New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-09
OBJECTIONS FROM THE MAIL


.o,,r LESSONS DRAWN AS TO THE VALUE OF
rzr RECENT REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
-. .,s Editor Of The Tribune.
S,r. noticed IN your issue OF this morning your
80, OF the observation OF Senator Brush on
iep'- letting OF ,9l votes "all In bunch IN the
tne Republican convention. But are there not
-. considera lions even more important. I'M
"acb,ne the significance OF the convention as
Yresenting the attitude OF any considerable
-'.rohe- Of Republicans enrolled IN the regular
organizauonf .
-. MAYER cast @ ballot for a Presidential eiector
:. candidate for State Office VITO was net on
~. Republican ticket. and who. Of course, voted
los, wear and In previous years the ticket, Ma
,,onaI State and municipal. complete. the real
,,s,gniacance In the aspect mentioned OF tho
late convention and G. the primaries held IN New
york City on September 20 to elect delegates there
>, seems OF an Importance scarcely to me to be
oyerestlnated
The lack Of significance must be apparent, II IN
many districts where voting for delegates actually
took place the number voting was very small reia-
lively TO the whole number enrolled Further, II
there wa. In many places n erort-by omission TO
civ. ro,ce of the places OF holding the primaries
"a sxc,ude from participation enrolled Republicans
susnec,ed Of entertaining preference Tor MT
Tow al In fact whose willingness TO follow the
suggestions Of the leaders and allow them 10 cast
their votes was doubted. and thus 10 predeermne
the result al ali hazards. the lack OF significance
~ the result; is overwhelmingly clear. In my own
district the XVIIIth Assembly District, l was
che Of the district officers al the time OF the enrol
rent last surlmer-not myself enrolling. however
because my name had been for many years on the
list Getting no notice OF the primary Itself. be-
gan a search for II at about the time understood
n was 10 OPEN and by $50 o'clock or shortly there
o,,er succeeded by the aid OF one two sugges-
tons in running It down'-hndins 1t in rear
room. the hall leading to 1t opening into Third
ave. saloon.
When / entered there was obviously some con-
,uso. especially when said had received no
notica had found tie place only at'er considerable
searching, and wondered what IL al meant. was
shown a list apparently In one handwriting. said TO
BE- OF those who had voted. and containing merely
names without addresses: l vas also SHOWN the
eMncAosoo Beng Suspicious as to what inien
sinn might have been as to notification concluded
wons he thai the Urinary had bu; little representa-
tive significance; and, remaTkihs maj "0u,o .ios
linen ,a S se;%een $50 and no one coming In
supposi;ion is that no others Ola come ana tha' lAe
n D e9' deS % TIE men 1oed in Ii.
M appeared and voted - On 9na sG b, any ehTod
Republican who could have been suspected OF de-
sl5Ins 3, M Where 0M the pfmary would be held
shifted from the place at which ne enroment was
started on my search. and where was told by the
tailor himself that his efforts 10 prevail on those
having the matter In charge 10 use MS shop lot the
primary had proved unavail.ng. .,
l received the next morning, postal card mott.
fying me where the primary would be hed: Dut u
was postmarked 1890 p M, september ~, I%-JIst
three and a half hours later taan me the ioi
which the primary was cal ed May we not tnere mere,
fore conclude that the passing OF resolutions such
as the convention adopted. repudiat!ng Republican
municipal principles that had been as e!nphaticaiy
and authoriiatlyely declared as any for which the
party stands made possible By this fact or
Insgnihcance Of representation? Is II conceivaple
that any really represen tatve convention or the
party would have utterly set at defiance all pre-,
ytously declared tenets-tenets which the second
Low campaign In Brooklyn was fought; on which
we fought that Of 1894 and that OF 1895 IN New
York; sanctioned by the provision OF the funda-
mental law of he State adopted by Constitu-
tional Convention in majority Republican, provid-
ing for the separation Of municipal from State and
National elections?
And what is the present duty Of a Republican
and does not believe that all its lofty declarations
were mere sound and fury. sgnifving nothing? Is
Il 10 support candidates who represent these here
tofore unqCestioned tenets, or 10 aid those VINO
10 repudiate them? Is IL the more loyal to repu-
data the principles or TO repudiste the repudiators
OF them? And should this abjvration Of principles
be treated innocent diversion permissible ior
those who may have Interior personal enc. IN
view or should the punis hment be and sStft?
De TocQueville said OF MachiavelN. es quoted by
ACTIONS are Indifferent In themselves and must be
3Itgea by the skill and the success they exhibit
For him the world Is a great arena from which
God Is absent where conscience has nothing 20 DO
as best he can" 1t IL question pertinent In the
present situation in this metropolis whether the
rank and file the masses. OF our great party. are
ready permit the practical Application OF an
equally siscredted philosophy IN the msnssfffsnmpen'
30 Ia East Eighteenth-st New-York, Oct 6. isJ7.