New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-15
TETS IS MCLELLaN-S RECORD

There are independent Democrats-indepen-
dent 10y designation and more or less indie
pendent ia temper-wbO prefer good govern
ment and are conscious Of the excellence Of the
present administration but who are SO much
ehamOured Of what they call party regularity
that they find 1t hard to vote in accordance
with their convictions. Some citizens of that
sort are doubtless coddling the plea that Mr.
Mcclellan is good enough TO be voted for. even
II he Is the candidate Of Tammanv Hall. He *
an estimable young man, they reason. whose
personal habits are correct and who has meyer
been associated with a corrupt use of power or
any scandalOus acts Of the organization IN
which he belongs. Therefore, their feeling is
that it would be an excess Of political morality
FOR them, Democrats as they are TO vote against
MIN because OF sins which he himself has NOT
committed.
With such wavering Democrats as these in
mind Senator McCarren said the other day.
The only objection to Mcclellan is that no IS
too loyal Democrat and too friendly with tho
leader Of Tammany Hall. That is a point IN
his favor Nobody can say that Mcclellan Is
holding himself up as the son Of his father
He is standing on his own record" Very well
lot as accept that a fact What. then. Is Nc.
Ciellan's record? The important part of il in 70
laoon TO this campaign is that part which re-
Feals what be thought about the last Tammanv
administration, and what. therefore the nar+
administration would be like If he sbould no
eiected- Here is bis record as 10 that matter
az SET forth by himself in carefully nrenare5
speech TO the Tammany City Convention Of two
years ago:
We meet tonight TO indorse the rlenocrs.,o
seiLiiisSIatlon that has been presided over so
10y aho SO successfully by that unswervinp
ItaflcSS democrat. Rohar+ A
hare no apologies 70 offer nc 6o,,o .'ysSi -
Uhtch 70 apologize. The Dernocrsc,r nf ~
mighty metropolis, conscious OF dut1 p,oii ,a-
formed. submits It's 10 the peorla ,,ro,, ;+
record of promises fulfilled and ,ios opO 49,, -.s
VIC hare done tcel Ours is the credit ana o, -
the honor. ~ ''"S
Mcclellan either believed those sbocl,,n,, a,,o
larations or was ready 10 protest that he no
EeFed them for the sake OF pleasing tho Tor
many leaders and promoting his own nolitical
fortunes it makes no practical difference which
His speech was an outrageous affront 10 tha
decent public sentiment which shortly after
ward overwhelmed Tammany in defeat Moth
ing 10 apologize for? Why, scarcely another
Democrat outside Of the inner circle whose no.
iticaI lives or vile revenues were at stake
dared 10 say IN that campaign that there was
nothing wrong with Van Wyck's administra-
uon-that IL was laudable for men IN control Of
the municipal machinery 10 work for their own
pockets all the tine. and that the official levy
Ing OF tax on the proceeds Of a hideous traffic
was unobiectionable. Mcclellan said that and
more. he said that such things were done
well; Re claimed them a. credit and an
honor"
Such is McClellan's record on the sole issue
~ this campaign. The question is whether a
~ssn and efficient administration shall be CON