The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-26


was able, on that basis, to carry with
ease all the Republican primaries i'll
New York city and Brooklyn. He sim
ply gave the word, and the voters
obeyed. They would have cbeyed with
equal submissivenass and alacrlty II
instead. Platt chose lis delegates and
is ready for his convention With
bare and open contempt lot often OK
hibited for the supposed rights and
privileges of delegates, Mr.. Platt then
proceeds to select candidate foI the
convention to nominate. There is TO
pretense of freedom ..f action on their
part. There is no hint that the dee
gates have a will of their own, or that
there is anything Cor the convention
to settle except the Endorsement Of
Platt's nominee.
Acting on this weal-gf ounded theory,
the local representative IF The Platt
machine has asked ex-Secretary Tracy
if he would consent tc run. TO his ev-
erlasting shame be it said he has Ge-
clared his Willingness to act IS Platt's
tool and understrapper. This man,
once a cabinet officer OF the United
States, is not ashamed 20 be the chief
instrument in an attempt to turn over
the government of The metropolis Ct
this country to the most corrupt po-
litical combination that our politics
has produced. Personally he is
bound to Platt by business ties.
He is the senior member of a law firm
whose junior member is Platt's son.
Yet he has name and renown enough
to make it a burning disgrace that
he should act the role assigned 70 him.
He knows, as we all know, What
Platt's programme is. re has failed TO
use Seth Low for his purpose. He be
lieves that the combined vote of Tam
many hall and the Plat Republicans
is greater than the indeDandent vote
that will be cast for Low. Between
Platt and Croker an understanding has
always existed, so that either one can
swing the number of votes necessary
from his machine to the otner.
Low is to be beaten. Whether the
benefit is to accrue to Platts men CT
to Crokers men is not revealed, end
is not at all important. In either case
New York will be robbed for the ben
eft of a boss, and the greatest city
in the country will be turned over to
oil 4Io +o
cal politics. This scheme, be it OBJ
served leaves the people altogether
out. They count nothing. They are
supposed to vote-that is, a majority of
them-eXactly as PIatt or Croker tells
them, whether it is for Benjamin F.
Tracy, or Seth Low, or Dick Croker or
the devil. That they will 90 1t appears
quite probable from their cordial &C
ceptance of Platt's order to carry The
primaries against Low. AS far. then,
as the two great political organizations
are concerned in the city Of Greater
New York the citizen has abGittted.
The people have no right and 30 duty
to perform except to do what Platt and
Croker tell them.
Is this American citizenship? Is this
the best product Of Amerlcan ideas
and the American system? Are we 10
settle down to this as the final result
of Americanism, where our institutions
have had room to develop? Is there
manhood enough, is there dec"ncy
enough, is there independence enough,
is there enough reverence for all that
Americans have held dear in the great
city of the East to reasSert American
liberty and conscience and overthrow
the boss? Thus far the outlook is Lot
hopeful. Yet the answer to these CUES
tions will be full of moment for the
American people and for their future.
COMMON SENSE OF STRIKES.
The wiser men among labor lealers
have discovered that strikes are hot
entirely a matter of sentiment, and
that common sense principles regulate
victory and defeat much as in Other
affairs of life. This discovery, which
has been officially voiced by the execu-
tive council of the American Fedora
tion of Labor, was stated more frankly,
even if less formally. during the prog
ress of the coal strike by the secretary
| of one of the great trade unions, in an
| interview, given out for publication,
when things seemed to be going against
| the men. This interview, which con-
| tanned no clap-trap rhetoric, put the
matter in the plainest of English. The
! truth was, the secretary said, that
when labor was engaged ia a conflict
it talked too much and acted too little
: The loss of strikes was due not so nluch
| to courts or to allied capital as to the
! fact that inexperienced men We're pit
ted against trained minds; minds
sharpened in the school of keenest
recognized as the universal law Brains
combined with action would, he argued,
win in labor troubles as in any other
competition.
This view strips labor's cause Cf all
sentiment, but coming from a labor
leader it may be emphasized without
fear of offense. Sentiment alone, in
time, may right the wrongs against
which labor protests. but in any spe-
cific case it is a very poor weapon upon
which to depend. So long as the great
! er business ability is upon the side tf
capital, when capital and labor clash,
Ia nor will he at A DISADVANTAGES In anV