The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-11
Baying the r1oon.

The nomination by the Citizens
Union in New York of a separate as
sembly ticket. coming on top of Seth
Lows claim that the movement of
which he is the head has no objection
TO party government outside of munich
pal issues. will set rational observers
to thinking. If in the management OF
the affairs which are likely to come
up for governmental consideration in
the municipality of greater New York
there be no proper room for political
parties and partisanshiD; if in cities
parties should he disbanded save dur
ing state and national campaigns, why
is there need for party lines in state
affairs or in national? How can Mr..
Low pretend as a Republican that the
party which he declares to be best
fitted to administer the affairs of gov
ernment at Washington and at AL
bany is not fit to administer the affairs
of New York city? Why should not
the greater include the less?
The fact is that right at this point
Mr. Lows glittering theory of nom
partisan personal government breaks
down disastrously. The action of his
organization or machine" in entering
the state field with a separate ticket,
not to speak of the revelations which
have recently been made of its man.
ayers willingness to initiate the de-
spised bosses in making quiet little
combinations and deals, strikes the
apparently unsophisticated Mr. Low
with the force of a boomerang. While
he is preaching solemnly against party
organization and manoeuvers his right
bowers in the Citizens Union are seen
to be hard at work trying to tighten
up their own little newly constructed
party mechanism and are caught work.
ing manoeuVers of their own on the
sly. Thus the great quarrel which Mr..
Low has with the Republican organ
ization is shown to dwindle down in
hard fact to the single grievance that
it would not do what Mr.. Low wanted
it to do. IF it had danced to his fid-
| ding and turned itself over as a will
| ing instrument for the promotion of
| his own ambitions, we have not the
| slightest doubt that Mr.. Low would
today be affirming the aggressiveness
of his Republicanism with the same
| breath that under tine circumstances
he employs to cast odium upon the Re-
publican managers.
BE that as it may and omitting per-
sonalties, if government by parties is
| tn hn n ho in, I,
do its opponents offer in it's place? Mr.
Low talks prettily for "the direct ac.
countability of officials to the people,;
but under what system other than the
party system can official accountable.
ity to the people be more direct? Wher.
ever there is difference of opinion there
is the germ of partisan conflict 1t i.
human nature to take sides. HE thar
is not for me is against me-" Even Sc
spontaneous an uprising of the people
as the French revolution soon divided
into partisan cliques and clans. Tt
keep the whole people interested fo
any length of time in matters of mo
ment to them it is necessary to engag,
them in controversy, which means
party lines and partisans. Only in tn
PROSTATE democracy of the dead 1
there complete nOn-partisanship. II
other words, partisanship is an newt
able and beneficent consequence o
healthy civic life; and instead of de
nouncing 1t wise men should devot
their energies to guiding it toward tn
best results.