New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-12

rxCovcrnor Black might be thought by some
e. have chosen an inopportunc time for glorify-
ing nolitical realities and sneering al political
ideols PM nobody ever charged Mr.. Black with
lock of courage. and his readiness TO stand by
his friends has been remarked before now.
Therefore 1ho coincidence of his defence OF
..practical politics" with the latest revelation OF
tho results of "practical poticS" under his adj
mInistration may perhaps he less matter Oh
rnhonpv laundering than of courageous choice
Mr. BLACK took office with the determination not
70 LET the worship Of ideals trouble him with It's
,ntolerant clamor and when he sees his success
sor doparting 80 widely from his course and not
merely listening as Mr. Black TOO late came 10
do 10 the worShppcrS of ideals hut actually he
coming n worshippcr of ideals himself it is only
natural that with his characteristic holiness he
sbould proclaim that he is of the old opinion
still.
Mr. Black has a faculty for fatfooted state
mcnts which challenge attention. He displayed
# IN his inaugural address, and later in his
"starchlcss" Civil Service utterances. The same
snrit and the same tongue are revealed in his
Iittle lecture 10 Governor Roosevelt at the West
Side Republican Clubs dinner. in which he de-
nounccd the expansion policy which his sue
cessor delights in and told him TO remember the
politicians. with such expressions a mo party
can endure which forgets its fighters and "a
"dreary future awaits that party which, in the
.hlind worship of ideals. fOrgets the realities
..thot erected lis temples" There is hardly a
bold-ovcr official along the canal bank who Will
NOT say Mr. Black is both right and consistent.
Mr. SNYDER of Horkimcr. who has just been ar
rested on the charge Of making out fraudulent
navrolls against the state, will enthusiastically
onnlaud Every Senator who never himself en-
cages in dirty politics" but hates 10 have
ideals carried TO an imprac'icabe extent In
dealing with faithful party workers who
do will declare this view "Statcsmanlike' and
"ulain American" The Otiice-hOderS who like
their Civil Service without starch and are appre-
hensiye that they may be compelled 10 worship
ideals in making appointments instead Of re-
membering realities and getting the men they
want" put in office. will share in his distrust OF
present party tendencies and agree with him
that il is they who have "sormcd the political
fortrcsses Of New York. and that, though they
ARE married somewhat yet "evcry scar is Il
decoration
Fortunately public opinion concerning these
scars is somewhat different. Too many OF them
do not seem to be The wounds Of honorable bat
lie but the mud Of intrigue and public plumber.
The practical politicians are always pluming
themselves as the persons who win the triumphs
and saving we must not hold them up to the
worship OF 100 high ideals which interfere with
,be realities Of their tcmple-huildng. But IN
fact u * not the practical politician who wins
Victories Certainly ne does something, but his
prIncipal function Is rather TO reap The rewards
and 10 contribute enough 20 the resut-Or pre-
tend to-tO establish his claim. II Is the ideals
that make the Victories. and the politician rarely
does more than get his practical cause hitched
10 some ideal likely to pull II through Does Mr.
Black think that II was the practical politicians
who carried the New-YOrk fortress for Republi
cansnf Not in the least. They might have
hammered till doomsday and Democracy would
have held IT, They did hammer for eleven long
Years in vain. and then an ideal which they did
lot make and did not much believe in carried
the day for them. They came into power be-
cause the people had ideals against stealing
elections, and nobody was more surprised at
Maynards defeat than Mr.. Plat, who at first