New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-22
LOW or T1UN1NY?

The result of the Republican primaries on
Monday night was no surprise 10 The intelligent
observer of current political events. 1t was the
logical sequel Of last winters proceedings i'll 'he
Legislature. The men who controlled the Legs
lature damned through the Greater New-l orK
charter in the confident belief that through theiT
control Of the Republican organization OF thiS
county they would be able to nominate ana eject
the municipal ticket and gain possession OF 'he
enormous patronage Of the greater city. Their
confidence was based. first, upon their hrin hoiu
Of the Republican machine, which they were
sure nothing could loose; second, upon the d.
vided and distracted condition Of the Democracy
and third. upon the assumption that the great
unorganized mass Of voters opposed to ram
many rule would be driven by the rear OF that
organizations reganng ascendancy TO the sup
port Of Republican candidates as cholcc OF
evils. if for no other reason. But they managed
badly The agitation for an independent CHI
Zens' movement on the lines of non-partlSan-
ship. to which the constitutional provision sepa-
rating municipal from State and National eec-
tons clearly pointed began at once. 1t was
angrily and bitterly resented by the Repubiican
leaders The then president of the Republican
County Committee, Mr.. Edward Lauterbach, IN
stead of waiting to see what might come OF H.
or advising such conservative action on the part
of Republicans as would disarm the movement
and put the Republican party Itself in such n
position as to command the support OF voters
who might otherwise be attracted TO the Cltl-
zens' party blurted out his resentment In terms
so bitter and uncompromisng as to make any
unity of action thereafter almost impossible
Better" said Mr.. Lauterbach, better far
that there should be placed in power true
Democrat, even a Tammany Hall Democrat,
than that we should aid to elect to that state
"of power and place man Of no party, whose
administration Is responsible to no party and
"who has no party at his back" This from the
ttular head Of the executive body Of the Re
publican organization whose fundamental pr!n-
ciple is hostility to Tammany Democracy! For
this sort Of service to the party his associates
in the committee presented him With $50 pieces
of silver, Mr.. Quigg doing the honors with GUS
tomary eloquence. Mr.. Quigg succeeded him in
office, and, after a brief Interval Of becoming
silence which gave some hope Of the exercise OF
sounder Judgment and wiser discretion, took up
his predecessors policy, repeating his express
sions Of hostility to the Citizens movement and
widening still further the breach between two
political bodies that ought to be acting in har-
mony There was no mistaking the attitude Of
the Republican organization toward the Citi-
zens Union, judged by the utterances OF the
former and present president, to which no voice
was raised in dissent. The talk about overtures
being rejected and Republican invitations TO n
conference being spurned is frivolous. With
what grace could overtures be made TO n body
Of voters opposed TO Tammany after the proc
lamation of the leader that Tammany Demo
crat would be far better than any candidate
these citizens could name? Was the Citizens
Union far wrong in suspectng under such cir
cumstances that the conference to which It was
invited covered n confidence game?
This was the state Of affairs when the Repub-
lican primaries met on Monday night. The re-
suit was precisely what was expected There
was hardly show of opposition anywhere to
the plans agreed upon by the leaders. Indeed,
the leaders, with their perfect control Of the
machinery, had taken effective measures to pre-
vent any. So now the Republican leadership
which damned through the charter has
reached point where the alternative so square
ly set forth by Mr.. Lauterbach presents itself.
1t has to choose between Republican NOM
mated by the Citizens Union and Tammany
Democrat for that, as everybody sees, IS what
"A straight Republican ticket will mean The
responsibility Of making the choice Is with the
Republican leaders. They will have full swing
in the convention, and can do as they please
almost without opposition. 1t is not a question
whom they will nominate. Whoever he may
be he will be defeated. The question is simply,
Low or Tammany? Lauterbach has already
said Tammany. Quigg appears to be of the
same mind. Are the New-YOrk City Repul-
| leans as body ready to take that step and 90
out Of business as an anti-Tammany organZa-
| ton?