The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-04
A Political Debauch.

A Political Debauch.
The triumph of Tammany on Tuesday
was the consequence of the folly of the
conservative forces which last year carried
the Greater New York by a majority Of
about $4,000. When obviously the only
way of beating the hordes of Organism was
to keep together the social and political
elements which last year stood solidly for
Mr.. MCKINLEY they split apart under the
impulse of a historical mania for an in.
tellectual bauble.
The political situation had changed in
no wise from last year, so far as concerned
the threatening aspect of Organism.
BRYAN was beaten, but he received $780,
900 votes in the Union, an ominous follow
ing, and Mr.. MCKINLEY's vote was only
about 100000 more. During the winter
and spring the Democrats of the Chi
cago platform demonstrated in every
State that they held the Demo-
cratic party in a tight grip. 1t was
made manifest to all discerning men op-
posed to Organism that the necessity of
self-preservation, which had kept together
that opposition last year, continued to be
not less imperative in 1907; that the
enemy was no less aggressive than be-
fore, and that the questions fought over
last November remained as issues provoca.
tive of similar contests in 1895 and 1000.
Under these circumstances q little crowd
of political amateurs, busybodies, sore
heads, and malignant spirits started out
last spring to foment an uprising against
the Republican party, for the purpose Of
eliminating it as an organization from the
coming campaign in this city. This end
they proposed to accomplish by exclud-
ing from the canvass national issues and
making the issues municipal only. That,
of course, was playing directly into Tam
many's hands. Tammany also wanted to
exclude national issues, with a view to
creeping back to power, for on municipal
issues solely it would have the great
strength which the public disappointment
with the Strong administration and resent
ment against it would be sure to give it.
The failure of the experiment of non-par-
tisan municipal government had been con-
spicuous. Col. WARING had proved to be
an efficient Street Cleaning Commissioner,
but simply because of his personal ability
n experiences, and not because of any
sAN IA IN ASb PAi ~ ISoly 4Noth-
ing was more obvious than that if there
was to be the bald issue between the Strong
I" reform and the Tammany government
which it had superseded, Tammany was
bound to win, hands over.
The Low movement proceeded, however,
and gathered force. Low himself, whose
greed for the Mayoralty had been detected
by STRONG a year before, was determined
to try for the prize, and he was en-
couraged in the quest by Republican
malcontents and malignants bent upon
disorganizing their party because they
had been unable to control it. Their plan
was to force the Republican organization
to retire from the campaign unless it en-.
tered unde subsection to themselves, eff.
facing both itself and the principles for
which the Republican party stands. The
Republican party, fortunately for the in
terests of American society, was under
vigorous and honorable leadership, and II
refused to surrender to the conspirators.
The impossibility of the election of Low
was thus made apparent to every sane
man of any political discernment, but he
continued to receive a crazy support ever
in Wall street and among many well-to
do people, against whose every Interest
his candidacy was 80 plainly directed
They stuck up in their windows pic
lures of his SNUG features, and they
poured money into his campaign chest
Mayor STRONG, more angry at the Repub
licans than at the Citizens Union for no
naming him, hustled about making stumI
speeches for Low, celebrating him as tn
heir and hero of himself, and thus con
demning him hopelessly to defeat. Low
himself assailed Gen. TRACY as the wicked
! representative of forbidden national issues
and his retinue of camp followers kept "
the cry throughout the canvass.
r AS n consequence of all this greedy an
: crazy effort, Low got toward 151 900 vote
+. last Tuesday, electing the Tammany tickle
: in every county and borough of the Create
| New York by a plurality of about 10000
and giving Tammany a four-ffths majorit
in the Municipal Assembly. If the vote @
5 the conservative opposition had been cor
centrated on Gen. TRACY the Republica
3 party would have carried the election b
10000.
. THAI is, except for the greed Of Low an
the madness of his followers, the Create
New York would have entered upon It's CT
z reer with an emphatic reaffirmation of til
verdict it rendered last year in favor of tn
Republican party and the sound principle
of government for which it alone stand
c The exclusion Of national issues frol
$ the campaign, for which the Lo'
y marplots worked so holly, has ha
the inevitable consequence of turnin
a over New York to the mercies of Tamman
and Organism for the next -four years, du
ing which time will occur the Congrea
elections OF next year and the election
President in 1900. The great centre
q American wealth and civilization Is a
- warkiaaA 20 N. xxorld aa tha unoak acGla