The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-19
POLITICAL NOTES.

no sympathy with the effort OF an outsider
to wrest the leadership Of the Twenty-seventh
district from Mr.. Martin The sulllvans. Big
Tim and Little Tim. have done likewise.
Speaking OF primary fights In New York
city. Nights which are made each year against
leaders In the two organizations, Republican
and Democratic, few, perhaps, are aware
OF the expense they entail This is especially
true In the Tammany organization
It IL contended by some political students
that the primaries demonstrate, especially
in New York State, that we have system
OF delegated government under party man
agement Why? Because, according 70 some
political mathematcians, not more than 10 per
cent. OF the voters take the time or trouble
TO participate In the primaries, which de-
termine the choice OF delegates 70 city, county,
State and national conventions.
This state OF affairs leads TO the pertinent
inquiry what consistency s there in the poltl-
cal plants OF the citizen who does not vote az
all, or who voting on election day, does not
participate in the primaries Of his partyF
Speaking further on the subject Of primA-
Ties and the practically unrestricted suffrage,
no citizen, especially IN New York State.
who does not vote at the primaries should
Erumbls very much II things are not TO his
liking. Ample opportunity Is given 70 every
citizen OF every vocation to vote at the
primaries
II Ia interesting. II not very instructive. 70
listen 20 the discussions Of hnanciers, mer-
chants, lawyers, physicians, clergymen ana
others concerning the course OF political
events in New York state. The denunciation
OF political leaders, big and little, the I'M
happy tales Of corruption and graft, followed
by suggested remedies and all that sort OF
thing, should, in the opinion Of those who
make politics a life study. be frequently and
politely interrupted with the question, DO
you vote at the primaries?'
Example. personal character. honorable
record are closely scrutinzed by young men
with a prediction for politics; and when q
member Of the Committee Of Nine essays TO
reform the universe il Is but simple Justice
10 recall that for nearly three years he was
paid a substantial salary for holding down
a political place for which no adequate ser
vice was rendered. II was said Of him az the
University Club the other night:
He's only another political ostrich
When Leslie NJ Shaw Of Iowa retlres from
President Roosevelts Cabinet, either in June
or February, he IL to be succeeded as Secre-
tary Of the Treasury by George B. Cortelyou
Of New York, now PostmasteT-GeneTl
Robert J. sharkey Of Brooklyn. naval
officer Of the port Of New York. il not TO sue
coed himself. Mr.. ShaTkey has had two terms b,
agRregating nearly eight years, and another
Brooklyn Republican. not yet named, is to
get the place.
On Thursday night, March e. at Philadel-
phia, william TTavers Jerome, District Attor-
ney Of New York, spoke on THE Strength
and Weakness Of Independent Reform Move
ments" before the American Academy Of
Political and Social Science In the course
Of his speech, he referred to Mayor Mcclellan
OF New York city and said:
There was a time In the last campo Ign
when ] did that man a great wrong, and
! have only waited the time when ] could
make an apology as complete as the thing itself.
The affront was not a personal but public
one. and the apology must be the same
District Attorney Jerome made this manly
and public apology because in the closing
hours OF the Mayorslty campaign Of 1908
he declared In a public speech that Mayor
Mcclellan in accepting the Tammany nomi-
nation for Mayor had disRraoed his father q
name. the name OF Gen. George b. Mcclellan.
the first idol Of the Army OF the PotomR G
and the Democratic candidate for Presi-
dent In 1894.
Before Mr.. Jerome made that speech in
1908 IL was TRAY" and George" when the
two young statesmen met. Since then they
have not happened 10 meet. and yet II is
known that Mayor Mcclellan was keenly
hurt by Mr. Jerome's utterance, which i'm
piled an injury TO his distinguished father g
name.
No finer act than that OF Mr.. Jerome In
making this public apology at Philadelphia
has been witnessed in American politics in a
decade. Neither Mr. Jerome nor any real
live man is ever hurt by the public acknow-
ledgment Of a wrong on his part.
The Jerome Mcclellan incident recalls the
conduct Of William Church Osborn, now one
OF the Committee OF Nine 10 investigate
the Police Department Of New York city,
in the last Mayoralty campaign. Although
not a resident Of New York city-Mr. Osborn
was the defeated Democratic candidate for
senator In the Twenty-fourth district last
fall-be took a very active part against
Mcclellan and his name was even signed
10 a circular which declared that II McClella n
was elected Mayor OF New York city he
would be the protector Of the prostitute and
the brothel'
Osborn was a senior at Princeton at the
time Mcclellan was a freshman The Osborn
and Mcclellan families had been intimate
of the Illinois Central Railroad Company
al the time McClellans father was vice
president Of the company The fathers OF
the two young men. Mcclellan and Osborn,
we're chums, and highly esteemed each other.
In the campaign Of 1904 Mayor Mcclellan
made speeohes at New burgh, Hudson and
other North River towns for Parker and
! Herrick. Osborn lives at Poughkeepsie-
! On that stumping tour Mcclellan met Osborn
AT Hudson This was their first meetin g
since Osborn's name was signed to that
offensive circular.
Hello, George said Osborn to Moclel-
Ian.
Hello. Osborn replied Mcclellan with
| cool reserve.
Thea Osborn went on 90 explain 70 McClel-
/ Ian that he never signed the offensive cir
! cular even though be appeared as one Of the
| siRners
why didn't you deny your signature
/ them" asked Mcclellan
"Oh. II | had done that replied Osborn,
| 1T would have greatly complicated matters.
Mayor Mcclellan relspsed into silence,
while the bystanders who hearu the con-
| versation WINGED
At the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New Y ork city,
! there is a standing offer OF 1900 TO seven
! cents that no Republican Ia the state, no
| Democrat no Socialist. no Prohlbitionist
f; no politician OF any kind In the State can tell