New-York tribune., 1900-08-30
QUESTION OF FORGIVENESS.

With magnanimity commensurate with the
| completeness OF his triumph over Senator
| Platts attempt to isolate" him, Mr.. Gruber
| sings to T. c. P. I'VE forgive you for the blum
der" He can afford TO be forgiving. and to In
vte Mr.. Austin to walk to the State Convention
in his triumphal procession. In the hour of
victory 1t is natural for him to hold forth the
olive branch But he ought to be too clever a
politician, TO Judge from his works, to drop his
weapons and hold forth the branch in both
hands He may forgive, but it is scarcely pos
sible that Mr.. Platt will forgive, even if he is
forced by circumstances to recognize Mr.. Cru
her as the regular leader of the XX1st Assem-
bly, District Mr. Gruber has trodden on too
many of Mr.. Platt's pet corns for that.
In the first place. it was unkind of Mr.. Cru
Der to strike home Mt Mr.. Platt at ALL He
should have been content to hit hgureheads
like Ouige and Austin. Mr. Platt always keeps
4 collection of such shields about him to bear
the odium of doing what he wants done. He
can forgive people who fight his friends, if they
will only consent TO keep up the fiction that he
has no concern in the fight" and hence incurs
no loss of prestige In defeat But when Mr.
Gruber violated the rules of Mr.. Platt's game
by charging ITS not Austin. it's Platt who's
been doing all this dirty work. he put himself
beyond the pale Of legitimate party warfare ac-
cording to the Platt standard Then he went
ON to make charges against Mr.. Platt person
ally, which were fully as offensive as ex-Secre
tary Bliss's famous description of Mr.. Platt as
the man with whom self-respecting persons
could not be allied even for a good purpose
Mr. Bliss has never been entirely forgiven for
that remark. and it seems idle to expect that
Mr. Grubers offers to forgive and forget will
result in securing him anything but the truce
of the bear"
And what wonder! Only few nights ago.
in public speech. comparing himself with Mr.
Plat, Mr. Grlber said: so far as 1 have
earned money from the practice of law give
at freely to the upbuilding of the Republican
party. and the corporations don't give me a
cent" He declared:
We have the Ice Trust and we have Ramapo.
and the leaders in both organizations are part
ners in the Ice Trust and Ramapo II you fail
TO worship at one of these two shrines blindly
and reverently you become isolated" and you'll
go thirsty.
He pointed out the difficulties of being a Re
publican politician in this Tammany-ridden
community, asking, would Platt ever have be-
come leader in this city" and gave the follow
ing explanation of Mr. Platt's triple attempt to
drive him from politics;
Why is this fight made against me? Why
am to be wiped out? Well, I'll tell you why.
Il is because l have my opinion of boodling in
politics. and I have always expressed my opin-
lon of those who sell legislation to the highest
bidders.
This was said IN Colonial Hall, no longer ago
thGnthe night of August %. Perhaps Mr.. Cru
Der thinks he can forgive man whom he has
accused OF selling legislation and levying trib-
ute on-corporationS, but we doubt it. Mr. Platt
VIII Hardly consent to accept forgiveness from a
person who holds him in such estimation. Mr
Platt's organs may give assurance that all is
harmonious, that the contest was merely local,
that Mr. Platt had no hand in It, and welcome
Mr.. Gruber as regular leader in the organIza-
ton. But If Mr.. Gruber is wise he will renem-
Der the fate of the manned aud disflgured hero
Of another poets tale and beware of "the bear
that walks like a man."