The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-27

The faith of the late P. T. Barnum
In +he desire of the American people
+o he humbugged was nothing compar-
ed to that which must be entertained
bv Boss Platt and his associates OF
the Republican party in New YORK
citv and state. It makes one think
that the grown men of that community
must have the intelligence Of babes,
when political leaders, who know what
they are and are anxious to influence
them. address to them the silly and
palpably untrue arguments upon which
alone they IRE relying in this cam
paign. The only excuse for the eX-
istence of the PIatt ticket headed by
Tracy is that It's presence in the field
is necessary to preserve regularity
and save the Republican organization
from being demoralized. Platt and his
henchmen admit that Low is a Repub-
lican. as we'll as an honest man. All
their objection to him is that he was
not nominated by the regular" party
convention. If he had been, and all
the world knows that Tom Platt had
but to lift his little finger to bring
it about, then all good Republicans
could have voted for him with a quiet
conscience. Having been passed over
for Gen. Tracy, it at once becomes
treason to mark a ballot in his favor.
All his personal qualities must be set
aside. The platform on which he was
nominated and the destiny of the great
community whose fortunes are at stake
kick the beam when in the other scale
is placed the sacred fetch of party
regularity.
The least that men who take this pO-
sition can do is to observe the rules
which they themselves have laid down.
If party regularity is a thing of such
preciousness that it is worth while, in
order to preserve it, to risk the estab-
lishment of good government in the
greatest city in the country, then sure
ly those who take that stand must be
unutterably and unalterably regular
themselves. If so great a sacrifice needs
to be made to prevent straight Repub-
hcans from becoming dissatisfied and
from losing their enthusiasm for party
principle, then, whatever their plat
form and whoever their candidate, they
must at least preserve their own title
to regularity unsullied and untouched
The very first action of the convention
hot Troo
test against irregularity in party con-
VentionS, was to associate with him on
the Republican ticket Mr.. Ashbel P
Fitch, a Tammany Democrat We dc
the city of New York who is not tied
up to Platt by favors past or to come
or by the hope of Doodle, can swallow
this proceeding. Platt and his conven-
tion could not take Low because the
movement behind him was outside OF
regular Republican lines. They took
Fitch, although he has never been any.
thing else than a Democrat, and he is
running side by side with Tracy OF
the single issue of party regularity.
Nor is that the whole story. AS cleo
tion day approaches it is openly avow-
ed and admitted that the last act which
Mr. Platt is expected to perform is tC
turn over all of his Republican strength
that he can handle to Judge Van Wyck
the Democratic candidate. Everybody
understands not only that Tracy has
no chance of being elected, but that
he will stand fourth in the balloting
The ridiculous assertions of his
strength put forth by Mr.. Platt de-
ceive nobody. 1t is just as we'll known
that Platt has had an understanding
with Tammany in years past for a
division of the spoils, and that he has
one now, as it is that he directed the
work of the Republican convention