New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-02
LOST BY PLATT'S WORK.
REPUBLICAN VOTES IN THE ASSEMBLY
REDUCED FROM 1O3 TO 81.


TO THE VOTERS WISHES.
Albany Dec. / (SpecaD-No feature OF the
recent election has more impressed politicians
than the loss OF votes in the Assembly suffered
by the Republican party. With an apportion-
ment Of the 40 seats much in its favor never
theless it lost % votes. having its party repre-
sentation reduced from 103 to 81.
In this statement Frederick a. Robbins. indie
pendent Republican, elected in 1896. and FRANCIS
F. Laimbeer and William c. Cottle, Independent
Republicans. elected in 1891 are placed IN the
Republican column for their respective years
Moreover John A. Weekes jr, who has ciasseu
himself as Republican. was Citizens
Union candidate and therefore Is an opponent
of all machine" measures. The straight he-
publican vote in the Assembly Of 1898, there
fore. will be only IS. and. considering the at
titude Of Henry w. HILL Of Erie County, WHO
fought the Plat bills the present year. ana tha'
Of several other Republicans Of similar teh7
denotes, there is no Republican majority "ha'-
ever for the passage Of any pernlcious iessia
tion which Senator Plat may favor
THE Republican majority is small" say Ne
publican leaders here. is L possioie '"a' ~
will be still further endangered by coh'ihu-
snce Of a policy Of legislation and of party man.
asement. dictated by Mr.. Platt. which has been
.o disastrous? With United States Senator
"a .,ect next wear. Will the upstate Republicans
permit Mr. Plat to meke war upon every ihoe-
PENDENT thinking Republican; to interfere mere
and there all over the State with Repupllcah
affairs to pass legislation hateful TO majority
81 Republican voters to domineer over poltlcaI
conventions and In a word. to make 1t impossi-
Bile to elect Republican Legislature ana Ike
publican successor to Senator Murphy?
TANNING THE CHARTER THROUGH
Senator Platt's conduct in canning the
Greater New-York charter through the Legls-
lature In the face Of the protest or Mayor o'lons
Of New-York and Mayor Wurster or hrooA'yh
WAS resented more bitterly IN that ne,shoor-
hood than elsewhere in the State. and mere the
losses Of the Republican party were the great
est In the Assembly Of 1897 there was rep
resentation Of thirteen Republicans from New
York: in that Of 1895 there Will be only TWO He-
nubl,cans from New-York connected with Mr..
Platt's organization. and two Citizens Union
Eenubl,.ans. In the persons Of Mr.. Lamoeer
and Mr. Weekes. The county OF Kings sent
fourteen Republicans to the Assembly OF 1871;
there will be only six Repuohcans 'roin '""'
county in the Assembly Of 1898
1ben there were losses in other countless three
IN westchester. one in Clinton one In Cortland
two in Erie one in Greene. one in Monroe two
IN Niagara, one in Orange. one IN Queens. one
IN Richmond. one in Rocklend. one in Science
tady and one in Ulster. In not one county m
the State did the Republican party gain an AS
semblyman Mr. Platts lclicy caused losses
everywhere.
PLArTs WORK IN wEsTCHEsTER
westchester County is a representative ex-
ample Of the consequences OF Mr.. Platts policy
No{r ~
communities everywhere about the State and
seeking to stamp out any manifestation OF IN
dependence among Republicans. The county OF
Westchester under the lead Of ex-Judge WILL
lam H. Robertson had long been one OF the
leading anti-Platt counties. For many years.
also Judge Robertson had honoraby repre-
sented the Congress district Of which the county
forms the chief part In the Republican State
Committee. Mr.. Plat went into the county
and. with patronage. attempted to defeat the
reelection Of Mr. Robertson as a member OF the
committee. He carried ono Assembly district
at the election Of delegates to the Republican
State Convention In 1895. but was beaten in the
others This did not matter. however. to Mr..
Platt His lieutenant In Westchester County.
Benjamin L. Fairchild. promptly contested an
Assembly district he had failed to carry, and
the Republican State Committee. under Mr.
Platts direction. made tho Robertson delegates
from this contested lid Assembly District fight
for their seats Mr.. Plat also set up a Com
nnittee Contested Seats Of the usual style
composed Of puppets Of his own.
The case Of Judge Robertson's delegates how
ever. was good that even as stout machine
man and friend Of Mr.. Plat Louis F. Payn
declined to vote to exclude them from the con-
vention. Mr.. Payn was member Of the Com
(NveAo tiols onl
Robertson delegates. One other member Of the
Committee Credentials voted with him. but
the remainder Of the committee voted 70 ex-
Credentials had the effect Of robbng Judge
Of his seat In the Republican State
Committee.
RUMP CONVENTION AND ITS CANDIDATE
But this did not end Mr.. Platt's attempt to
budoze the Republicans Of Westchester County
Congress convention was held shortly after
ward Mr.. Plat sought to nominate Benjamin
l.. Fairchild. The Republican voters OF the dis
trct preferred William l.. Ward and nominated
him. Mr.. Plat held rump convention and
nominated Fairchild. Then he sought by the
precedent set by the Republican State Con-
vention to induce the courts to put Farchlds
name on the blanket ballot the regular"
candidate Judge Edwards, Of the Supreme
Court. defeated this game by ordering that Mr.
Wards name should go in the Republican col
amn Of the blanket ballot The counsel Of Fair
child. who. Of course was Benjamin r. Tracy
appealed to the Court Of Appeals from the Ed
wards decision. but before the Court Of Appeals
could act the election took place Falrch!ld.
however. got his name the blanket ballot by
certificate. There was therefore a fair test Of
the popularity Of Farchild and Ward with the
Republican voters. Ward received 90. 700 votes;
Fairchild only 10
Benjamin F. Tracy boldly stated before the
Court Of Appeals in his argument that he only