New-York tribune., 1897-10-26
REPUBLICAN DOCTRINE
REPUDIATED BY THE BOSSES
GENERAL TRACY AND his FRIENDS on Rrcn,,
IN FAVOR OF EXACTLY WHAT They
ARE NOW OPPOSING.


ARE NOW OPPOSING.
The New-York State Constitutional Conv..-
leans and seventy-seve Democrats, propose
by the vote of that Republican majority -,
amendment providing tha
All elections Of city officers ana -.
county officers elected in the coaatie. -
New-Y0rk and Kings shall be NJ
In an odd-aumbered year.
The object Of this was 10 separate local finn
general politics. and to free municipal AFFAIR,
from the evils Of partisanship. This fact "a,
made clear In the convention In the speech,
by representative Republican leaders in f.v.,
of the amendment. The Committee on Citsr
which framed It, and which was compos.S
chiefly Of Republicans under the ehairnap,hh
Of Jesse Johnson. said in its report:
Its psrpese r. to sfve the ci,,es q.
election at which nothing but nuplei..,
iasues are 70 be determined. Such eensti.
tutioaal provision would be very beaeaca.,
in the annOancement that the gsye,,.
ment Of great cities IL NO longer to be 80.
endary to matters Of state or Nation.,
At the close Of Its labors the conventios
adopted an address to the voters Of the Stah
saying, In reference 10 this amendment
We seek to separate 4. the larger ern..
municipal elections from tho State and IA
tional elections. e the cad that the bssiaso,
Affairs Of our great municipal coPporutie..
may be managed unon their own nerfts n.
controlled - National anA State politics.
That address was adopted by the votes Of u
Republican majority Of the convention. n,
adoption of this amendment I'm the interest,"
public address put forward in October, lSok
signed by a number Of eminent Republicans
among them being the head Of the New-Yuk
City Republican organization,
Edward Lautcrbach.
The Constitution thus amended was approved
BY the people Of the State Of NewYork bys
vote Of 41c.097 ayes to 327. .402 noes, majoht
of s2,695 in favor of it. That this was q. r.
publican majority Is proved by the fact that u
Republican Stat. ticket for Lieutenant Goyen9
and other officers was elected by an overwhelp.
ing majority at the same election The amea&
ed Constitution was approved by New-York Ot
By a vote OF 73.403 TO 5G,40S q majority 4
1895 IN its favor, and by Brooklyn BY vh
Of 5S961 to 1901, majority Of 10,I60 in n
favor. The same principle Of municipal "a
partisan home rule was recognized by the Con
mission which framed the charter for u
Greater New-York. OF which Commissa
Benjamin r. Tracy was president The Con
mittee on Draft Of Charter reported to the fd
Commission that
Tho sentiment II indeed growing whiA
tends to persuade the population Of ~
American cities 10 vote at mu1icipal esse
hAR Hhn 8H~H~
National issues.
That report was signed by the members 4
the committee, among whom were
Benja.in =. Tracy.
Seth Low.
In submitting the charter 10 the Legislative
the Commission made q report, arguing, amus
other things. In favor Of a system Of minair
representation, because
S.ch Representation tends to e"phasise ne
fact that. in the admfnist rntion of n city. ~ j
common Interests OF the either ship Of ~
place are more funda m tai than party T.
visions.
That report was signed by all the memben d
the Commission save one among them hdns
BENJAMIN r. Tray.
Silas ID. butcher,
=. w. Wurster.
=. L. WoOdford.
In addition TO these official pronouncenoh
action Of the Republican party of this city ~ |
well be quoted. In 1894 the Committee Of ~
enfy resolved that
Municipal government should be estiFs9
divorced from party politics. We
maad that the public service Of this city y
conducted . strictiy noa-partisan hask
And the regular Republican Convention b
straight party convention. under the Lead &
A hIa ham GK1iher Iahn ProcfoH CLARKE r i