New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-22
REPIBLICANfSB AND CITY ELECTIONS

General Tracy made an address at the l-enoN
lycoIup on "Wednesday night in which he de-
clsrcd that il was unnecessary to speak OF ram
many Hall devoted fully twothirds of his time
10 denouncinc Seth Low and his candidacy ana
10 attacking the pon-partisan idea OF muEic-
,nal government declared that this man Oh
whom he thought it necessary to expend most
of his ammunition was Insignificant figure
I'm the contest. and ended up with an appeal to
par,isan feeling and to National issues II there
nrc any Republicans still asking themselves
whether party loyalty ought not to make them
vote for General Tracy. in spite Of local inter
ests and IN spite OF the fact that vote for Gen
tral Tracy is q vote taken away from the only
possible congueror of Tammany let them once
more review Republican principles as laid down
~ time when selfish interests did not make
n local machine false to all its former declara-
tons.
The Republican majority of the Constitutional
Convention Of 1891 sent their work 10 the peo-
pie with an address, which said;
We seek 70 separate In the larger cities munic
ipal elections from the State and National cleo
tons. to the end that the business afairs or our
great municipal corporations may ne manager
uDoD their own merits, uncontrolled by National
and State politics, and to the eEd also. that the
great issues of National and State politics may
he
the disturbing and often demorazing eifects OF
local contests.
The article embOdyinI that intention was
unanimously reported by the Cities Committee
among the Republican members OF which were
Jesse Johnson. chairman: the late John NJ. Fran
els. Tracy C. Becker and Merton l.. Lewis. the
prcsept Republican candidate for Mayor OF
Rochester. The committee said OF this article:
aSd
ton to give the cities OF the state an election
at which nothing but municipal issues are to he
determined. Such constitutional pro'isio,''
vour committee believes, would he very penef-
-ia; 10 cities both In is direct erect and III the
announcement by the people Il the state thai
the government Of great cities Is no longer 10
ba secondary to matters 81! state or Nation
This separation of local and National issues
was commended on the foor Of the convention
by Joseph IL. Choa;e. Tracy {. Becker, John
NJ Francis and Frederick W. Hollis ana I'd
ward Iauterbach, while he feared 1t might hurt
the Republican party in local elections through
the anatby Of the Republican voters. declared
,ha, he should vote for the change with the
idea that this disadvantage would be counter
"baIauced by the fact that perhaps aI good
"ci,izeps will get together ana nominate gOod
"and pure local tickets irrespective or the ma
"c,,iue of either one side or the other. Inc lie
rubIcan State Convention OF 1914 cohiihehueu
the action Of the Constitutional Convention, anu
promised the people municipal home rule. Inc
new Constitution was submitted 10 the people
with Republican Endorsement. and adopted by
a plurality of 1926.
In the autumn of the same year William l..
Strong was nominated for Mayor by the Com
mIttee OF Seventy Oh platform which de-
clared
We demand that the public service OF this city
,e conducted on a strictly non partisan basis;
that all subordinate appointments and promo
tjou1 he based OH Civil Service examinations.
and that all examinations. mental and physical.
Ice placed under the control OF the Civil Service
Commission
We heartily favor the separation Of municipal
from state and National elections. and a larger
measure OF home rule for cities.
we appeal TO the people OF this city to cast
aside party prejudice and to combine with US
In a determined EFFORT to elect candidates chosen
solely with reference to their ability ana integ'