New-York tribune., 1900-09-13
At SARATOGA.

The Democracy has held RIDICULOUS anu uis
credited conventions in this State and gone
through solemn farce of nominating candl-
dates before now When in 1896 the New
Workers came back from Chicago. where they
had taken their gold platform, held a second
convention. remade their platform into a silver
one and nominated for Governor one of their
leading gold standard advocates, who was
laughed off the ticket. they seemed TO have
drunk the dregs of humiliation But there
were it seems. get deeper depths of degrade
ton in store for the party, and yesterday 1t
made a new record in proclaiming its own
demagogy and lack of selfrespect. The Demo
Gratis do not make even pretence Of sincerity.
and brazenIy confess their hopeessness and
shame After the disclosure of Richard Croker's
absolute and brutal domination of the conven-
ton and his determination TO rule it for his own
purposes quite regardless of party prospects.
his permanent chairman George Raines had
the colossal audacity TO compare the free, un-
trammelled body over which he presided with
the recent Republican conventions "perfunctory
assent to the DEGREES of chief whose malign
Influence in State politics is the paramount
tissue of the local canvass in our State" Then
in the face of Croker and Van Wyck and all
the other men whose pockets bulge with Ice
Trust stock he proceeded TO talk in this fashion:
All business that can be monopoIized is learn
ing the trick. and the evil eats like cancer
into the vitas of labor and honest industry.
Like the department store, the trust sweeps out
of trade small dealers and robs the general pub
lie with a free hand. Trusts smile upon the poll
ticians and purchase them.
Through il all these purchased politicians
who confess that they are at work for their
own pockets all the time. and who have been
taken in on the ground floor to the Ice Trust.
which has swept small dealers out of trade and
bon nd sat
stolid AS any thieves intent on brazening out a
situation
The platform was equally impudent After
having with barefaced irregularity suppressed
the reading of Professor Lees resolution call
ing on the Attorney-G General TO enforce the law
against the Ice Trust. Croker writes this into
his platform: I'VE condemn the corporate COM
"bnation known as the Ice Trust, and denounce
"al combinations of capital known as trusts as
inevitably and intolerably unjust 10 both pro-
''ducer and consumer" Even he. of course,
does not expect this TO fool anybody make
anybody forget how the trust bought the favor
of Tammany so as to get this city at its mercy.
The only object Of this plank was TO shut off
debate and avoid possibly worse disclosures of
Croker's commercialism in politics than have
Yet been made II purely a matter Of con-
ventiOn tactics, and no more intended to he
taken seriously DV the voters In;ln are lue Cdu-
didates. How could it be when Augustus Van
Wyck, of the Ice Trust, helped draft il?
The rest of the platform is the usual mixture
of denunciation and demagogy. 1t demands
that every part of our possessions be governed
according TO American precedents and Amer-
"can principles. just if Red Shirt rule in
| North Carolina and notification Of the Four
teenth Amendment there and in Louisiana were
| according 10 American precedents and prin-
| ciples 1t attacks Civil Service reform under
! cover of false charges that examinations re-
! strict public employment largely to college men
| 1t gives adhesion to free silver and the rest OF
| the Chicago platform and threatens TO do away
with the liquor tax system by which the State
and the local divisions thereof have so greatly
profted.
OF the candidates little need be said. The
interest in the nominations was purely negative.
Mr.. Stanchfeld is. we believe, man of ability
and respectabiIity. But nobody in Saratoga
| really cared what he was. Crokers one object
was TO defeat the only man who had possible
chance of success; the bitterness developed by
his action alone attracted any attention, and
the accomplishment Of his purpose makes the
| Republican campaign in New-YOrk easy as it
| is throughout the Union. The delegates knew
| perfectly well that Otto Kempner giving
them prophetic warning when he said: "Our
plain duty is 10 oppose the weakest Republican
| with the strongest Democrat Any other course
means that wilfully plot our own over
'whelming defeat" The delegates knew they
were deliberately throwing away whatever Op-
portunity they had. But the party is sunk SO
low that they could not help themselves. Croker
has his victory and can enjoy ii just in pro
portion as his thick skin is impervious to the
shame and ridicule which Hill has been able tc
throw upon him boss. ice baron and a
commercial politician. To achieve that victory
and its revenges he has made I.epublican sue
cess certain 1t is not Mr. Stanchfield who has
| reason TO thank Mr.. Croker for the favor con
ferred by the Saratoga convention. 1t is Mr.
| Odell