New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-17
cryJL SEEKING HARMONY.

.,,,. Nv Plott- Ou,CG has made 1t plain
- on who wanted to believe 1t ana "ouiuh
ho,,avo ANYTHING else that the success OF lam
r,o,r IN thn late election was due not 20 'he
ohstinacv Of the 100000 voters who supported
c,o,eral Tracy. but to the treachery OF the l'''-
mn who voted for Seth Low-now that the nrSt
eton has been taken toward bringing the
1.n ooo and the 100000 into harmonious re-
,o+,o,s nv n column-long denuncaion OF the
10000 as mischevous factiOnists and tral-
,o-s md Of their candidate "a a vain
c,or,ous self seeker'-it may be well 10 get
down m business and inquire what precisely
,bo "Nastor" and his overseer are driving NJ.
u may not no amlss TO remark, IN passing, that
whom ether of these persons, or both, say that
,hov were willing to unite upon any candidate
nronosod bv the Citizens Union or by anybody
o,so evcent unon the express condition that MI.
p,ott shou,d he consulted as to the distribution
~ patronage and the policy Of the adminis'ra-
t,on both of them know they are not telling the
truth Everybody knows. and they better than
snvhody. that the question Of union turned sole
~ upon that point.
NJ plott had broken with Mayor Strong at
the beginning of his term, openly ana avowedIy'
heconse the Mayor would not permit Plat TO
dictate his appointments. For that reason III
nursued the Mayor so far as he was able with
hostile legislation at Albany lie did not pro
nose to haze another non-partisan Mayor II he
could prevent Il. II Is best 10 be FRANK ABOUT
II. Looking back over the last four months II
Is now perfectly obvious that there was never
any possibility OF an alliance of the citizens
Union with the Republican organization MS
dominated by Plat. except upon the terms OF
surrender of their principles ms well ms aban
donment Of their candidate. Neither Ilatt nor
On,1o ever had the remotest idea Of supporting
q candidate for Mayor who would not agree
beforehand to be Patt's creature IN the Once
And the petitioners for the nomination or Scth
Low never had the remotest idea OF supporting
\ candidate who would consent TO such cond'-
lions. When that fact Is taken into considera-
ton-and that It is fact will not be denied ny
any intelligent man, even by Platt or by QulGG
1t disposes Of the whole mass OF fog and raise
hood with which Mr.. Platt-Quigg has en-
deavored to envelop the situation 1t is Idle 10
talk now about what might have been II both
Low and Tracy had withdrawn. 1t would not
have made particle Of difference The condi-
tIons precedent to union insisted upon by flatt
and Ouigg were impossible. And. what IS more
they all the time knew they were.
But now-gvng these two leaders all the
rone they Want-suppose that all DO conceded
that they claim. Then there are IN the neigh
| borhood Of 10000 Republicans upon whom the
| responsblity and blame Of the late defeat rest.
| Let II be granted that the leadership was wise
| and the campaign management skilful that
| failed 70 bring these 10000 into line with the
| 100000. What then? Is Il desirable 70 get
| them together now for the campaign Of 1898:
| II would certainly seem so TO man up tree.
Mr. Platt-Quigg appears 10 Intimate ms much
| toward the close Of his remarkable manifesto.
| Well how is II 10 be brought about? The Platt-
Ou,gc method IS disclosed in the late mani
festo 1t Is to continue the recognition OF Plat
as Master Of the State" TO reflect Qugg pres
ident OF the County Committee, to sOOthe and
flatter the 10000 by calling them knaves. fools
and traitors and then TO throw open the prl-
marles, so that the knaves fools and traitors
can enter humbly and pentenuy into an or.
ganizaton 80 sklfully and ingenlously con
structed that n minority of professional poll
ticians can exercise absolute power and per
petuate themselves in control, and lose them
selves there A promising scheme, isn't It.
Worthy such leaders and such leadership. "Yor
fellows" SAYS Mr. Platt-Qulgg, "are liars, fools
"knaves. traitors, thieves and vaingl0rous self
Seekers, and your clothes don't fit. II II hadn'
been for you we would have whipped Tam
"many out Of It's boots. So now let bygones b
"bygones. Our doors are open. Come in ant
. "stay with US" But these 10000 voters wer
not born yesterday They observe that tn
tracks into the organization are all one way
that the inscription over its entrance IS "Wh
, enter here leave hope behind" and that tn
master" who sits there supreme has round hin
: only Quigg and dead mems bones
The PlattQuigg letter Is not success, eithe
as apology, explanation or harmonizer.