New-York tribune., 1901-10-11
NOT A PARTISAN CANDIDATE.

Mr.. Low and Mr.. Morris the president of the
Republican County Committee have given a
complete and convincing answer TO Mr.. Shep-
ards pretence of considering the anti-Tammany
movement as a mere Republican partisan en-
terprise. Mr.. Morris, in his speech introducing
Mr.. Low on Wednesday evening, declared:
The Republican organization has asked and
has received no pledge from any candidate, eX-
cept that he VIII live up to the principles OF
non -partisanship enunciated in the platform
OF our convention. 1t supports them upon the
distinct understanding that there are no obga-
tons on their part, expressed or Implied eX-
cept that they will give the city bipartisan
government; and in doing this the Republican
organization considers that 1t is dtscharging the
highest duty which can be laid upon any po1tl-
cal organiza ton in a contest that has nothing
TO do with State national affairs.
There is the absolute pledge of the Repub-
lcan party officially made. a pledge which 1t
could not hereafter violate by attempting TO
treat Mr.. Low rs a party representative In the
Mayors chair without committing political sui
eide As Mr. Morris said the principle of
n-partisanship in city government Is Re
publican principle placed in the constitution IN
the election laws. and in the primary laws by
the Republican party The unwillingnesS of
certain party politicians to recognize the Re-
publicanism of that principle in 1897 had re-
suits which convinced all Republicans that it
sincerely. and this year. without a dissenting
voice II has been so lived up to. The circum-
stances of Mr.. Lows nomination absolutely dis
prove all insinuations that he was forced by
the Republican organization upon its Demo
cratic coworkers Mr. Low told the exact
truth when he said was the 10000 people
who voted for him four years ago who nomi-
mated him now They gave him prestige for
this new contest against Tammany such as no
other man suggested could approach What
sort of q candidate in comparison would have
been Mr. Peabody. who not so earnest in
his anti Tammany convictions but that he has
now gone over TO the support of the Tammany
ticket? The Democratic bodies canvassed
many names. with Mr.. Lows always in the
back ground as the one surely available II the
others did not meas sure up to the requirements
of the situation. The Republicans suggested
nobody but waited for the others TO agree upon
n candidate for them TO accept. They pre-
ferred a Democrat. frequently said so. and acted
in accordance with that declaration. Finally
they took Mr.. Low because the Democrats
agreed that he was the strongest man to be
found The only theory on which Mr.. Low
can be charged with being a partisan Repub
lican candidate and not a representative OF true
non-partisanship is that he has a secret and
ticans, and even Mr. Shepard does not charge
or so much as think. that.
Everybody knows it is not true. and that the
Seth Low who was a non-partisan Mayor of
Brooklyn elected on a similar platform, will be
as true to his pledges now as he was twenty
years ago. Every political organization sup
porting him is pledged to give him free hand
and TO uphold him in carrying ont their com
mon promise. They are estopped from any at
tempt 10 use him for partisan purposes. and his
own record an infexible nonpartisan when
pledged to be one. as shown by his silence In
the Presidential election of 1894 maintained
against great pressure is convincing evidence
that il such attempt were made he would
resist 1t successfully, and without, some pre-
tend 10 fear. wrecking his administration on the
rock of opposition from his own supporters.
Mr.. Shepard had better retire his partisan
argument.