The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-12
A Lesson for All Republicans.

A Lesson for All Republicans.
Even some Republican newspapers in
different parts of the Union are mourn
fully attributing the political overturn in
New York to the wickedness and blunder.
ing incapacity Of the Republican ina
chine" and more especially Mr.. PLATT.
They reach the conclusion accordingly that
the obvious and impressive lesson of the
election is that the party in New York
needs reorganization"
The Republican organization during the
late campaign, however. is not at all
chargeable| with the result 30 Justly de-
plored.' No faithful and intelligent party
organization in any part of the Union
could have done differently, and nowhere
could a party have escaped defeat in the
face of such a deliberately planned and
concerted effort within its own ranks to
overthrow it. The plot syas not merely to
defeat Gen. TRACY in this city, but also
Judge WALLACE in the State, and in both
cases 1t was easily successful.
Nothing was more evident from the first
than that the only chance of Republican
success in this city lay in keeping the party
together on the great issue which drew to
its assistance enough outside votes to carry
this Democratic stronghold last year. That
was the effort of the Republican organiza-
ton, and Of Mr.. PLAT, its leader, from the
time of the election of Mr.. MCKINLEY. The
Citizens Union was organized to defeat it
by efacing the Republican party and it's
issues in the municipal campaign, some
of the most active spirits in that movement
being animated, first of all, by bitter hatred
of the Republican party. They were deter.
mined that as a party it should not obtain
control of the government of the Greater
New York. and they succeeded in accom-
plishing their purpose, with the aid of
Republican treachery.
They went ahead and nominated Mr..
Low of their WI motion and on their
own account solely, refusing peremptorily
to confer On the subject of candidates
with the Republicans. Representatives of
the Citizens Union declared openly and
frequently that they did not want Repub.
lican help; hat it would only handi-
cap them in the race; and their loudcst
newspaper organs kept up that cry. In
doubtedly, too, they had reason for avoid.
ing association with the Republicans, as
subsequent events proved. MI. Z. NJ.
SHEPARD, the leader of a Democratic fac
ton in Brooklyn, held aloof from the Low
movement for the ayowed reason that he
feared that it would be allied with Republi-
canism, and only when 1t was demonstrated
that MI. Low was to run in opposition
to the Republican party did he join in 1t.
The Mugwumps also insisted that If the
Republicans were let in at all they should be
relegated to a subordinate position and their
distinct party issue should be ciphered out
of the campaign completely. At first, even
the NeW York Tribune pretended to resent
this attempt to efface the party it subse.
quently betrayed because the Republican
organization would not retire at the COM
mand of it's enemies.
If, therefore, tho Republican organiza-
tion had stultihcd itself by s~urrendcring to
the Citizens Union, Mr.. Low would have
lost a very large part of tho vote he ro-
"eiyed actually from Democrats and Mug
wumps who followed him simply because
he was making mischief for the Republi-
can party, SO bitterly hated by them.
Neither could the Republicans themselves
have been held together for Mr.. Low on
his non-partisanship platform. The strict
faieiooio ~ hlhhc uP IN 6iCto pulh OL
their aggressive strength would have felt
relieved from party obligations, and the
campaign would Immediately have lost in.
terest for thcin.
1t is questionable, Therefore, II Mr.. Low
did not receive ms largo a vote as he would
awe got II tho Republican organization
had allowed him to be forced on it as n can.
didate. BY making the issues of the cGn.
vass municipal only and non-partisap, he
gave the field to Tammany, as every in.
telligent student OF New York political
sentiment understood must be the case
If the Republican party should be seri-
ously divided by him. ANY candidate
representing, as he did, substantially the
same theory as hat on which the Strong
administration was elected was bound
TO be defeated. On the record of Mayor
STRONG Tammany was sure of success, and
accordingly Mr.. CROKER and Mr.. SIBERIAN
adroitly and a~ssiduously made that the
issue, to the apparent exclusion Of Bryan
ism, pure and simple. Hence they gave all
the assistance In their power to the swell
ing of the Low petition. They wanted him
nominated as q means Of dividing the Re-