New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-10

Mr. Plat Is hard put 10 1t to excuse himself
TO Republican voters up the State for turning
over the government Of this city to Tammany.
He has been driven to profess his willingness TO
have co-oparated with independents, and his as
sertion Is met with the record that as early as
April Is Mr.. Lauterbach declared for a Tam
many Mayor in preference TO a non-partisan
Mayor and Mr. Platt followed this up on May
with sneers at all reformers and notice that 1.-The
Republican vote is not 10 be enlisted In any
more non-partisan enterprises" He has been
driven to say that the vote up the State was
entirely satisfactory, and the falsty OF this as
serton is proved by the fact that the upstate
plurality for Judge Wallace was 101 ,631 smaller
than that given 10 Governor Black, and 56,563
less than that given to General Palmer in 1885,
He is also driven TO claim that his opposition
to Mr.. Low was based on desire to preserve
the Republican party, and to spread the notion
that Mr.. Low, as Mayor Of Brooklyn, worked III
to the party. In his post-election interview he
said: There Is one calamity worse than the
success Of the Democratic party in the city Of
"New- York, and that Is its success In the State
land Nation. Mr.. Low, as Mayor Of Brooklyn,
had already defeated one candidate for Presi-
"dent. He did it by destroying the Republican
Organization, no less than by his personal
"treachery TO the candidate"
In view Of that statement-all Of 1t mslead-
ing and part Of 1t fase-t is interesting to see
what the election returns show Of Mr. Lows in
huence on the fortunes OF the party at large
In 1880 General Hancock carried Brooklyn for
the Democrats by S,267 plurality. In 1881 Mr.
Low carried 1t for the Republicans by 4,354 and
drew enough independent Democrats to the sup
port Of the rest Of the ticket to cut down the
Democratic plurality for Secretary OF State to
$685. The next year Mr.. Low worked voted and
contributed money for Folger. Cleveland car
ried Brooklyn by about $1,000, but that was due
to the tidal wave which swept the whole coun-
try elected Ben Butler in Massachusetts, and
defeated Folger by 1872, 900. Mr.. Low had no
more TO do with that than did Mr.. Plat. who
was Just then in deep retirement In 1883 Mr..
Low was reelected by 1852 plurality, and in
stead Of his candidacy breaking up the party it
left the party strong enough to carry Brooklyn
for General Carr at the same election by 800.
The next year Mr. Blaine lost Brooklyn by
some 1900. That was due to a great party
revolt which was not confined to Brooklyn or
TO New-York State Mr.. Low voted for Blaine,
and when Mr.. Platt was driven to charge him
with personal treachery" in that campaign he
told what is simply and plainly lie, which had
been time and again refuted before he uttered
H. Mr.. Low. when running the year before. had
pledged himself not TO use the influence Of the
Mayors Office 10 help any candidates, and he
simply kept his word like an honest man. In
1885 the Democrats carried Brooklyn for Hin by
about 5000. and elected Whitney Mayor. The
latter calamity was due entirely to the machine
Republicans. who might have secured a nom
partisan Mayor and gained many Democratic
votes for Davenport, just as Plat this year
might have elected Low and gained thousands
Of supporters for Wallace and his county tickets.
Instead Of continuing non-partsan city govern
ment, the machine men antagonized the indie
pendents, refused to name a candidate to suit
them, put up Mr.. Schroeder. who refused to
run and said he favored combination on Gen.
eral Woodward, and then substituted General
Catlin-since a prominent Mclaughlin Demo
crat-rather than follow Mr. Schroeder's advice
The result was that they threw the election to
Whitney, who had less votes than the Repub.