New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-28
.DEAD OPEN AND SHUT.


ca, "Naster" and Man have put their neaos
together and decided what they VIII 10 neAI
with what is left to them OF the late hepuoiicdn
organization This is the way 'heir oie'A
puts it: ~
Senator Platt and Representative Quigg; aI,sI
,,.anpne "a All the arguments Of their friends
yesterday decided that at the coming prlMaiies
Of the Republican party In New fork CouH'y
the doors should be thrown VIDE open " oil
Republicans.
See? Plat and Ouigg have decided They
listened 10 "the arguments Of their friends" to
be sure, but it was Plat and Quigg VINO De
cidod" And what they decided" was that not
only those who recognize Plat as Master OF
the State" and Quigg as the Unit Of the or
ganzation should hereafter be permitted to take
mart in the councils of the party, but that "the
"doors should be thrown wide open to all Ke-
"publicans." Indeed? And who pray. invested
Platt and Quigg with the authority either to
close the doors of Republican primaries against
env Republican voter in the first place, or to
throw them open subsequently to all as an act
Of generosity or gracious concession! Are the
100000 Republicans. more or less. in the county
denendent upon the will and pleasure of Plat
and Ouigg for the privilege Of taking part In
their own primaries? Is 1T by grace OF Platt
and Oulgg that they are allowed voice and vote
in the selection of their own candidates and
the conduct Of their own campaigns? That this
"a the fixed conviction Of these two persons
themselves is quite evident from the calmly
authoritative manner In which their decision is
announced Supplementing the announcement,
Mr. Platt saws: 81 am in favor of the most lib
"eral policy and the broadest course, and Mr..
"Ouigg fully comedies with my ideas l would
axish that the strongest emphasis be put on
amv remarks." II Is the Master who speaks.
snesks with the consciousness Of mastery, de-
ferring to no one, and only including his man
On,ep AS a coincidence. Give this the strong
est emphasisw Not since the Grand Monarch's
az am the State" has there been a more auto
cratic utterance.
But what concession it is, to be sure! What
an alluring invitation. little more than two
months ago. by this mans orders, his creatures
IN control of the machinery OF his organization
were directing all their energies to guarding the
doors and keeping out all Republicans who
might be suspected Of a disposition TO DO their
own thinking and 10 act independently or the
will Of the master" No Republican was want
cd In the enrolment or AT the primaries VINO
would not consent TO be cipher to Mr.. Quigg 5
Unit Their chief solicltude was lest some Re-
nublican should get in who did not think as
Plat and Quigg thought: who would not let
Platt make his opinions and Quigg cast his
vote. They succeeded. There was not ripple
of discord in their convention. The Master
was cheered uproariously as he sat and looked
down on 1t from aloft. Quigg cast his whole
191 votes as Unit with dull thud Then the
voters at the polls threw down the candidate
and the whole superstructure with another dull
thud. Platt lapsed into silence. and Quigg fed
away to catch his breath and pull himself to-
gether Then came the Platt-Qugg statement
The game Of shutting the doors had failed igno-
m,niously. So now the two have put their heads
together to decide" what they will do with
what is left of their organization, and have de
cided" to throw the doors wide open.
It's an old. old game. And It won't work
The inventor OF it-prototype Of Platt and Quige
was wont 10 catch his victim alone and at q
disadvantage and address him thus: MY young
friend, you're at my mercy. Fortunately fol
you, I'm square man and no thief. ] dc
sometimes gamble. I can tell you how 10 picl
'up money in the street and how to avoid throw
"ing 1t in the fire. 1 am about to give you ar
opportunity 20 double your pile 1 will put
INV hand behind me and you will bet hall
your pile on whether 1t Is open or shut" Il
the victim bet that 1t was shut the operator
showed it to him open, and raked down thu
stakes Then he said: That was hard luck
"But you shall have another chance. will nov
put my hand behind me and you can bet thu