New-York tribune., 1896-12-29
REPUBLICAN CLUB ALOOF.
1T PRAISES CHOATE. BUT DECLINES TO
INDORSE HIM
APPROVAL OF HIS CANDIDACY. IT rs CoNTENDED
WOULD BE CONTRARY 70 THE POLICY
Of THE ORGANIZATION-A

WOULD BE CONTRARY 70 THE POLICY
OF THE oRGANIzArIoN-A
LIVELY DEBATE.
The Republican Club Of the City Of New-York
decided last night not to indorse the candidacy
Of Joseph II. Choate for the United States Sen
ate. That decision was reached after long
debate in the clubrooms at No. 400 Fifth-ave..
the vote being taken shortly after 10 clock.
Attacks upon Thomas c. Platt in the speeches
were prevented by the ruling of Cornelius y.
Bliss. the president Of the club. who In
the chair. the ruling being sustained by vote
OF the majority Of (hr members present. but
there were several attacks upon the Republican
machine. and the discussion al times caused
uproar on account OF the personalities in the
remarks Of speakers.
Less than three hundred OF the members OF the
club were present. many members who did not
care to take a side in the discussion having
remained away from the spe cial meeting. but
the machine Republicans were present in un-
usually large numbers Among those there were
Cornelius Van COtt, Clarence ". Meade. Lemuel
f. Quigg Lucas l. Van Allen. Abraham Gruber,
Dwight Lawrence, James a Blanchard. Otto
Irving Wise. John Sabine Smith, Julius NJ.
Mayer Magistrate Mott. John Ford Jacob Hess.
j. Irving Burns Thomas l.. Hamilton District
Attorney Olcott. Jacob NJ. Patterson. Peter
Fucker James W. Halves. Senator Pavey VIII
lam BICokfeld. Montague Lessler. y. H. Steele,
Paul ID. Cravath l. Albert Engiehal', EDWARD
Mitchell and Robert y. Kenyon
When Mr. Bliss raped for orde-. soon after
o'clock the secretary opened the proceedings
by reading the request for the special meeting
also the following resolutions. which were en-
bodied b. Senator PaVey IN the call for the
meeting:
Resolved, Tha, the Republican club Of the city Of
Character OF the tor Js.eph H. ,.o2ie ana 10 M hl'
s,af "} i5 In3 S,a1e" rayn.s,!T recomniends
10 the Republican meEbers o. the Los.~ia liie ma.
he be mad; The nominee OF the hepuDAr"" caucus
/ Resolved. further. That 4 committee Of ;wen,y-
instructions take such steps as. in its discreiio
may lie VIZ a. ana M MproRer TO Ini,ed Sic,
Resolved. further That 4 copy Of the above reso-
/ lutieus he sent 10 each Republican menbei 'i tNe
THE SUBSTITUTE.
Both John Sabine Smith and Senator Pavey
sought to be the first - open the discussion.
| Mr. Smith succeeded in being the quickest 10
catch the notice Of the chairman. and without
preface he off red the following resolution as a
Substitute to the one brought forward by Sen
ator Pavey:
nended any person for public onic" since the
adop ion OF its prescrf constitution some ten wears
ago save such had been first duiy nominate
hy party conventions. duly called aud heid ana
no person has been nominated for tnited states
senator 10 MI The vacancy no" apou' 10 OCCUR
and . ,,,.s 49,, -,
nomnate4 would naturally l'ad to anute. mailing
/ a precedea. FOR frequent requests for i'e recon-
incubation endorsement Of candidate FOR various
Offices divide the members into hostile groups
probably along so-callsd dactional iin's and de-
., 0w. ,1G ii dt,inSnsheS aitc. II the Hon
VI hdg been
tinted States Senator IA the resolutions embodied
" We ',e deem GA" ill-adyised ihs. any acton
should be taken AZ III, time rc.arlins & MS
for said Office and that IT j. the sense os his club.
. in meeting assembled. that 10 action Whatever
should be taken in tho premises.
THE POLICY OF TIE CLUB
In presenting this resolution 10 the meeting
Mr. Smith said ne had little to adj. but there
were one or two points which ne thought would
permit Of amplidca'ion. At the outs't he briefly
sketched the growth Il the club since It's organi-
zatior. some seventeen years ago. Ten years
ago" he continued. in the old clubhouse in
Tventv-eiehth-st new constitution was
adorted and a few months later the members
moved into their presen, quarters. since then
the club has sprung into life is scope has
enlarged and the membership has ircblec. Dur
ing that period Of ten years no attcmpi hat been
made by this club u indorse any candidate Tor
public ofic, unless. as the resolution states NJ
has been duly nominated by the party convention.
/ duly called and duly held. We have indorsed
National tickets and State tickets but II We have
indorsed any candidate for puollc Office We have
only indorsed those which have been placed IN
nomination by such conventions duly called ana
held Bur now have this abnormal "Ncres-
cence which comes before Us tonight. ana when
is something the members ala not anticipate until
a few days ago.
What would bo the precedent established
here II We adopted the resolution first proposed?
1t would bring about in the first place. an en-
/ tire change in tn. policy OF the Republican
/ club Further. there viii probably be large
/ numbers Of this club presented for Office to the
incoming Administration and the Greater New
/ York government. Now. are Va going TO set
about indorsng and recommending people for
those Offices before they are nominated? II we
do So think shall be flooded with appli-
cations for all sorts Of Offices. and. once the
noodgates are let down. every one VIII be surg
ing in and then who shall say that this club is
rot engaged in the business OF indorsing people
FOR ofice?'
James w. Hawes. who followed, said the ques-
ton was one upon which he felt strongly be-
cause lie cared more for the club and It's future.
and what it might accomplish for its party. than
he cared for any living man The sentiment
was greeted with applause.
SENATOR PAvEYs REMARKS.
Senator Pavey said:
! am well aware Of the fact that there are prac-
;icaIlv issue here to- -night-Onc IL
whether this club shall take part In the ques-
ton as to who shall be the nominee Of the Repub-
! i,cau caucus for United States Senator, and The
/ Other whether shall indorsc the only candi-
date Tor that Office in the heid Joseph H. Choaie.
/ / would say once that heartily sympathiZe
with the feeling that has been expressed 10 me IN
| pubIc and private that the cub should he pro-
icci.d from faction or disscnslOn BIt II seems 10
me If / understand the situa ION OF the Repub-
Iicnn parly in this State and II ! Understand the
bylaws and the objects Of this club. THIS resoin-
/ lion which / have introduced Is entirely wlthln
Z the scope OF those bJ laws and should BE- passed