The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-15
FalSehOod and Calumny to
the Factionists in Repub-
lican Ranks
IN EXPLANATION OF DEFEAT.
His Opinion of Low and the
Citizens Union Fairly
BliSterS the Paper.

NEW YORK. Nov. 14-Senator
Thomas c. Platt tonight gave out the
following statement:
1T is the plain purpose of those Re-
publican factionists who, failing in
every effort repeatedly made to con-
troll the Republican organization, pro-
jected Seth Low into the municipal
campaign, thereby dividing the anti
Tammany vote to force into the public
mind the impression that the respon-
s1bility for this division attached not
to them, but to the Republican organi-
zation. And just as during the cam
paign they stopped at no act of treach-
cry in order to create dissension, so now
they are hesitating at no falsehood nor
calumny in order to promote it and
keep 1t alive.
THE malicious Misrepresentation Of
these incurable factionists must not so
unchallenged. No fair-minded Repub-
lican. who will look back over the
events Of the last six months. can fail
to remember that the attitude of the
Republican organization up to the very
last moment at which the law permit
ted nominating certificate to be filed,
a
union with the citizens organization.
Fair-minded men will remember that
when Mr.. Quigg assumed the presi-
dency of the county committee he made
the offer of union distinctly and i'm
terms. They will remember that his
offer was as distinctly refused by those
to whom 1t was addressed. They will
| remember indeed, that when the Citf-
platform which was intended to com
INIT It's members to the go it alone
| policy
This platform denied the relation OF
national political party to municipal
affairs. 1t challenged the right of the
Republican party to make Republi-
can nomination. 1t placed upon the doc
trine of -partisanship new inter-
probation, and one which forbade the
possibility of cooperation between the
Republican party and the Citizens
Union.
This was done, we must remember
away back in the spring, and before
the average citizen had begun to con-
slider what his political course should
be. Nobody paid any attention at the
time, for nobody supposed it would
mean that the citizens were going de-
liberately to work
TO DEFEAT THEMSELVES.
or that they could obtain a candidate
who would stand with them in such a
suicidal policy.
THE Republican leaders, however.
who had had long experience both Of
the impractical political theorists who
had devised this folly and OF the Re-
publican factiOnists who were expected
N re-
canoe and the perilous situation to
which it was bound to lead 1t antci-
pated everything which the Republican
party would do to secure a union, and
repudiated all in advance. 1t demand
ed the unconditional surrender of the
Republican party, not simply to OBJ
jectionable candidates, but to impos-
sible platforms. 1t demanded that the
Republican party must say that in
municipal affairs it would not allow
itself to be the Republican party, and
would assert no right to make nomina-
tions or define policies
1.-The Republican leaders met the in
solent challenge without bitterness
and resentment They found no fault
with the candidate whom the Cit-
zens' Union picked out as the express
sion of its purpose and ideas. They
do not now deny that they regard him
as practically the sort of a man he
has turned out to be-a vainglOriOus
elf-seeker, masquerading as a Repub-
lican, but willing at any time to wreck
the Republican ship on a ledge Of his
own ambitions. The Republican lead
ers do not deny that they were then
opposed to the candidacy of Seth Low,
but they allowed their opposition to
take no definite or irritating shape
They simply insisted that the Repubi-
can party did have just and inevita-
BILE relation to municipal affairs; that
it did have the right to nominate and
it must exercise that right that the
views and wishes Of its adherents We're
entitled to consideration, and that
there ought to be q union between the
citizens organization and the Republi-
can party, but that it ought to be an
honorably, friendly, equitable union,
under the terms of which both should
have a voice In choosing candidates
and in defining policies.
This was the exact state Of things
UP to the time when the Republican
county committee adopted Commis-
sioner Coils resolution inviting all
anti-Tammany organizations into
conference in order that a day might
be fixed when they sFoud all hold their
nominating conventions so that ready
conference and harmonious action
might be assured. The
CITIZENS UNION REFUSED
to participate in this conference, frank
ly assigning as its reason the fact that
it was committed to the 'go-italone'
policy. Can any honest man, in the
face of that fact charge the RESPONSE
bility for disunon upon the Republ
can party. Does not every honest man
know that if the Citizens union had
gone into the proposed conference unit
ed action would have been fneYita bile?
Is it not plain enough that the Repub-
licans could not possibly have broken
up, or have allowed to have broken up,
a conference which they themselves
had originated?
1.-THE Republican organization In New
York. no less than in the country dis
tricts, is still powerful, earnest and1
devoted Tn the menace OF another
Bryanite campaign factional contro-
versies will soon be forgotten and Re-
publicans will be Republicans"