New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-30
SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
THE FACTS WHICH COMMIT THE REPCB-
IICAN PARTY. TO MUNICIPAL NON
PARTISANSIIIP.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
| Sir: AS The Tribune !s wont % clear away
DOUBTS and let ia tho light Of truth TO cbscured
doubtful minds, will you kindly open avenue
for another ray by publishing such extract from
the report of the Constitutional Committee you
urge convicts General Tracy of Inconsistency in the
present contest? And also other point: OF
course. we know Mr.. Low Is not hsh-tarH man,
but was he or not 4 ful-Aedged Mugwump?
Excuse me II add that General Tracy is my per-
T Sola ena and hnrs ne TO read charges Of
~, course. wish TO SEQ Tammany beaten. and
siri lily Republican candidate can hope for, even
/ though So competent a man az General Tracy be
It Is, unfortunate that. NJ. Trays connection
WIN M RATS son and necessarily to some , sX-
iiie later viii d,cae the policy Of General racy.
poses % lat r Pai y CSm lad out any e T by ' the
noe docs no, know tho ex-Secretary. We would
TX to be set right on the points have named and
II you vii take time enough to DO 50 We shall be
@ s2a pc Of Mr. * 60 t o9sa
! New-fork, oct. 2s 1891. {. A NJ
ION September H. 1884, the Constitutional
Convention. on the recommendation OF the
| Cities Committee. presided over by Jesse John
son. who has recently been appointed Justice
Of the Supreme Court by Governor Black and
among the Republican members Of which were
tho late John VI. Francis. Frederick ". Hollis.
and ". f. Lewis. the present Republican candi-
/ date for Mayor Of Rochester, considered this
| amendment TO TIE Constitution:
All elections Of city officers and OF
county officers elected in the counties Of New
/ York and Kings shall be held
! in an odd-numbered year
! Mr. Edward Lauterbach proposed q change
| in the terms Of State officers. 50 as to separate
city and State elections. That was objected to.
and the amendment was carried by n vote OF
/ i01 to 40 among the Republicans voting in the
affirmative being W. D. Dickey. VI. H. Hirsch
berg and Jesse Johnson. all Of whom have since
/ been placed on the Supreme Bench and Edward
! Lauterbach. John f. Parkhurst. Elihu Root.
and c. p Vedder The object Of this amend
ment. stated by the Cities Committee, ito
give the cities an election at which nothing but
municipal issues are 10 be determined. Such
+ a constitutional provision would be- very bene
/ fetal in the announcement that the
/ government of great cities is no longer to be
secondary TO matters Of state or Nation"
on September II. 1891 the Republican State
/ Convention met. Its temporary chairman was
1cmuel T.. Qugg. Among the members OF the
/ Committee on Resolutions were Congressman
Serene T.. Payne. Lieutenant-Govcrnor Timothy
l.. Woodruff. G. ". Bovee. jr, Ernest Hail. ex-
! Speaker Hamilton Fish and state Treasurer
A. b. Covn In its platform the Convention
said: we recognize the wisdom OF the Con-
stItutlonal Convention in dealing with the i'm
portant and needed revision and amendments
Of the Constitution - the state, and commend
the action thus far taken by that Convention
- Tho favorable consideration Of the people
II also declared I'VE pledge to the people
among other things. municipal home
rule
AZ the close ~ The Constitutional Convention.
on September 30 lN9i the Republicans Of the
Convention issued an address saying.
W. seek to separate in the larger cities munic-
ipal elections from the State and National
/ elections % the eld that the business affairs
/ 81 Our great municipal corporations may be
by National and state politics
Thus commended to the people by these em-
non, Republicans and by state Convention.
tho amendments were adopted by a majority
II S2G95
on October = 1874. the Republican County
Convention. under N" leadership ~ W. NJ
K Olcott tho present Republican candidate for
Distric,-Attorncy. tho late George Bliss. Abra-
ham Gruhcr and {. H. T Coils accepted this
platform.
We demand that the public service Of this
CITY be conducted IN n strictly non partisan
basis W. appeal 20 IN" people Of this city
20 cas-, aside party prelude" AMI 70 combine
with NJ OBJ determined c1ori 20 elect candi-
dates chosen solely with reference 10 their
ability an! integrity. and pledged II conduct
The ayairs 81 this city on a strictly non-p arti-
san basis. and who Will a. far as may be In
their power inSur" t"'i government > U'
city OF New York
These are the official declarations Il the Re-
publican party IN state and city They have
not been rescindcd or reversed. Moreover Cen
eral Tracy himself in an address 20 the Legis-
laturc on February IS 1884, declared that in
the administration 81 a city the common In
forests ~ the citizenship NJ tho place are moro
fundamental than party divisions and on
Anril 10 1884, h. said 10 Governor Black: Seth
Low IL the greatest authority on the admins
rration 81 municipal affairs IN the United
States" Sow he Is asking Republicans 10
make party divisions fundamental. to vote
AGAINST This greatest authority on municipal
affairs. and be disoyal to their state and city
platforms.
As for Mr. Lows Republlcanism It was good
onough for him To be- named "A charter Com
,,iasioncr hv Governor Morton and lead THE
Xew-York Sun" To class him "a a Republican.
II was good enough 70 lead The Republican
organization 20 ask him 10 be an officer at Re-
publican meetings last year. II was good
enough 10 lead him to take the stump for Nc
Kney.
The fact IS as we understand IT, that Mr..
Low is not a free trader. but Il pellcNcr IN
moderate protection. In lNSS h. differed with
the majority Of his party as To the direction
or the revision about - take pla'e. He thought
the schedules shoIld be lower rather IMAM
higher
Many mon who remained In the organization
agreed with him. James =. blame III ho'
o,,irelv opprove Of the policy adopted. Mr.
Ioy,s difference at that time was one OF degree
moi az Kind He IS A Nugvump in the sense
that Elhu Root Joseph II. Choate and every
o,bcr man who sometimes dissents from the
:, ndcnci.s Of his party ~ "A Muewump IN the
ewes OF the boss" who wants all partisans 10
be unthinking slaves