New-York tribune., 1901-04-30
CITIZENS UNION PLATFORM
MR.. ROBERT FULTON CUTTING REPLIES
TO VARIOUS CRITICISMS.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

Sir- Absence from the city for several DAYS ha,
prevented me from seeking earlier opportunity
10 reply TO the criticisms of the Citizens Union
PLATFORM which have appeared in several Of our
daily papers The position OF the Union seems &c
me to be wholly misunderstood and trust NAV
recite few facts which Will put the matter in a
clearer light.
When the Union was organized in 1897 IL wa, No,
intended as an anti-Tammany body except Incl
dentaly, nor was 1t proposed to limit its activitie.
to temporary efforts to rally honest citizens for a
campaign struggle. Its purpose was clearly ss,
forth In the announcement that IT was created 10
carry into effect the principle now for the first
time embodied in the constitution of the State that
municipal elections should lie held separately from
State and national elections to the end that the
business affairs Of municipal corporations may be
managed upon their merits uncontrolled bv
national or state politics." The method proposed
for the accomplishment of this purpose by the
founders of the Union the formation OF per-
manent citizens organization, which should offer
honorable nominees for municipal cnice. who would
not their Offices for partisan purposes and a
policy OF municipal administration and develop
ment.
That the Union intended to be thoroughly
representative is evident from the following extract
from the report of the first committee plan and
scope:
have broader basis than any self,consttuted on
paratively small body drawn chiefly from the
Chamber Of Commerce or the City Club. 1t must
fairly represent the various interests and condi
should at the time of its first public appearance
aest , sess o so 90 bOy %
that its momentum cannot be checked by falsehood
% Se gnored This eonsderation precudes the aop
ton of any Of the methods Of organizauon Which
have been attempted IN recent years. under either
the Municipal League or the Committee OF Sew
enty the Committee OF Fifty
The first step taken by the Union was the pub
Hcation of it's declaration of principles This plat
form was the result of widespread consultation
x,tb men of a great variety OF cangs and opin-
ion, bankers merchants. professional and labor
men and was intended to be as far as possible the
expression of representative policy The declara-
ton was drawn by a committee consisting OF Messrs
Flihu Root John p. Pine. James 3. Reynolds.
Jacob III Schfn Gustav Schwab. Austen c. Fox
and George N Cassatt. The provisions OF the dec
Iaration were specific and positive but they evoked
only favorable criticism. although one clause sub
stantiaIly reproduced in principle In this years
n,at,oru seems to meet with objection now. In
1901 the Union has adhered TO the principles laid
down in 1897. snd has filed IN the outline traced
four years ago. 1t has been organized upon a
thoroughly representative basis through Assembly
district committees. and its convention directly
represeuted its enrolled membership. The platform
adopted was an amplfcation OF that OF 1881. with
additional pianks embodyins the progress OF opin-
ion I'm four years II. then. olunder mas oeen
made the fault should be placed where II belongs
cot On the ..socalistic element OF the convention.
but on our fidelity to original principles and ODE
dience to democratic institutions II the movement
il 10 be representative IL must recognize opinions
rs we'll as men, and this the Urion has done In
hoth its earlier and later platforms. But no "olun-
der has been made. On the contrary, the Citizens
Union has taken a long step forward
I will not now attempt to discuss the merits OF
the panks in the platform to which you object but
stmplv TO relate the facts above referred 10. and
which 1 trust will satisfactorily explain the con-
yenffon's action.
Frrst-The plank relating TO the payment by con-
tractors for city work OF the prevailing rate ot
wages etc was in principle substantially identical
with the plank in the platform OF 1891. which reao
as follows: I'VE demand that the Eight Hour
Labor law now the statute books De enioreeo
as to all requirements of the city and i's con-
tractors and that all such employees be paid AZ
the prevailing rate of wages In their Respective
trades "a required by law" II is true that this
clause demanded the maintenance of the existns
law and not the enactment OF new Iesisia'ion, out
II would have been disingenuous 10 have declared
for the enforcement of law that we repudiated IN
Drinciple H. then. that the law mas been &C.
cl,red unconstitutional the Union in its platform
should ignore the principle involved IL wouid os
either a practical confession OF insincesity IN lS'
or the admission of an unexplained change Of mind
Neither of these positions fitted the OCCASION am
VIC reiterated the view OF the principle involved
eoueathed TO US by the able and conservative nien
who drew the first platform
sscona-The clause relating the requirement by
ha
several napers pronounced socialistc. is the en-
hoatment of a principle that last summer received
the specific approval OF the Chamber or commerce
In the report of the committee appointed 20 nlaAs
recommendations to the Charter REVISION Conhii'iS-
sion and which report was approved by the Cham
her there occurs the following clause AS u
,nio,,aI ovnership this committee believes
that the CITY should own its water supply ana tha'
II should acquire II II can be done on fair terms
the gas and electrical supplies OF the CITY IEe
experience of municipal governments IN Grea'
Britain abundantly proves that such ownersnp
has tended to the public welfare. surely II 'hs
Citizens Union is to have any economic poncS al
all IT can safely follow the lead of so judicious
body as that of the Chambe- Of Commerce. ana
the fact that the convention by an over"heinllhs
majority refused to adopt a more cornprehehSNe
substitute for the plank demanding the extent OF
municipal ownership approved by the CHAMBER OF
Commerce Is a substantial proof of it's erninently
reasonable temper.
Third-The judicious increase OF direct employ
nent by the city in its public works has pohtica
as we'll as an economic bearing II Is the con-
tractor in politics that is of the main sources
of the corruption of the electorate. as we'll as the
simplest and most effective mechanism for ths
piilage OF the city by the boss venture 70
assert that whatever promises Tammany Han
may make in this direction il will never voluntarily
substitute direct for contract labor Upon IT'S eco
nomic side the city will not soon forget that the
ono trIv lIstrous incident in the dark history Of
municipal government for generation past was
the object lesson of the possibilities of direct en-
ployment given by the administration of the Ia
mented Waring.
This is a plain statement OF the situation. We
have dared 10 be representative. our founders
taught us and il American political institutions
are sound we have made mistake Very truly
yours. X FULToN CUTTING
New-York April % 1901