New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-14
THE UPSTATE VIEW.

When Mr.. Platt adopted the Lauterbach pro
grammc "better a Tammany Mayor than
non partisan Mayor" and beat Seth Low, ne
did more than antagonize what he contempt
uously characterlzes as the better element" OF
New-York and Brooklyn. He aroused RepuD-
leans all over the Stationary OF them hither-
to compacent to his rule-to ask an account or
his stewardship and protest against the use OF
the party machinery for selfish purposes to the
destruction of the party Itself.
Mr. Patt's strength has rested largely In the
support which local leaders In the country
gave to his methods Of party leadership. Ihey
did not give Il to serve Mr.. Platts vanity and
spite. but because they thought he could LEAD
them to victory. Now there are mutterings AZ
every hand The country papers which nave
generally been so constant In his praise and so
virtuously denunciatory Of all his critics nave
been overtaken by vast silence. TO read theh
you would never know that there was such
thing as politics or such man as Platt. Inc!
cannot defend him; they can only walt IN hopes
that the dissatisfaction will blow over. Inc
almost uniform silence Of these stanch machine
papers Is oninous and in marked contrast 10 the
desperate volubillty OF Platt's local Tammany
organ.
The letter from a Washington County Repub-
lican printed In another column voices a rev
of the questions that are being asked up the
State The county leaders are not Mugwumps;
they did not care cent about electins Seth
Low Mayor; they are not particularly concerned
whether New-York has clean streets or suffers
from a blackmalling police force; but they DO
not wish 20 see the Republican party led to fool
ish and unnecessary defeat
They cannot forgive the Republican leader
ship that elected Democratic Mayors in New
York Albany, Troy. Syracuse, Rochester and
Buffalo.
They have no use for the policy that reduces
the Republican vote In the Assembly by twenty
three.
They want no more such craftsmanship rs
that which abolished the Republican city or
Brooklyn and, after creating the Greater New
York rather than see II ruled by an independent
Republican. turned II over 10 Tammany TO use
as an instrument with which TO subyert Re
rublicansm in the State and Nation.
They cannot understand the wisdom that
drives one hundred and hfty thousand votes
from the party in the Greater New-York and de-
feats the State ticket. nor can they accept
Platt's plea that this resulted from purely local
causes when they see the loss OF one hundred
thousand votes In the rural counties from the
support given 70 Governor Black
They do not how. even from tho point or
view Of tho spokesman. Plat could find advan-
tagc in losing every local office here and subject
ing hundreds OF HE pnrtlsnns In city md county
departments here and in Brooklyn 10 removal
by Tammany unless he was utterly selfish,
cared nothing for his followers. and Ind bar
gain with Tammany for his own personal profit
That sort Of leadership Is not what they Ike.
They are strong partisans and have not suf-
fered so much from machine rule as New-York-
ers and consequently do not object to IT so
much But they believe that leaders should
sacrifice themselves for the party. not sacrifice
the party for themselves.