The sun., 1898-01-03
A Victim to Vanity and Malignity.

WHrTELAw REID is engaged In an effort
to embroil the Republican party In this
State in bitter fight Of factions which
shall continue until the election Of next
year and cause Republican defeat.
His purpose in 30 doing 10 to revenge
disappointed vanity. He wants q high
Office under President MCKINLEY, and his
present vicious hostility to the Republican
organization In this State is due solely to
its refusal to aid him In his vile and vain
Intriguing for the place.
Because of this vanity he has accomplished
the virtual destruction Of the NetO York
Tribune. That paper had no reason for ex-
istence save as an organ OF the Republican
party. loyal and faithful and regular. Be-
cause of its earlier history 1t retained under
his editorship some of the Republicans Of
the older generation, who clung to It be-
cause Of it's Republican traditions. They
took it as a matter Of duty and In grate-
full remembrance Of its past services to their
party. To the younger generation Of Re-
publicans, however, the Tribune Is almost
unknown. When, for instance, Mr.. BoURKE
COCHRAN referred to 1t satirically in the
course of his memorable speech in the last
campaign, the utter Indifference of his
great audience to the subject was striking.
They knew nothing about the Tribune
and cared nothing about It. Probably there
were not score of men in the whole of that
vast assemblage Of enthusiastic Republi-
cans who ever read the Tribune or gave 1t q
thought.
The same Is true Of New York generally.
The Tribune Is no longer read by Republi-
cans, and its dulness and feebleness make It
intolcrable for Mugv jumps also. Even Re-
publicans Of the older generation, who had
felt It q sort of pious duty to support the
paper as a party organ. were released from
all such sense of obligation by it's course
during the late campaign. The Tribune hav-
ing become q malignant enemy of the Re-
publican party, they cast it out all the more
Indignantly, because they had endured so
long the pain of reading 1t at a sacrifice Of
time and sympathy.
Practically, the Tribune has passed out
Of the field Of Republican journalism, and.
there being none other possible to 1t, there
remains only q semblance of life to the
paper. It continues to be published, and
that is about all. AS an influence In poll
tics 1t is dead beyond tho chance Of resur-
rection, and, conscious Of that indispu-
table fact, WHITELAw REID, In his hope
lessness, is using 1t more and more to grati-
fy his malignity against the Republican
party because of his disappointed craving
for Office. This he can do with some show
of producing an impression, since, trifling
as the regular circulation of the daily Trib-
une has become, it is still sent in exchange
to numbers of other newspapers, whose
editors constitute the bulk of It's present
readers. His aim is to excite Republican
papers to revolt against their party and to
get the aid of Democratic and MuRwump
papers in stirring up the intestine strife.
Republicans, however, need feel no alarm
because Of this malignity Of WHITELAw
REID. 1t will continue. for there is no pos
sibility of his getting the Office he is after;
but he has no following beyond few spite
full spirits like himself, and, therefore, is
powerless to make much mischief. No Re-
publican who aspires to consequence in his
party, or who seeks to obtain Its confidence,
will risk his reputation by assocIating him.
self in any manner with this vengeful and
repudiated Office seeker, crazy to cover the
plush breeches lately wrung from the Ad.
ministration'a good nature with tho digni.
fed frock coat Of statesman.