The age-herald., 1898-02-25
REPUBLICANS
 ARE IN DOUBT Don't Know Which Way to Turn on the
 War Question. THE NEW YORK DEMOCRATS
Ire Making No Demonstration in Favor
 of Hostile Action.
WAR NOW WOULD BE DISASTROUS
If Successful There Would Be No Silver or Tariff Issue in Coming Election Voters Would
 Rally Around the Flag.
Special to The Age-HeraId.

New York Feb. A-War talk in the metropolis has taken a sudden and sharp political turn, as the danger of real war seems to grow more remote. Politicians believe that there is much political capital to be made out of a fight or a good strong bluff.
 The republican leaders in this city real ize that the party has a hard fight ahead all over the country in the fall elections, and will probably lose the lower house of congress unless something happens to turn the tide in their favor Would war with Spain save the republican party from defeat at the polls in November? That Is the question the leaders are ask ing each other, and most of them answer in the affirmative.
 War or no war, the republicans in this city are agreed that if the administration allows another Spanish insult to pass without prompt and heroic action the party is doomed. One of the local leaders, who is deeply interested in the situation, said today: Unless Mckinley does something pretty soon there won't be enough repub- licans in the next house of representatives to have minority representation on all the committees. We'll lose every state election and go down under a perfect tidal wave of disgust"
 War Scare Bad Thing
 The general impression among repub- licans is that the war scare is a bad thing for the party, coming just at this time, and places the president and his advisers in an awkward situation. These politi- clans are afraid of the spirit of patriotism that has suddenly developed all over the country. At the same time the conserva- tive ones agree that if the administration should plunge the country into war there might come reaction which would prove disastrous'to the party. They say that the president is now in a position where he'll be damned if he does and be damned if he don't. The politicians of the party are anxious to find some way out of the situ- ation that will be credtable to the ad- ministration while avoiding actual war. At the same time many old and conserva- tive republicans say that if war does come the party will sweep the country on the issue in November.
 The democratic leaders who have studied the situation are unable to see how that party can gain anything by a war. The party orators in congress have talked for free Cuba and urged the administration on to the verge of war. Now if war comes the party is pledged, so the leaders say, to support any war measure suggested by the president Then whatever political gain there was in the struggle would go to the republicans.
 democratic member of congress from this city puts the situation this way: "lf there is a war we have got to support the president without regard to party lines. If the war should last until the fall elec-
 
 tons there would be no silver issue and no . tariff issue. It would be case of rally around the flag in every congressional dis trict in the country, and the administra- tion would be sustained by an overwhelm- ing republican majority. successful war with Spain would mean republican congress for another four years at least, and the reelection of Mckinley in 1900 by 100000 plurality'
 It is significant that no democratic club or organization in this city has adopted any warlke resolution since the Maine dis aster The party leaders in the state do not want war at this time, because they belive it would mean the defeat of the party at the polls next fall.
 To Bring About Unity
 The republicans in the state legislature are planning to pass a bill that is osten- sbly intended to bring together the two factions of the party in this city, but in reality it is intended to be a>solar plexus blow at the Tammany hall organization. The bill in question Is one to regulate the holding of primary elections. and as draft ed it is mandatory in its provisions, and applies to all parties. If it become law the regular election officers appointed to serve at city, state or national election must conduct all primary elections held until their successors are appointed. It also provides that regular party primaries when held must have boxes open in every election district, and that every qualified voter or the party must nave dInple tifne and opportunity to cast his vote if he de- sires. The penalties for violation of the regular election laws are to be applied to violations of the primary law, and provi- sion is made for a secret ballot at pri- maries. S.f
 This seems fair enough, but it would put an end to the present system of Tammany primaries, and turn that organization up- side down next January. Tammany has no record of enrolled voters, and its annual primaries, so called, provide one ballot box fin each assembly district. The hours for primaries are to o'clock in the evening. As there are 5000 democratic voters in some of the assembly districts it is evil dent that 7,5OO of them have no show to vote in a Tammany primary. Tammany is a close corporation, and does not want any opposition tickets at its primary elections. where a few local leaders and hunchmen get together and vote the ticket prepared in advance by the district leader. It is the same way at an assembly district conven- tion The leader has named all the dele gates, he presents the ticket to be voted for there and his delegates vote as they