New-York tribune., 1896-01-14
COLONEL BLISS'S "SUGGESTTON."
REGARDLESS OF HIS RECENT EXPERIENCE
HE STILL DISPLAYS AMAZING CONFI-
DENCE IN THE OLD GANG or
DISTRICT LEADERS


Sir: In his letter the local political situation
Colonel George Bliss makes "suSgestion" that
ought not to pass unnotced. Lest. In this tumuit
uous discussion over European wars Il may be over
looked. permit me to say word or two In reference
to what he thinks ought to he done in the present
crisis
Let understand this matter. Colonel Bliss is
the author of the plan adopted 10y the Committee
Of Thirty to reform the party in New-York County.
The essential feature Of it is the substitution OF
the Election District Association Tor the old Assem-
bly, Distric, Association the unit of party or
ranizaion. by this change he insisted that al the
evils Of the former system would disappear. As he
expressed il in an interview at The time published
in THE Press" Decernhe' p. 1875: Tho only way
get rid of the bosses IS 20 give them nothing 70
boss. Abolish the Assembly j. strict organization
apart Of the official machinery Of tho party and
no wou'G-bc leader can spread himself out as
TO control its forty to hfy separate election dis
trcts each with its own association"
Such was his theory 1t seemed plausible. Hard
headed people however. who remembered iha way
in which this system had failed 20 stand practical
tests when tried by the County Democracy. pointed
ont its defects and urged ,hc Colonel to abandon
IT. least !ntrusr its execution to the old
dstrc; leaders oven II the far-sirhtod Evening
Post agreed with him that hy te operations ":ho
boys would be abolished" remember that The
Tribune particularly. urged careful consid"ra-
tion Of the matter. | recall one editorial on the
subject which appeared abou. Christmas
Day. 1899 I'm which these words were used: III
everything goes along "a these politicians Murray.
Gibbs. Re.senwcler and tho resr intend. AID as
II surely will, for ali this committee Colonel ilss'sl
In itself and OF Itself can DO to the contrary The
proposed election district primaries will be duly
held. the little gangs that constitute the Machine.
supplemented by heavy drafts on the gangs Of
Tammany Hall. WI com" along to tire polls ana
Outright or outvoto. whichever may he necessary.
the honest Republicans of tho city: each lte boss
will spring up triumphant and loud will he the
chorus OF praise for the U'oloncl's) plan"
Does the Colonel remember this kindly advice?
OF course he doos To lo sure. he refutcd IT, hut he
remembers T. just the same lie went right ahead
with his plan. insisting tha; Gibbs and the rest Of
the gang would chccriully commit political hari-
kari. simply becnuse they had promised to DO 50
when such promise necessary 10 save them
solves from destruction at the hands of the Anti
Machine people. They accepted the Coorcl- plan:
they carried II out with uproarois approval. and
whom they finished their lehors IL discovered
thai what had been predicted hy Tho Tribune had
come to pass-th' old dsrrcdif'd system wa rc-ce-
tahlshod on hfracr basis than ever Tho election
district plan. upon the success of which "a" Colonel
was ready To stake his lfe. proved farce Instead
OF "aboishing the boys as "fhr Post" prophc-
sled. it gave them u,w lease of fo and unprcc-
cGcut.d power. N.,cr since tho party WAS or
ganized has The Machine been conducted arro-
fantlv during thc las two years, never has Re
publican politics in NeW- York hosu such low
plane. Ahusos and rascaliiies thai wcr" n"ver
dreamed of in formc. days have been practise' in
utter defiance OF morality. law public sentiment.
until 1T last pc have reached po.n. whore de-
county organization rests upon fraudulent ,n-
rolmcn, and primaries h,l iu utter defiance of the
Constitution and th. Election law %; fh" state
The majority o. iho Committee Co. Thirty. Wth
comncnaable zca. ani publ s.Irt a'e a' work
night auG day 20 undo thr Nr.tctcl NorA ~ th'
gang. Keai.z nc long ago fuat great mistake
Was made in accepting ihc Bliss plan. ard great
cr ono n trusi-ns Gibbs ana bis followers i'.rarft
30 oui. tho striving. like honest uea thaf f.'f
ar. To- correr. jh. mistakes o. fl~ ia-' iy Pc
lentless exposure 90 ~ sting .v.i. g. f.r u f. =
their iahora. co.on'! Bliss appear from Rome w.in
a "suggestion" And Whn, D.. .t" What s h.-
panacea Cor tho leplorall" state ot affair ttt hs
reorganization scheme has h.'rol TO brae aboui'
| quote from his letter.
Nv suggestion IS that u Doc arrocI to nay, an
amendment %: ih" ronst'niion ~" as 10 aio" SUN
revision at SON" time before ~" n'N primary '..
ton viii be held
There It is I'm h- Own words What docs f rnean'
II means that the district bosses VINO moss control
what passes for tho Rcpuhles1 organization %;
th.s county. who Owe their positions fo padIci 'n-
rolmeni llsr~ aul fraudulent primaries. and Who
may We, ind Themselves behind prison bars for
their unlawful doinss. shall hc u'rus;'1 g. "re-
wise their dirty work IN the interests of tho party
whose true seniimou' they have always set a. ae-
nance II means that tho present ori"r ~ THINGS
shall be permitted TO stand, tha' tie d'lrsnf's
chosen In defiance o. the party's organlr Ia" shall
keep thcir places. and that the decent Republicans
OF this county shall res quietly under the leader
ship of lalbirGs and lobbyists. II means that men
Ike Cornelius y. Blss. Joseph II Choai' Elhu
Root and General Br.stow shall stand aside ana
allow Amasa Thornton. Edward Lauterbach lin
Stewart and "Ab"' Grubcr To say III the coming
National Convention whom the Republicans ~ New
York want for President OF this Republic II means
even more than that. for IT means the resumption
Of the old relations between tn" Repub!irar Nj
chine and Tammany HALL whereby this city Was
made FOR years the prey of Tho worst gang OF po-
Ii.cal brigands this country has over seen.
ALLOW" is good How ID recalls tho chndliFe CON
nlcnce that the Colonel displayed two years ago
in the old gang when he placed In thoir hands his
plan Of reorgan .zaiion' How they @il jump at his
'suggesiion" With vha' enthusiasm thoy VIII
act upor il, ana when gaIrrl 3Ii ana ,,y incy are
once more free to proceed WIN ihelr deyiiiry hoy
they VIII hal the colonel as thelr friend ~ need.
rhev VIII erect = monument TO him lofty
thcii pretcnsions to reform when threatened with
exposure and expulsion
Any tank or attempt At reorganization. the Colonel
adds would only end IN two committees and d.s-
nsier." Bisasic. 10 whom ,k'pHiable hfpubli-
cans They are about as hiIIy "h as u Is pos
the orsanzaton' t Hnr ",ISS S"o,,,,tf - "Ph- 10
outside the party. Does Colonel Bliss know wha,
thaf means Of course he docs He knows that
the Republican parry IN thls ,'a'c cannot a'ioia
hrrn s perpcratci in the name Of The parry are
ana disaster" This sort Of tax was heard ID lS2
when the respectable Democrats Of this STATE or
ganizcl against Hll. but nevertheless Cleveland
carried the State that year, although all the Fed
,ral uatronag. In the hands OF Republicans.
No. Colonel parties are nor defeated for furnishing
tbrir own rascals but they incur terrible r.k
,,ncn thcv don't. as Isaac H. Maynard ana David
= i'm viii testify under oath This is NOT move
nuinion for the Colonel TO entertain. He held Il
two years ago. when the Anti Machine people Or
V,nizcd IL, said then that the State would be
lost TO the Republicans. But Governor Morton was
elected bv 1000 ma ioriiy, ani Bls~s o.d irirnl
and pnlliical associate. William l.. Strong carried
his CIV for the Republican party.
New-Yorl Jan IL. 1875 STAiWART.
AN AUERICAN STEAMER ASHORE.