The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-11
THE REID-MILHoLLAND PLOT
Its Motive ChaErin and Revenge and Its Object
Republican DIsorEa nIEation.


To THE EDITOR OF THE sUN-Sir: Allow me to In
quire why those gentlemen who recently led the re-
volt and defeat of the Republican party in New York
and the State. and who claim TO be organizing an in.
dependent Republican party in opposition TO the regu.
lar preexisting organization, which has had an un.
broken aud successful existence since its formation
nearly half a century ago. do not take at once the
shorter. moro direct, manly. and sure course of going
over openly to the Bryan Democracy. They certainly
cannot hope to gain ascendancy for q new party in
the State or nation or in a single Assembly or Con-
Eress district in the State. The only effect tho
Milholland. Brook Reid party can have will DO to
aid 10 to ! free silver Populistic Democracy in more
easily winning victories by diverting voters claiming
to be Republicans from the regular to the irregular
Republican organization. Perhaps there are a few
misguided Republican voters who would throw away
their votes as they did in an attempt to elect Seth
Low Mayor. yet who, II the alternative were placed
before them OF voting with the regular Republican
organization or the Bryan Democracy would choose
the former. But IL may be q part of this scheme to
hold such voters from possible Republican support, lest
II there be no third ticket in the neld they should cast
them for the regular organization.
Experience has proved that third parties arc hard
to organize, and still more dinicult Of maintenance
and success. The Republican party has never had q
revolt against its organization beyond q great city. or
possibly some other local political division. The or
ganization has stood for principles, not men. Our po-
ltical faith has undergone but few changes. and those
incident to changed conditions. and they have all
been made inside the party lines. It's well known
and understood that the recent attempt in the Greater
New York election. whose renewal and extension to
othar districts have been feebly threatened. did not
arise from any change in the party platform snunci-
ated at st. Louis in 1895. upon which 1t won the most
important victory in its history. but was purely of q
personal character, due to hostility to certain men who
had helped TO organize the party and had labored in
season and out OF season TO maintain it through good
and avil ranort until a hacama n cnntrolItpo rarfv On
the nation. Without . murmur against its platform
of principles from any paper or individual that sup
ported Mckinley and Black. with their unparalleled
majorities. we ind pseudo Republicans sound
ing the bell OF alarm, demanding Q reorganization,
or rather o disunifying, disintegrating hostile Re-
publican organization. without assigning q single
rational reason for It. They started their revolt with
Querulous complaints concerning personal matters
in which the country at large has not the slightest In.
terest. To speak plainly. because these leaders of
faction and revolt have run mad from o disappointed
ambition for additional favors and public honors, all
OF which have been received by men at least equally