The record-union., 1899-09-25
THE TWO TICKETS.

A municipal primary election is to be
held tomorrow in this city. It will
be the first conducted here under the
new law. Voters will have the same
protection, privilege and freedom in it,
guaranteed under the law for the con-
duct of regular elections to fill office.
So far as the Republican side of to-
morrow's election is concerned, the
hope had been entertained that it would
be held without any of that warning
assault and backbiting between fac
tions that have so frequently in the
past made inharmony the rule. In
this we are doomed to disappointment,
and that too without any reasons Bile
grounds.
The Republican caucuses were regu-
larly called. Open meetings were pro-
vided and, ample notice given of the
time and place for the assembling Of
party men to select delegates ticket
in each ward to be promoted as the
regular party ticket There was full
opportunity for all Republicans caring
enough to attend to be present, and
take part in these meetings This was,
then. in accordance with time honored
party usage. 1t was the regular and
the only way of naming a ticket of. del
egates for the approaching convention
to meet to nominate candidates for
city offices.
The caucuses thus held never pro-
ceeded upon the presumption that no
other candidates for positions as dele
gates would present On The contrary,
the law is so constructed as 10 invite
the interposition of other tickets. and of
independent candidates for the conven-
tion. But what has developed? On
the very eve of the primary there has
been employed the meanest of all weap-
ons, anonymity. An unsigned circu-
lar has been sent out to Republicans
assaulting and scoring the caucus
chosen candidates, charging them with
being the tools of corrupt bosses, the
in political management and struggle
1t recites that if these openly selected
delegates are chosen, It will mean work
by the convention that will place the
administration of city affairs under the
domination Of two certain political
manipulators and bosses, to the exclu-
sion Of decency from city government;
that the success of the caucus tickets
viii mean uncleanness in city manage
ment, disreputable administration and
the rule Of a corrupt element
Perhaps graver charges could not be
made against any ticket, and it is
therefore well to consider the names
upon the caucus ticket and ascertain
how far there is any reason to believe
that the anonymous circular is based
on truth and that these known
citizens have made themselves sub
jects of barter and sale.
Accompanying the anonymous circu-
lar is a paster containing the names of
candidates for the convention seats
which voters are advised to support
The logical inference is, then, that these
anonymously chosen names represent
precisely the opposite of all charged
against the regular nominees. AS to
the latter are ascribed corruption, in
decency and general evil, the former
must be assumed to be presented as
angels of light, pure as new fallen
snow, and not guilty of so much as a
partisan emotion.
The Righteousness of such a position
is apparent. In another place we print
in parallel columns the two lists, the
openly chosen and the anonymously
and closet selected candidates for con-
vention seats Readers can compare
the two without difficulty. They
viii find a good many names which APP
pear upon both tickets. They will be
able to Judge whether the men on the
regular ticket are of the character rep
resented in the anonymous circular.
They will be able by the simple COM
parison to ascertain whether all good
citizenship is in one list and all disrep-
utable politics in the other
we are very far from saying that the
men on the anonymous ticket are tools