New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-18
HURT BY THEIR OWN LAW.
EFFECT OF THE REPUBLICAN MEASURE
AGAINST INDEPENDENT
NOMINATIONS.


NOMINATIONS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: On May 9. 1896. you printed letter
from me calling attention to the proposeu
election law then pending. and stil unsigned
by Governor Morton. That letter pointed OUT
that the object OF the proposed law was TO
r,oka ,raenendent nominations for State Of
fees practically impossible in future by rea"''-
ing the sworn signatures OF fifty electors III
every county Of the State. in order TO MAKE
INCH nominations, and II predicted that II the
Mill became a law the Republican party "hicn
was responsible for H. having then overwheim-
ing control OF the Legislature. would De the
first TO suffer by II.
Governor Morton signed the BILL notwith-
standing private circumstances, IN WHICH no
effect was explained TO him Has the Preuio
ton as TO its effect been fulfilled or ho''
leave you to Judge .
on the very first occasion on which any "
dependent nomination was attempted ~ "
made for a State Office II was so Clearly io'
the interest Of the Republican party III u'i'e
State that the nomination should be haoe '"''
the Republican State Committee mace oe'p'
Ate efforts first to induce MI Adams 'he p'"
posed nominee for Judge OF the court Vi ny
reo1s 70 secure his own nomination IN &C
h,s refusing 10 do so, to make that nomination oS
their own efforts Republican omceholuei' "
every county OF the State were stirred up u
rroorra the necessary petitions from each OF
,he e,xtv counties with nifty names OF electors
attached thereto Nevertheless the efrort lalieu'
With annie means at their command po'h III
money and in organization. IT was fouho I'M
,o.s,r,a -or the Republican State Commit'eo
"a secure the signatures IN proper FORM vi my
electors in each county
In the next place, the Citizens union 'A1' OIL
tnoependent ticket for local orces IN inc "e''
organized city Of NewYork A very iaiee nix"
,o,,v q. those who supported this ticket were
Republicans Of the most orthodox type Ihe'
were perfectly willing 70 vote FOR Judge war
lace for the Court Of Appeals ana II any oeoe"'
law had been in force by which voters ioi 'iie
citizens Union ticket could have had an OPP
t,on TO vote either for Judge wallace OF 'uuee
pa-b.r at the head Of their ticket without
searching for his name on some other part u
IRE ballot there can be no doubt that hunoreo
.ho,,sora =, not more OF the one hundred and
fifty thousand voters FOR Setn 10" "ou'u nav
voted for Judge Wallace.
But for the interference Of the new law 'he
C,t,zens Union ticket might have occupied two
co,umn. on the official ballot. one headed by
Judee Wallace and the other by Judge Parker
md every voter for Seth Low would have also
voted for one or the other OF these Judges
Rut the insane passion for regularity and
hatred OF independence had made this impos-
sible The result was, as everybody no"
knows that eighty thousand Republicans VINO
voted for Seth Low did not take the troupe
IN search all over the ballot for the name OF
Judge Wallace. who was Identified solely with
the candidature Of General Tracy. But. as the
National Democrats had separate column. on
which the names Of Judge Parker and Seth
Low both appeared. almost every Democrat
who voted for Seth Low also voted for Judge
Parker and the latter was not injured to the
extent of even five thousand votes by the Re
publican election law. which was devised for
the very purpose of securing Republican con-
troll
As Judge Wallace was defeated by sixty thou
sand majority, il is obvious on the face Of the
returns that in spite Of the tremendous Re
publican defections OF 1897 ne would have been
elected by fifteen thousand twenty thousand
majority # it had not been for the ingenious
election law devised by his exceedingly shrewd
and INSCRIPTIONS political hackers.
Something Of the same kind is In store for the
Republican party in this State in the next fall
election. There VIII certainly be one or more
Independent State tickets in the fall campaign.
The requirement OF fifty voters to each county
on certificate Of nomination may perhaps
Republican organization. but II IT does the
disaffected Republican vote Will go directly over
TO the Democratic candidate. each vote count
ing for two against the regular Republican
ticket. instead Of for one, IL would II cast
only FOR independent. But what is more
probable is that an Independent ticket will be
nominated In spite OF the difficulties created
by the election law. and II this should be the
result. Il is obvious that this would carry the
organization OF the party into every
county in the State with far greater loss 10
the regular Republican ticket than would en-
sue from an organization confined TO those
sections IN which dissatisfaction is already out
spoken.
The Republican party during the last three
years has in many States passed what are
known Anti Fusion laws" for the avowed
purpose Of making independence in politics inn
poss bic. The result Of these laws is already
visible in the almost universal fusion OF Demo
Gratis and Populists upon single ticket and
in the approaching elections these very laws will
contribute to the general disaster which is about
to overtake the Republican party all over the
country. In Ohio. where the Republicans set
the example Of this kind Of trckery. they have
already discovered their mistake and a bill has
Just passed the Ohio Senate repeating the Anti
Fusion la and restoring liberty Of action VIII
the Legislature of New-York while it still has
bare Republican majority. take warning by
the lessons Of 1897. and abandon the effort 10
abolish independence in politics?
THOMAS G. SHEARMAN
New-York. Feb 10. 1895.