New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-15
&C tn INDIVIDUALS"

rho ponublicon situation In this State IS
oosuv summed I'D and can be briefly stated
90 Far os Plat. the Master, and Quigg the
Nom aro concerned These two are not strug-
cling 70 unity the party. If they were ana
.ro IN earnest about il, nothing could be easier
All they would have TO do would be to step
down and out. They know as everybody else
docs that as their clustering and pompous SELF
assertion In the late disastrous campaign WAS
tbe cause Of the defeat Of the party. SO their
perslstency in holding control olshohesus oo
tanned. which they have not the grace 10 SUI
render nor the wit successfully 10 Weld Is 'no
cause and source Of It's continual DIVISION lh'o
factions Is self-effacenlent so great sacrihce
when the end to be attained Is or such para
mount importance? II ought not TO De- Inc!
whose self-assertion brought disaster should De
the first 10 see IN self effacement an opportunity
for some slight atonement to the party 'ney
have injured and the only assurance the! can
give that, so far as they are concerned IL shhii
incur no risk Of repeating the experience Vuss
In his latest deliverance says he Is lncllneu ~
'believe that a large element OF the exisuns
"opposition Is making war not IN support ol
"any principle Of organization but simply
"aga,nst individuals" He Is quite right. Ana
he. IL anybody, ought to know who the lnui-
viduals" are He is as dead right IN DIS sus-
pcion as the transformer was VINO REMARKED
when an egg of great age fell on his cheek, that
tho audience seemed disposed TO exceed the
hounds Of legitimate dramatic criticism ana
indulge IN expressions of personal ill-wili.
Now that II has dawned upon Qulgg's intell-
ronoa that the opposition TO Plat and himself
MS leaders Of the P.-Q. Rump IS mot IN support
"of any principle Of organization out Simply
"oooinst Individuals" he will perhaps see the
utter futility Of propositions on his part 10 make
NOW enrolment. throw open the primaries.
change the constitution. or do any or the lhih8s
he has been so diligently working up ana turn
his attention to the real source or rouOle-tha'
e tho Ind,y,duals" Plat and Quigg. the Pc.
p They need vindlcation. In the case OK
Platt. Republicans throughout the State are
saving that one Of two things must De true:
Either he was sufficiently familiar with the po-
ltical situation to know when he Jammed
through the Greater New-York charter that
the election Of a straight Republican was I'M
possible and, by insisting upon such noinina-
ton and refusing to coalesce with the Cluzehs
Union, deliberately and purposely threw the
| city into the hands Of Tammany; or ne WAS
| grossly ignorant Of existing conditions, ana IN
! mere self-assertion with blind and reckless Oh
stnacy, he jammed that measure through 10
defiance Of the warnings OF Republicans OF
clearer intelligence and wiser forecast mat IS
Platt's dilemma. BE either knew what he was
about, and was guilty OF premeditated treach-
! cry. or he did not know what he was about ana
with blind, pigheaded obstnacy led the party
| to disgraceful defeat. In either case ne must
| he condemned as knave or fool.
In the case Of Quigg the dilemma IS the same.
II Ougg knew when, Immediately upon oelng
nut in place by Plat, he began abusing and
| blackcuarding Seth Low and his supporters, as
we'll over his own name in interviews as through
the columns Of the disreputable organ or the
P-O R., that he was making Impossible an
alliance that was absolutely necessary in order
to defeat Tammany. and was thereby doing all
he could 10 promote Tammany's success be-
cause. as he and Iauterbach had publicly said,
the success Of Tammany Democrat was TO
be preferred TO that Of any experimentation
Ouigg was playing false with his party, and
has forfeited its confidence. He has no more
claim TO the position Of president OF the Repub-
lIcan County Committee than Tom" Grady or
Paddy" Diver. II he didn't know the effect
OF what he was doing, he doesn't know enough
10 lead apything-not even cow TO water. IL
he knew anything at all about the political Sit
uatlon IN this city when he was jumping up and
down in peck measure and asseverating that
General Tracy was already elected. he must
have known that he was trying to deceive the
public and cracking ridiculous falsehoods al
every Jump. That sort Of person cannot BE-
trusted as a political leader And IT, after al
his opportunities for getting the facts and learn
ing the truth he didn't know that he was talk
ing wrd and rredeemable nonsense that de
celved no one. II IS not too much to say thai
lack Of commOn-sense units him for any re
: sponsible position. village lyceum cOuldn'
afford TO let that sort Of person monkey Will
) its management.
No. Quigg has hit 1t at last; It isn't 'an!
principle Of organization" that is making thu
! trouble. 1t is "indviduals" And Plat anC
Qugg are the individuals" Everybody know
! It, They know IT, The party has done every
thing for them. Why can't they now do some
thing for the party by Just stepping down ant
: out?