New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-15
A PLAIN AND SIMPLE ISSUE.

Mr.. Jerome right when he told the throng
in Cooper Union that this fight turned. not upon
the record of the fusion administration and the
thousand and one things that il had done better
than they ever were done before hut upon the
moral character energy and enthusiasm of the
people OF New-York themselves 1t is a good
thing TO put that record before the people so
that no man can make a decent excuse TO him.
self for a betrayal of public interest. We hope
10 see the fusion campaigners, with their
speeches, and, better still, with their lantern
slide pictures of parks. streets, sewers, tene-
ment houses and hospitals they were under
Tammany and are now, bringing the facts of
the situation home TO every voter so that his
conscience may be aroused by a vivid impress
sion as it was two years ago by the enormity
Of the red light infamies But, after all is
said and DONE the fact remains that the ques-
ton TO be decided on Election Day is not the
character of the Low administration, but the
character of the citizenship of New-York
Are the people of New-YOrb Indifferent to
public honesty and decency? Do they care any
thing about right wrong in government?
Will they. as Mr.. Jerome says, ring true again
at crisis which he rightly characterizes as
more important 10 civilization and humanity
than that Of two years ago? The staying power
of the people is put 10 the test. They have from
time 10 time revolted against evil conditions
which had become unendurably scandalOus. Do
they really care enough for virtue for its own
sake to stand by. year after year. to prevent a
relapse: VIII they take hold and give the
whole world new faith in popular government
new hope for the betterment Of humanity, new
opportunity 10 make life sweet and clean for
the toiling millions of our great cities? That is
the issue this year.
No man in his heart has any doubt who stands
for the higher civilization and the greater good
of the great body of the people of New York,
Mr.. Low or Mr.. Mcclellan. Men may find
thousand more or less plausible reasons for sup
porting Mr.. Mcclellan. SO they may find
thousand more or less plausible reasons for be-
ing incorporate. or being immoral, or getting
money by methods that they know are wrong
The man under temptation of any kind can
persuade himself that something else than the
bare moral question is at issue. SO now he may
befog himself with talk about politics and party
or point to this or that fly in the administration
ointment but when all these accessories are
cleared away he knows that Mayor Lows adj
ministratiOn has made for Righteousness as COM
pared with any Tammany administration. and
that Mayor Lows defeat would be triumph of
the devil and a cause Of rejoicing in every
agency OF evil in this city. Every gambler
every prostitute. every bride taker, every brine
giver. from the marble walled corporation Of
fees in Wall Street to the lowest den in the Row
cry every spokesman wanting 10 fatten on tba
public purse every thug and criminal wanting
a wide OPEN town. would hail Mcclellan a
deliverer from n hateful regime of order and
honesty. There is no intelligent man who does
not know this, blink the knowledge of il a be
will