New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-06
Under WHICH LACTERBACH?

Were the Republicans who recommended the
adoption of the provision in the new Constitu-
ton separating municipal from National ana
State elections for the avowed purpose OF Sc
curing non-partisan municipal administration
nv business men instead Of professional poll
tlcians. am on business principles instead or
for partisan advantages, honest in that avowal!
1t Ia not for the leaders of the Republican or
ganizaton In this city. certainly. to say that
they were not. What then. did Mr. Quigg
mean when in presenting cabinet OF sllverware
N his predecessor IN the office Of president OF
the County Committee. he said: The gentle
"men of the Citizens Union may talk of non
guardianship in municipal affairs and of con-
"6ninp the issues In city elections to those which
"are purely municipal, but they will find that
"talklnc will not do IT,? And what did MT
Iauterbach mean when ne said IN his speech
acceptnC the pieces Of silver: III we Should
contribute to the election OF a reform Mayor,
IRRESPONSIBLE to no party, his good deeds-if they
"exist-vould not rebound to our benefit but
"aIl that is reprehenslble In his administration
"would be placed at our door Efforts even now
care being made to hold the Republican party
"responslble for the present administration OF
"city affairs. 1t Is probably true that the doc
"trinaires who are now sowing the seeds Of
"non-partlsanship Will draw more from the Re-
publican ranks than from those Of the De
"mocracy. The temptation will be great 10
make a fusion with them. That temptation
must be Stunned. Victory with fusion Is fruit
.Icss. Better n defeat TO party than such n
victory? II these utterances are 20 be taken
as EXPRESSIVE of the sense OF the Republican
organization. then that organization mpucs
dishonesty to the sl2ners of the address accom-
nanyinc the submission OF the Constitution, one
of whom was Mr. Edward Iauterbach himself.
That address says:
We seek 10 separate in the larger cities mu-
nicipal elections from State and National cleo
fiors 10 the end that the business affairs OF our
great municipal corporations may be managed
upon their own merits. uncontrolled Dy Natona!
ana state politics and TO the end also that the
great issues OF National and State politics may
be determined upon their merits free from the
disturbing and often demorslzins effect or local
contests.
Assuming that this was an honest and
STRAIGHTFORWARD avowal. Notwithstanding the
imputatlons of Qulgg and Lauterbach to the
contrary, what would occur most naturally to
the minds Of voters IN the selection OF candi-
dates for office under the provision referred to:
II In either or both Of the great cities united
under the new charter the experiment Of non
partisan municipal government, and the man
aaemsnt of the affairs Of these corporations
upon their own merits, uncontrolled by National
and State politics, had been successfully tried.
what more natural than for the minds Of voters
to turn spontaneously to the men who had made
the experiment a success. There were two
such men. either of whom answered the require
ments of the occasion. One was William l..
Strong, who had given the city Of New-York n
uou-partisan administration Of which the late
partisan Republican City Convention was forced