The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-20
A Foolish Republican Move.

New York state will undoubtedly go
Democratic" next fall The Republican
legislature in special session. has just
passed an election bill affecting the city
of New York, ostensibly in the interest
of purity of the ballot box, in reality to
secure offices for horde of Republi-
cans who shall supervise the elections.
The police of New York have hitherto
discharged this duty. under regulations
so strict and eXacting that fair-minded
citizens generally, whether they were
pleased with the election results or not,
wasted no criticism upon the execution
of the election law.
Greater New York said last fall that
it preferred Van Wyck for mayor and
the return to power Of the Democratic
party. 1t gave Van Wyck $4,000 plu-
rality, and notified him to go ahead
and do the best he could under the
charter that had been framed and
thrust upon the city by a Republican
Legislature. That charter continued the
practice, prevalent for years on Man
haitian island. of fixing upon the po-
lice board the responsibility for select
ing election officers from the Republi-
can and Democratic organizations
supervising the elections and collecting
the election returns. This practice was
devised years ago by the Republican
organization, when such men as Ros-
coe Conkling, Chester A. Arthur, A. B.
Cornell and Col. George w. Bliss were
its leaders and made it formidable in
the city, state and nation.
1t suddenly occurred to Gov. Black
Lou Payn and some of their Republi-
can following in the country that a
change was necessary in the election
methods of New York. A special ses-
sion of the legislature passed the law,
and Republican superintendent of
elections was appointed This action
was taken against the protest of New
Workers generally. 1t savored too much
of return to the methods of Johnny
Davenport in marshaling federal OFF,
GERS and arresting, maltreating and
bulldoZing voters. 1t was such meth
DDS that kept New York city in the
Democratic column for years. This new
force bill' will keep it there for years
to come 1t is resented by the intel
ligence of the city, regardless of po-
litical affiliations
One would think that the Republican
machine had enough Of a load to car
ry through the fall campaign in the
fact that some millions Of dollars were
misapplied and wasted in making canal
improvements, by Republican officials
and their subordinates, without solicit
ing the resentment Of that great body
of voters below the Harlem. But the
Republicans have been made mad, and
their destruction is only a matter of a
few months. In this same Greater New
York the Democratic candidate for the
appellate court received a plurality Of
al 900 over his Republican opponent. In
the state his plurality was $4,000. A
Lamont, a Parker, a Herrick, Bel
mont, or any other sound Democrat
can carry the state next fall against
any gubernatorial candidate whom the
Republicans place in the field.
The drift is again in the direction of
the Democracy. The same conserva-
paign which marked that of the Demo-
cratic campaign in Greater New York
last fall cannot fail to produce salts
factory results. The domineering spirit
which characterized the old radical
party of the war is again manifest, the
imperialists are in the saddle, and they
are riding to a fall. New York Is a
resolute and right. This is the year
for them to be right and resolute. The
voters will do the rest.