is that there is
to-day a Republican majority in the New
York Legislature which they can ask to
make the man Of their choice a member of
the United States Senate.