The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-01
TIE DnEADFUE oITIsBws' UNIoN.
a Dismal Crowd or Narrovv-sairaea ana BiEot-
Cd ana nrenry Upstnrts.

of the Citizens Union, declining the lnVltaJOn
to confer with the Republican organization,
gives an interesting revelation of tho nnimus
and purpose OF the Low movement 1t is OF
some Importance, also, because, manifostly, 1t
could not have been written without consulta.
ton with Mr.. Low himself, and hence under his
inspiration.
This letter, therefore. may be taken as the
official declaration OF the "principlo" Of which
Mr.. Low aspires to pose as the representative.
Loyalty to the principles Of the Union" says
his spokesman, to the voters who have author
lied us to express their preferences for tho
first Mayor of tho Greater New York, and
to the candidate whom they have chosen,
renders II impossible for the Union to &C
ccpt the invitation" why Why is 1t impos-
sible for them to join In q conference to deter
mine il Mr.. Low is a "unifying force" and
therefore eligible for nomination under the con-
dition he laid down on the 9Th of June last as
an absolute prerequisite to his accepting III
Because 1.-THE Union. having been organized
for the express purpose Of carrying into effect
the principles embodied in the constitutional
provision separating local from State and ma
tional elections, and OF securing home rule for
the citizens Of New York, cannot combine with
parties representing State and national issues
In the nomination of candidates chosen because
OF their party utilization and necessarily under
obligation to the party which they represent"
That means that the Citizens Union has or
ganized itself as a distinct municipal party In
opposition to tho national parties, which hither-
to have existed alone In this republic from its
very foundation. 1t 10 q kindergarten attempt
at a political revolution, which would overturn
our whole party government as it now is and rs
1t has been always. In this republic, 1t is
hardly necessary for me to say, our po-
litical parties arc made by national issues
only. Their distinguishing political doctrine
Is determined for them by national conventions
representative OF the whole Union, and by it
alone are they bound together. The party or
CARNATIONS in the separate States and in the
political subdivisions OF the States may declare
specific local policies. but their political individ-
uality is determined by their national policies.
They simply apply In the States the general
principles which make them national parties,
and have no character INDEPENDENT of that
fixed upon them by their national conventions.
The same political machinery used by them in
Federal elections is put to service in State and
local elections, and thus by the subordinate
elections the parties are held together and kept
In discipline for the great national contests, for
which they are organized primarily.
How is 1t going TO be possible to exclude State
and national issues from local elections, accord
ing to the Citizens Union principlei In the
very election with reference to which more es-
pecially 1t was self-created, our Greater New
York election on the Cd ofnext November. State
issues will be foremost under the compulsion of
the very Constitution by which that concern says
they are expressly excluded. At that election the
Assembly is to be chosen, and the nominations
for it will be made by the great national parties,
and no ticket on the official ballot will be com.
plete for the voter unless It contains his party's
candidates for the Assembly. The Citi.
Zens' Union, of course, cannot nominate can
| dilatpa for the Aaaarh1y without rip1otinr cha
principles which prevent its comforting with
any national or State party. 1t must stop
with its municipal ticket, and therefore
cannot give the citizen the full ticket he re-
quires in order to discharge his whole duty as
an elector. He must. %perforce. vote q national
party's ticket for the Assembly or not vote at
all for his Assem- blyman.
The talk about home rule" is the merest cant.
Home rule is already secured for this commu-
nifty by the charter OF the Greater New York,
framed and unanimously reported by a non.
partisan commission. and passed by a Republi.
can Legislature. The coming election cannot
affect in any way the measure of home rule
for New York. That is fixed and determined,
and 1t can be in no wise changed. abridged, or
extended, whichever party wins at the election.
National issues will enter in as they enter into
every election. and will determine strictly the
vote Of the great mass Of the citizens. 1t is only
SO s"S u - hdllOlai party anu
issue that Tammany will have any strength in
the campaign. Take away its character as the
local representative Of the Democratic party and
nothing remains to 1t; 1t could not poll a vote
which would be anywhere except in the "scat
tering" category. Every intelligent voter
knows that the election will be of infinitely more
Importance than a mere municipal contest. Its
consequences will reach out to the national pol
icy which is to govern this whole republic after
| nnn a-l 400 - L~.l l. -,
Democratic parties 1t has a significance far be.
yond that which the narrow minds Of the Citi.
zens' Union give it.
II the principles Of that concern had prevailed
In this republic from the beginning there would
have been no great American republic. Ma,
tional parties and national issues, ever fore
most and ever inspiring, have engendercd and
kept alive the national sentiment without which
national existence would have been impossible. Il
the policy of this short-sightcd Citizens Unlon
had been followed, American politics would
have been provincial and not national. and in
stead OF great parties extending In their homo
gcneity Of principle throughout the Union. we
should have Ind innumerable petty and loca,
and parochial parties fatal to the unity essen
tial to national sentiment and existence.
1t may seem like breaking a fly on a wheel fol-
Inc to deal thus seriously with the kindergarten
politics generated in Rainsford's st. George,
" uiiu III Law . fantastic l University SET
Element, OF which this man Reynolds is tho chic
cook and bottle washer; but the vicious princi
ple invented and patented by the superficial Cit
liens Union has affected some young minds ant
has thus done mischief. There is no sound sub
stance in 1t. What reason is there for supposinl
that its petty special party would afford better
material for practical municipal Government
, than is furnished by n great national party en-
listing the minds and hearts of tho most earnes
and most capable members of tho community
What is this Citizens Union, anyway, ant
what right has it TO the support and conhdenc,
= Of anybody in its attempt to ovcrturn our estab
lished American system of party government
1t began for this campaign with n self
appointed Committee of Organization
Z Of 80 men. OF these, only a yer,
l small part. and they. generally. the mos
insignificant of tho number, have man
aged the concern wholly and in their own way
They all belong to substantially the same socia
circle. breathing the same social atmosphere