New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-24
A DEAD MACHINE.

The Committee on Organization Of the Re
publican machine Of this city admits that III
"the election Of 1897 is TO be considered gen.
"eral election then almost every association
Gin the city would have 10 be dissolved, In ac-
cordance with the constitution Of the organza-
ton, which provides that "if the Republican
"yote of an election district at general cleo
"tion shall be less than the number OF mem
"bers borne on the roll Of the association" such
association shall be dissolved Against the
view that the election was general election"
no argument that is not ridiculous and childish
can be brought. If this months election was
not general" we have elected no Chief Judge
of the Court Of Appeals and our whole judicial
fabric has been for years an unconstitutional
imposition, which has been melting out penal
ties Of death and Imprisonment without a
shadow of authority. The contention that we
have n State Government so constituted Is too
ponsensical to be considered for a moment, but,
unless we have been defying the Constitution
and electing judges Mt special elections, by the
admission Of the machine leaders, a majority
OF the district organizations, and therefore the
city organization founded on them, are abso-
lutely non exstent as Republican bodies.
That is the only legitimate conclusion from
the facts. The skeleton machine which Mr..
Plat controls has been deserted by the great
majority of Republicans in a great majority OF
the election districts, and IL is ipso facto, by
the laws of its own being embodied In Its own
constitution dead. 1t cannot resurrect itself
by any jugglcry with words or any invitation
to the revolters to return. 1t Is dead. 1t Is
simply corpse unbu:ied. 1t cannot represent
the Republican party Of this city. No State
convention can give 1t recognition as the party
organization Of NewYork If Its leaders obey
their own constitution they must recognize
that no power of reconstruction can exist In a
body which is rotten TO the core, and will frank
" tell the State Convention that 1t must go
back to the people to build up a new organza-
ton here. If they dsobey their constitution,
and persist In carrying around their corpse un-
buried and asking people TO consider It's gal
yanic antics as exhibitions Of vital force they
will throw upon the State Convention the duty
Of declaring that as leaders violating the party
constitution they cannot be recognized as regu.
lar Mr.. Quigg, Mr. Gibbs, Mr.. Gruber and
their fellows, whatever they may think about It.
are not Intelligent despots' set over Republi
cans. They are nothing in themselves indivd
ually or collectively. Their sole power is rep
resentative authority conferred by the const
tuition. They arc nothing except by its word
When the limits set by the constitution on the
life Of the constituents Of the organization are
reached. as In the present case the organiza
ton is dissolved into Its original individual ele
ments and their representative character ceases
Any act Of theirs thereafter In the name OF the
party Is usurpaton and rebellion, and no State
Convention can rightfully view 1t in any othel
light.
The machine headed by Mr.. Qulgg cannot b,
patched up so as to claim the patent Of regu
larty, and no accessions from outside can max,
It the living representative Of the party. tn,