New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-20
THE NEED OF THE HOUR



To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Let us have a new primary lay" we
must have Il or we are doomed to constant ue
feat The result OF the last election IS Out
beginning The division in our party INES VIII
be widened unless honest political methooS pre-
vail and they never will without a new law
that will insure against fraud IN the pr-
maries. No reason exists why the primary
election law should not be as complete az inc
general election law. Help us TO make II So
The constant talk about the December prl-
martes is misleading The urging OF some
newspapers Ito come out In December anu
"wrest- the control from Plat and his lieuten-
ants is nonsense 1t cannot be done the roll
OF fraudulent primaries under It Will be the
same and honest conventions are therefore
impossible. II the present County Committee
will reorganlze according to the provisions OF the
constitution those districts which did not cast
a vote for Tracy equal to their roll and Will
conduct such enrolment and reorganization I'M
der auspices that cannot be questioned. thea
some hope may exist for honest battle In
December next; otherwise. II Is useless TO take
any notice Of or part In the coming prmar:.s
II is merely n trap to catch the "innocents."
such as was set by Mr.. Quigg when he did 80
much" 20 purge the roll. We all know how near
he came to what he professed TO do or how close
he came TO what we expected him 70 do We
were deceived. and one lesson OF that kind ought
10 be sufficient for the present. Reorganize first
In a proper and constitutional manner. else
Ignore the primaries. IS what l suggest. Yours
very respectfully DANIEL LIVINGSTON.
New-York. November H. 1891.
THEY NEVER MEANT TO HAVE UNION WITH
THE Low MEN
To the Editor Of Tho Tribune
Sir In the current discussion over tho lamentable
miscarriage OF the late election. a concerted effort
IS evidently making among tho "Machinatcs" 10
create the public impression that they were sbso-
lutely prevented from forming union ticket, by tho
peremptory refusal OF Mr. Lows supporters 10 con-
Ger with them. People must have short memories
10 DO mised by such nsolent perverson 0; facts.
Tho Brooklyn Committee OF Fifty, which
operated with the Citizens Union and in part rep
resented 1t. was always ready confer but confer
ences amounted TO nothing, and the Machinatcs did
not Intend that they should. The Citizens Union
Itself could not enter into any direct negotiations
with an organization controlled by Mr.. Platt since
tho whole city knew tho basis Of any negotiation
with Mr. Plat deal" and at the first symp-
tom OF a deal the strength OF the Citizens Union
movement would melt away from IT,
But tho Citizens Union conducted itself with
zeal and discretion which ought'to have borne better
fruits. Mr. Plat, his organ. his agents and his
friends perpetually attacking the prominent
members OF the Citizens Union. personally and col
lectively. In manner welnigh Infamous. They
forbore any reply until 1t obvious that every
effort secure united action was impossible. Some
outside speakers did the last attack Mr.. Plat
personally: but the members OF tbs Executive Com
mittee who were so vilanousy abused In official
attacks OF the machine and official uierances OF the
machine leaders made reply OF an irritating
character formal or Informal. They bore and for
bore to the end In vain hope for union OF forces.
As an Illustration OF all this. let me now call the
candid attention OF all far-minded men TO a speech
made by Richard watson Glider. OF the foremost
members OF the Citizens Union. and the Editor OF
The Century Magazine" at the Citizens Union
Twentieth District headquarters. In the very crisis
Of the campaign on October rs. append an ex-
which fairly shows its general spirit Re-
spectfully, REPUBLICAN LOW MAN.
New-York, Nov II. 1891.
THE QUESTION OF CONFERENCE"
II was earnestly hoped that every influence osten-
ssy oppose TO Tafhy n as oca fUS Pps be
movement the Republican leader, Mr.. IauteToach,
rather than an Independent Mayor. But the Union
not only carried out its intention OF nominating a
Guilty ndorse: but. In relation 10 the Republican
party organization. so DESTROYS was the Union not TO
ncnt il allowed itself 10 be officially and outrage
ousiy abused. without formulating single sentence
Whatever may have been said the stump by
individual speakers not members of the Executive
Committee, that committee permitted torrent of
abuse. from men OF groesquey inferior standing In
this community. 10 pour over their heads without
remons,rance reply. so anxious were they 10 DO
nothing TO prevent the better influences in the Re
publican party from bringing about union In favor
OF a candidate himself Republican, nominated
first by the Citizens Union as was necessary but
standing on the Republican platform (Which
also the antl-Tammany Democratic PLATFORM OF
the separation of National politics from the affairs
of local government.
No fellow citizens we did not "confer"-if we
had conferred the whole movement would have
dropped TO pieces within tweny-four hours and no
new combination could have been made with any
chance whatever OF succeeding against Tammany
Hall But be II remembered that. among others.
our allies OF the Brooklyn Committee OF Fifty dd
confer, and what did they discover? That there
could not be any genuine conference" agreement
on any other basis than the withdrawal OF our can
dldate, and he Republican who had been asked TO
run by more than one hundred and thirty thousand
of his izens!-a condition which those who
made II should have known-and perhaps did know