New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-20
THE MACHINE DILEMMA.

The Republican County Committee has re-
fused to pay any attention 10 the protest OF
IoveII IT Jerome against the violation or the
Marty constitution in the holding Of primaries
IN districts which are suspended from repre-
sentotion by the uneQuivocal words OF that IN
strument. Mr. Jerome. an enrolled member OF
the organization and entitled to representation
in II. protested against having his voice over
horne nv men who had no standing In the or
qonizatjon according to its own laws. He
chose 10 protest district where there had
been no change Of boundaries. and therefore the
only excuse the Organization Committee had
for not disqualifying almost every district AS
sociation could not be pleaded. and the machine
vos forced to fall back on childish pettifoggng
about this not being general election in the
face of the fact that II II was not general
election" then under the State Constitution no
Chief Judge was elected. That district has
an enrolment OF 1856, and cast only 125 votes
for Judge Wallace. Consequently it is barred
from representation in any convention. Yet. IN
spite of the protest the association held its
primary, and in spite Of the protest the County
Committee refuses to shut it out Of the Assem-
blv District Convention. The reason given for
this refusal is so lame and ridiculous as TO be-
plain violation Of the party constitution can only
be justified by fouting the State Constitution.
The machine exhibits Itself as absolutely and
stubbornly committed to the perpetuation OF It
self by violation OF law II makes hollow
mockery Of all It's talk OF harmony and reform
It is not acting blndly or failing to obey the
| constitution because It Is hard 10 obey, but with
| open eyes and set purpose It refuses TO do right
| in a perfectly plain case concerning which there
can be no uncertainty. The constitution Is ex-
| plict and Mr. Jerome gave ample proofs that
| it was b, ing disobeyed. To ignore his protest
was to declare that the machine meant to pro-
tect fraud and illegality, would not consider any
question judlcaly. but would go on ruthlessly
| to trample on Republican voters and violate the
rights guaranteed TO them by the party con-
stituton, under which alone the machine lead
ers exercise authority.
Thus Mr.. Qugg confesses that he does not
seek to represent the Republican party and IN
official position carry out It's Will according to
law. He announces that he is above the con-
stitutiOn, and can and Will defy It. He assumes
that the State Committee considers him the
party and everybody else slaves, and that It
will hold him 10 no accountability for his official
conduct. If he can thus refuse to obey the con-
stitution he can equally well. II II suits the pur-
pose OF the machine violate It IN any other way.
He can refuse 10 hold conventions, he can name
all the ca didates, he can appoint the County
Committee, he can be an absolute despot The
constitution Is everything or 1t IS nothing. He
cannot be above 1t and subject to Il. II he IS
above It there is no party, there Is only Quigg.
And yet 1t is hard TO see what he can do but
violate the constitution unless he Is really will
ing TO eliminate himself from the situation. II
he obeys It he abolishes his machine altogether,
and has TO concede the necessity Of an entirely
new organization In which he would be power
less. He cannot heed Mr. Jerome's protest
without opening the way for a hundred others
and the utter breakdown Of his whole fabric
He Is In a dilemma Either horn Is equally
fatal. II he obeys he abdcates. If he disobeys
he keeps the semblance Of machine but II
Is an Irregular and Illegal body which no State
Convention can recognize without announcing
to the world that a political leader IS an abso-
lutte monarch and that all talk about representa-
ton and organization Is lie. SO low is the
P-Q. machine brought that at last It Is forced
to parade Itself a political freebooter and outlaw