New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-15
SECRETARY BLISSS LETTER.

The amability Of our distinguished fellow
townsman, the Hon. Cornelius y. Bliss, Secre-
tary Of the Interior, has always been recognized
as one Of his most admirable qualities Like
other good men. he Is occasionally caught IN
mood of asperty but he IS quick TO forgive and
forget Thus when he ascertained last sum-
mer that Lemuel Ely Quigg had decided to take
him out Of the Presidents Cabinet for the pur-
pose of making him the Republican candidate
for Mayor OF New-York Mr.. Bliss with consld-
cradle warmth Of feeling and expression desired
TO know when he had authorized Mr.. Quisg TO
sever his connection with the National Admin
;stration. But those who knew Mr.. Bliss best
did not believe that he would cherish any last
ing resentment on account Of his young adj
mirers previousness. but confidently expected
that In due time he would intermit his official
duties at Washington long enough TO supply
Mr.. Oulgg's second choice for Mayor with a
letter Of recommendation The letter was forth
coming on Tuesday, and on Wednesday night
General Tracy had the satisfaction of reading
II aloud from the stage Of the Windsor Theatre,
in the Bowcry.
It is only proper to say that Mr.. Bliss's recon-
mendation is not perfunctory, but quite decisive
and whole souled; q sufficient proof OF which
is found in his comparison Of the present situa-
ton TO what would have been II the Union
Army had taken to its heels after the battle OF
Gettysburg and left the Confederate Army
free road to Washington. And his benevolence
is all the more notable because In this instance
he had to make an almost extravagant use Of
the faculty Of forgetting and forgiving, for
which he Is so Justly famous. He had to for
get for example. that the Republican machine
Of which General Tracy Is the nominee owes It's
power to an enrolment which Mr.. Bliss, as a
member of the Committee OF Twenty-Five, de-
cared to be "rotten to n degree never before
paralleled in the history Of the party" in conse
o,ience of which 'the entire party structure Is
tainted and unworthy Of confidence and sup
sport" He had to forget also his own I'M
falterIng adherence to the platform Of the Com
mittee of Seventy on which Mayor Strong was
elected and which contained these declarations:
Municipal politics should be entirely divorced
"from party politics. and from selfish personal
N"ambitlon or gain. The economical honest and
"businessllke management Of municipal affairs
"has nothing to do with questions of National
"or State politics." Looking thus somewhat
closely into the origin and meaning Of things,
Mr.. Bliss might. furthermore, have been par
doned IL he had not forgotten that somewhat
less than two years ago Mr.. Thomas G.. Plat, in
one Of the familiar addresses to the public
which enlivened that period, referring by name
to Mr. Bliss and others who were then endeavor-
Ing to purify the sources of political power,
poured contempt upon them after the following
fashion: "The men who have worked them
SELVES into this boiling humor are one after
"anothcr the same identical malcOntents who
shave at all times during the last ten or fifteen
"years been willing to ruin the Republican party
III they could not rule it, And If Mr. Bliss
had remembered this description OF himself he
would probably have remembered also that on
the following day he expressed himself as fol-
lows concerning the author Of 1t:
Mr. Plat has been an exponent of the rule
or ruin policy ever since l have known him. He
bolted from Garfield. from Arthur. from Conk-
ling and from Harrison. and finally from the