New-York tribune., 1896-04-03
SENATOR CHANDLER'S EXPLANATION.

SENA1OR CHINDILH - ElTLINi iiO'.
The Tribune entertains too high an opinion OF
Senator William +. Chambers personal courage
to permit the selfdepreciation in which he in
duges in his explanatory letter to Senator Lodge
published yesterday to pass without protest
For If called upon to name Senator Chambers
most shining-we might almost say redeeming
quality, we should say. without moments
hesitation. that 1t was his courage. We do not
mean by that unthlnking rashness or the Dlind
courage of the book agent, but the high quality
of valOr. which, even when put In evidence AT
the outset through indulgence In the greatest IN
discretion, invariably comes sooner or later 10
q frank manifestation OF discretion as us alto
gether better part" Senator Chandler did not
need to say that his 'selfrestrant was cow
arlly'' in permitting resolution to pass the
New-Hampshire Republican State Convention
without quarrel which recognized las the
most conspicuous among such Qresldentiap
candidates NewEngland's noble and illustr1ous
"son the Hon. Thomas b. Reed, OF Maine ana
that pure and able statesman and champion OF
Protection, the Hon. William Mckinley. OF
"OhiO" For it is never "cowardly" not to quar-
rel when there Is nothing TO quarrel about And
there was nothing to quarrel over In this reso'i-
tion Mr.. Reed Is certainly, in the Judgment OF
all Republicans. New -Engand's noble and Illus
trious SON." No less general and positive Is the
Judgment of all Republicans that Mr.. Mckinley
Is a pure and able statesman ard champion OF
Protection" The NewHampshre Republicans
only expressed the general Judgment OF the party.
We do not understand that Senator Chandler
denies either of these statements Of fact Hence
there was no ground for quarrel.
We feel compelled to disagree with the Sen
ator as to there being ''ludicrous iDcongruity
between the resolution referred to and the dele
gates elected to the National Convention. lie
may be- and no doubt Is correct in saying that
Mr. Reed is the first choice of the elected dele
gates: but that certainly is no reason why the
convention should be withheld from expressing
its honest opinion regarding another eminent
Republican, and saying In so many words that
while the electoral vote of New Hampshire VIII
be given "to any nominee who worthiy repre-
sents the party 1--WE prefer one of these. be-
cause either is in himself platform. Here are
no instructions; nothing In the world but an
expression on the part Of the New-liainpsnire
Republicans Of preference for one OF TWO emil
nent Republicans fifty described, and for rea
son named, over all others Nothing occurred
during the proceedings Of the convention to In
dicate a disposition to instruct the delegates 10
vote for Mr.. Reed first, last and all the time
against all other candidates nor does II appear
from the record even that he Is the first choice
of New Hampshire Republicans The "ludicrous
incongruity." II we may be permitted to say
So exists only In Senator Chandler's mind. Ihe
Senator seems TO us to be In error also in de-
scribing the passage Of the resolution as an
! outbreak" "the pretext for which, he says.
"was nv denunciation of the campaign methods
Of Messrs Osborne and Hanna" For as mat
ter of fact, there was no outbreak unui the
Senator issued his explanatory letter In the
convention everything was harmonious ana Sc
rene The argument" he says. Seemed to be
because Mr.. Chandler had injudicionsly told the
truth about Osborne and Hanna therefore New
| Hampshire ought to abandon Mr.. Reed and
support Mr.. Mckinley" We have too high
respect for New-Hampshire Republicans to sup
| pose for moment that their choice for Pres'-
dent Of the United States would be affected by
| any lack OF judgment on Senator Chandler S
| part In telling the truth.
The Senator evidently wrote hurriedly He
| sometimes does. He undoubtedly means well,
| but being Of warm and impusive nature, he
sometimes writes and speaks a little faster than
he thinks. Still. he is always interesting. IT
not TO his political friends, then to his Oppo-
| QPQtS. Incre Is no QuluebS III AHtit was
| not when he first broke out with such character
| istic but quite unexpected ginger against Mark
| Hanna as a corrupt and unprlncipled person.
| Doubtless this did have something to do with
| the action taken so unanimously by the New
| Hampshire Convention. But the trouble was not
by any means that he "injudciously told the
truth" Mark Hanna Is not, and never has
been. In public life. In private life and business
| circles he has great number Of friends, who
thoroughly believe In his personal integrity, his
| disinterestedness and his high sense OF honor
| and their resentment Of what Senator Chandler
| said about him was not on account Of its lack
OF Judgment but its lack Of truth. Mr.. Chandler
did not mean to msrepresent him. But he un
doubtedly did. 1t was a case Of impulsiveness
| and Oyerzeal The Senator's own State has pro
| nounced Judgment in the matter In a convention
over which he himself presided. There was nc
need Of an explanatory letter. No need to say
that he permitted the "ludicrous incongruity'
of a resolution to pass because he desired tc
avoid a quarrel That had been begun al
ready. He was discreet in not continuing it
And there was no call for him to indulge In
self-deprecation because Of his cowardice. The
Senator has courage. And at intervals he has
discretion.