New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-24
TIRE T4INT or REPU BLICAN StPPORi.

cere and ardent advocate of honest government.
His past services entitlc him TO gratitude ana
his opinions to respect. But his views or the
coming campaign seem 10 bc unfortunately col
Orcd by the dellIsiOn that angels can register
and vote and that the support Of mere mundane
beings should not be sought by an ideal candi-
date In an address TO the National Democrats
on Tuesday evening he criticised the Citizens
Union for not having rushed ahead with Its
nomination regardless of political organizations,
and criticised Mr.. Low for waiting assurance
that he is a unfying force That position. ac-
cordng to Mr.. Shepard. means that he Will
run If, in addition TO the nomination or the
Citizens Union. he Is also nominated by the
"Repubcan organizations of New-York and
Brooklyn. but not Otherwise Mr.. Shepard
continued:
Many here hoped that his candidacy. or
candidacy like his might he definitely and pos
itively made and accepted from the Citizens
standpoint. leaving the National political or
ganizatons TO accept or reject. but not leaving
IL to them TO prevent. II they pleased. he can
ddacy. Had this been President Lows posi-
ton. think the Republican organization would
have been under greater pressure than IL Is
now to accept his candidacy. But there would
have been risk. And that risk. which President
Low has. with much reason. considered TO be
a greater risk of injury to good government
than himself he and those acting with him
have not been willing to take. That l regret.
| sec plainly enough that nomination which
will not be accepted unless the Republican or
ganZation approve has annexed to II condi-
ton most difficult for Democrats 10 accept, ana
especially Democrats feeling as most Democrats
In NewYork State now do
Now. we can readily comprehend Mr.. Shep-
ards belief that silver and tariff should be
eliminated from the municipal discussion. We
can understand his objection to the Republican
National policy. We can symrahizc with his
dislike of the forces which have worked at Al
bany TO block various reforms which interest
him. We believe with him that good municipal
government Is the supreme issue OF this cam
paign But we fail TO see how any candidacy
can be advisable or in the interests of good
government which ignores the possibility OF
election Roughly speaking, the Republican or
ganization casts about 40 per cent of the vote
of the new city. That figure includes not the
people Of Republican eanings or the inf"pen-
dents who form the balance Of power, BIZ, the
solid body which stands by the organization
through thick and thin. which votes for the reg
uar nominee, whether he is Seth Low or Abe
Gruber. 1t may be granted that there Is no
hope Of antiTammany success without indie
PENDENT support, but it is also true that there
is no hope of such success without this or
eanization vote This may be unfortunate. but
it Is nevertheless a fact. Perhaps our affairs
should be in such condition that we could ig
more those citizens who always vote as their
party convention tells them to vote. Perhaps
the organization leaders ought to be hghmind
ed enough TO dsband for the campaign, con-
cede that municipal government Is no concern
Of theirs. and open the field for go-as-yon-
please election TO Mr.. Shepard's liking. But the
simple fact remains that the organization VIII
do no such thing and there is no use in chasing
rainbOws.
Mr.. Shepard admits that for Mr.. Low to have
rushed in. without regard TO the Republicans,
would have been risky, might even have been
seriously dangerous To good government. YET,
he SAYS. he regrets that Mr.. Low has not been
willing TO take that risk. Wbyf Because the
Republican organizations approval OF Mr.. Low
would make 1t difficult for Democrats TO vote
for him And this from rcforlner who wants
q non-partsau campaign, does not object to
silver man If he have experience and ability TO
be a good Mayor. asks nothing but the chance 10
vote for an uncXceptionable candidate. ana
says at Is difficult to imagine nomination
"more Legitimate. or sensible or patriotic than
that of Seth Low" Then having decided that
Seth Low admirable as he Is. is dangerously
tainted by the possibility OF a Republican nomi-
nation. he proceeds 10 speak hopefully of union
with Tammany and Mclaughlin to promote po-
ltical purity. 1--WE shall rejoice If we are able
"this fall to cooperate with our Democratic
"brethren Of Oihc" organizations We shall re-
"joce II they, forgetting not only the aniln0sl-
tiles of the past, but forgetting also every p'ir-
pose except the honest, competent government
"of Greater New York, will seek their true and
"only political advantage I'm such an admins
tratOn."
Mr.. Shepard is perfectly honest and high
minded In all this. strange as it may seem We
honor him for his devotion TO the principles
which he Identifies with Democracy, and his
desire 10 relabitate his party, and we under
stand the difficulty which he has in afiatins
with Republicans whose policy Is distasteful to
him. Yet he ought TO understand that for him
to talk of Democratic union for good govern
ment. and complain of the Citizens Union for
holding out a friendly hand to the only posi-
bic organization they can work with IN nope
of success. is 10 give some reason for the sneers
of the practical politician that the reformer Is
an irreconcable crank. For Advocates OF per-
sona as distinguished from party. government
10 pick out Il candidate on the score of personal
fitness and then complain because people they
do not like threaten TO follow their suggestion
and help elect the man they want is enough to
puzzle the unregcncratc who believe the way
to run campaign is TO win votes Luckily the
Citizens Union does not appear 10 be controlled
Ny the idea that the votes Of wicked men AMI
the support of imperfect organizations are in
compatible with political virtue