New-York tribune., 1902-12-08
TIE CITIZENS UNION AND THE Tunnel.

we are glad TO see that the Citizens Union
contelnnlates acting on the suggestion made ny
The Tribune few days ago, that the organiZa-
tions responsible for the present Board OF Al
dern,en bring their influence TO bear in favor OF
granting the Pennsylvania tunnel Ifahchise'
Perhaps the men picked out by the Citizens
Union as proper persons to sit in the Board Oh
Aldermen are beyond the reach OF that body s
influence No loyal member Of the Citizens
Union, however, will wish TO admit thls uhli
all possible efforts have been made to show the
contrary Such an admission would be con-
fession that in making up its ticket last year
the union conspicuously failed to carry out its
previously announced programme with refer
ence to the aldermen.
Before the nominations there was much re-
solving about the high type of men who were
to be named for these places, especially to avoid
the troubles which in previous administrations
had been caused by municipal legislative bodies
which ebstructed government Assistant Cor
poration Counsel AfcKeen was mentioned as q
sample of the ticket which might be prepared
But something far different came out OF the fu-
sion hopper. It is not just TO blame the Citi-
zens Union for the Republicans in the Board Of
Aldermen. They Were accepted from the Re
publican organization pledged to loyalty to the
izatfon is responsible for them. That organ
ization is not accustomed to look with favor on
representatives in any legislative body who de-
sert it in the hour of need and If Mr. Armitage
Matthews and his Republican associates in the
Board OF Aldermen persist in allying themselves
with Tammany to defeat the tunnel they should
forfeit all future Republican confidence and
support.
For the members of the Board Of Aldermen
elected as anti-Tammany Democrats the Citi-
Zens Union is more directly responsible For
the most part these were picked out as indi-
viduals. They We're something superior to the
ordinary run of candidates which came from a
party convention. Their nominations were the
result of conference on the part of good people,
and it was supposed that they at least could be
trusted to stand by the reform administration
and keep out Of deals with Tammany. Yet
some Of them have concluded that there is moth
ing more to be made out of reform administra-
ton and have openly lined up with Tammany.
Others who still profess to be reformers seem
to be weakening on this tunnel matter, and If
the Citizens Union has any influence over those
it put in office it should hasten to make it felt
and ward off the danger TO the city's develop
ment which is threatened by the narrow minded
opposition to the tunnel
arouse the common people to their interest in
the matter. The organization was most ef-
fective in waking the East Side to an under
standing Of the wrong Tammany did It while
protesting special friendship for the poor Now,
in the name of labor, wrong is being done to
the people, and opponents Of the tunnel think
that the great body of the poor people among
their constituents will support them in obstruc-
ton Let the Citizens Union teach the people
over whom il has influence the fallacy Of the no
ton that labor can be benefited by defeaung
this franchise. Let it show these people the
great benefits which will come TO them from the
improvement and get them TO demand favor
able action from their aldermen Petitions from
the voters OF the East Side, from Williamsburg
and from Queens to their aldermen who are OBJ
structing the tunnel will have more influence
than resolutions by any number of prominent
citizens The Citizens Union has an important
work before 1t.