New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-06
LOWS MEMORY AND CIRCUITS RECORD.

LOWS MEMORY AND CIRCUITS RECORD
Mr.. Grout in his desperate efforts to defend
his absolutely indefensible conduct, appeals to
Mr.. Lows memory, declaring that Oh some
vague occasion in the past the Mayor dis
unctly assented' TO the Controllers hypothet-
ical policy concerning what then seemed al
Impossible contingency. We have no doubt
that Mr.. Lows memory is as good and his
statement OF il accurate as Mr.. CIRCUITS.
and upon that we should have no hesitation in
resting the case. But il is. after ALL not a
matter Of Mr.. Lows memory, which Mr.. Grout
may challenge, but OF Mr.. CIRCUITS record,
which is set down in black and white by Mr..
Grout himself.
Mr. GrOut, In his statement published yester-
day, says that on that historic occasion. which
he hopes Mr.. Low Will remember. he spoke
Of his own nomination by Tsmmany Hail.
which then seemed an impossibility, and-to
quote his own words-'T said. as hare said
consistently eUcr since, that it would make no
difference in my support of him Has Mr.
Grout said consistently" any such thing?
Let us see. On September 80 Mr.. Cutting
the president Of the Citizens Union, wrote to
Mr.. Grout soliciting a declaration from him
concerning his attitude in the campaign, and
saying:
II it should be possible that you intend to
ignore the anti-Taumany issue Of the present
campaign an issue eInphatically expressed in
the Citizens Union platform directly and indi-
rectly from beginning TO end. you would en-
terrain an opinion Of your obligation to
movement SO radically different from own
that you could not in my judgment. consistent
" remain our candidate. While l have been
gratified TO learn that Tammany Hall is so
| fearful Of defeat that 1t proposes to let part
Of our ticket be elected without contest, yet
an acceptance Of its nomination by one Of our
candidates is fnconceivable If in any way it
/ silent "
and the fusion allies regard the foremost
issue, the defeat OF the existing management
Of Tanlmany Hall.
Surely in his answer to that letter Mr.. Grout
had a supreme opportunity TO SAY consistent
| ly' that his acceptance of the Tammany NOM
lnation would make no difference in his sup
port Of Mr.. Low. 1t was not only his oppor-
| tunity; ii his duty. if he meant to be
| loyal TO the head of the ticket It SO
much his duty that his failure 10 say it would
| properly be explicable as q tacit manifesto
| ton of an intention not TO support Mr.. Low
on an anti-Tammany platform. What did he
| say? In his long, studied and elaborate letter
| 10 Mr.. Cutting he conspicuously omitted TO
| say the very thing which he now tells he
has said consistently ever since" that vague
| occasion in the indefinite past which he so
| earnestly desires Mr. Low to remember. True,
he did say he would refrain from attacking
lAe present duululSITdllou. Nay. UlDfe. ne
would not fail in the least 10 say any word
proper in such advocacy, no matter whom that
WORD Offend But he coupled that eQuivocal
declaration with a statement strongly imply
ing that his aim TO secure his own re-
election, and that in his opinion the fusionist
cause would be successful enough if he and
three of his colleagues Were elected, no matter
what became of the head OF the ticket OF
frank declaration that acceptance of the Tam
many nomination would make no difference"
in his support of the whole ticket. the head
included, there was not one word. There was,
on the contrary, the most direct intimation
that in this distinctively anita mmany cam
paign be would refrain from attacking Tam
many Hall. That is to say. be now, after re-
ceiving the Tammany nomination, would re-
Train from doing the very thing which he so
conspicuously did and which was the salient
feature Of his campaign two years ago If
that would not be making difference" in his
support of the present fusion campaign, we
should like 10 know what it would be.
1t is not what Mr.. Low remembers or does
not remember that fixes Mr.. CIRCUITS place
1t is Mr.. CIRCUITS own self-written record