New-York tribune., 1902-04-06
"IFST TE FORGET"

ovoninn OK Governor Black made ringing par
tisan speech in which he paid his respects ~
tho theories Of municipal government 10 Wlich
the Republican party has been commllted lor d
number of wears. AS there is no otner sor' VI
nolitical fusion subject 10 present uiseu $50
than such as was sought unsuccessfuiiS III io''
in this city, and again successfulE laSt ldii' i'
Rlack can be interpreted in no other way 'i''
as disapproving of the movement wh1ch electeu
Mayor Low. and declaring in anticipation lor
nartisan campaign for the next city eectloh
when he says:
The name Of fusionist has supplanted the
older and more glorious party names "a 80 80
species has descended upon US, and It's Worh has
been so rapid and its invasion so compete lha.
il is now in full enjoyment OF the klheuoins Va
the world Fusion owes nothing 10 lne pdI-
1ari+v of war but all to that genteel process
now so much in vogue. known as peheN oIeil. .
assimilation If this is politics, it is at least
a ne1y kind It may be finer. but DOUBT lts
strength There is too much foliage put 700
1;++1a trnnk I am glad to. pay my re-
.-oo+. "a ono whose position has never been a
ri,biact of doubt when his party PLATFORM mas
been declared and his party convention dls.
banded. ] am glad to honor one VINO mas ~ We,
bae,, among the stragglers except to whip lhe
Tr5eg1ers into line: who has never embellished
his career by single betrayal or MS parry
rlatrorna or entered campaign utterlns de-
nnnciations of his party associates: whose Writ
,,es do not need TO be painted upon signboards
nor advertised with the prodigality OF the pat
ent medicine.
After the ex Governor had spoken. his senti-
ments with regard TO fusion and partisanShip
were warmly indorsed by the Hon. Elihu Root,
Secretary of War.
# was perhaps natural at dinner to Senator
plat+ that emphasis should be laid on the
virtues of partsanship, The occasion was one
Of 1ollification and exaggeration In view OF
the Hon Abraham Gruber's recent humorous
attacks on the Low administration there is
nothing surprising in Ex-Governor Blacks more
solemn deliverances along the line of his well
known beliefs. But when the common talk
among small fry politicians to the effect that
fusion is fraud and the thing for the RepubE-
can party in this city 10 do Is to run straight
| tickets hereafter receives the seeming approval
of Republican reformer like Mr. Root, it
| becomes necessary 10 remind Republicans OF
| their party principles.
| The Constitutional Convention of 1894 intro
| duced into the organic law provision for the
| separation Of State and municipal elections for
| the express purpose of making non-partsan city
| government the easy and normal thing That
| convention was n Republican convention, and
among its members was Elihu Root. When its
work was finished he joined the other Republi-
cans in an address to the people commencing
the new constitution to their favor. because
among other things it made possible the admin
stration Of cities on purely business lines with
out regard to national and State policies. In
the fall of 1894 the Republican party in this
county adopted a platform Of municipal non
partisanship and commended fusion under the
leadership of William L. Strong. In 1897, when
Seth Low was running non-partisan can
didate for Mayor. Elihu Root in Carnegie Hall
proved that he running on Republican
platform and that inslstence on partisan
candidacy against him violation Of fun
damental Republican principles officially pro-
mulgated on more than one occasion. After
reviewing the history and declarations of the
party in favor of non-partisan fusion, Mr.. Root
said:
Shall we recant? Is not the principle right?
Has not the contrary of it kept this city under
the worst Of governments for generation? Has
not the application of il under the mayoralty of
Mayor Strong been the first burst OF sunlight we
have had for many year2 Is it not right that
the thing which has for a generation In
trenched a set of plunderers in the seats OF
power in the city of New York should be taken
I away so that public opportunity may lead to
public advantage. and public freedom may re-
suit from private freedom Of action in our
muricioal election?
In the legislature of 1898 the Republican
party passed and Governor Black signed pri.
mary LAW. drafted by Elihu Root with the dis
tnct purpose of making independence and
fusion regular in municipal elections by pro-
vidinc that membership in city political organi-
cations like the Citizens Union should not for
felt the standing of citizen in his party Since
1897 Republican conventions have repeatedly
reaffirmed the doctrine of municipal non-parti.
sanship. and with the exception of the unfortu-
nate misunderstanding of 1897, when the party
platform sadly betrayed in this city, there
has been no time since 1894 when the party has
not been true TO that principle which it has
embodied in the constitution and laws. Spoils-
men may feel disappointed In Mayor Low and
conclude that there is nothing in fusion for
| them. but the people remember. Mr.. Root
has told them, that only in fusion can this city
be kept from the clutch of plunderers. They
have no mind for retroGrade movement now
and no desire to Mayor Lows admnstra-
ton hampered by any spreading of the notion
that the Republican party no longer stands for
municipal non -partisanship.
MERE DETAIL.