New-York tribune., 1905-08-03
WORKING TOWARD UNION.

The chances of an anti-Tammany union for
the coming municipal campaign have been de-
cidedly improved by District Attorney Jeromes
breezy utteranees. Mr.. r. Fulton Cutting is out
with statement the spirit of which is in sharp
contrast with some of Mr.. Cuttings kindly, If
regretfully critical, remarks about Mayor Nc
Clellan and Tammany early in the season, and
there is no reason to doubt that it is Mr.. Jerome
who has clarified Mr.. Cuttings vision. The
Citizens Union is a somewhat uncertain quan-
tity, so far as votes are concerned. If it ran
an independent ticket its strength would
probably be ineonsiderable. But as the rally
ing centre fer persons without close party ties
in general movement it may be highly use
ful. BY itself 1t may be of little power, but
as a factor in a combined effort for nen-parti-
san government IL carries weight. Therefore,
when the president of this organization, which
a little time ago was ready to invite co-opera-
ton with Tammany and encourage the belief
that a considerable part of its membership
would be glad to support Mayor Mcclellan,
comes out frankly once more in opposition to
what Mayor Mcclellan stands for as a Tam
many official, the prospects for the campaign
are frightened.
There will nowhere be any dissent from Mr..
Cuttings civil words about Mayor Mcclellan.
He is an agreeable gentleman and a man of
however, has been a record of eemplaeency,
first toward Croker and then toward Murphy.
No iniquity of Tammany ever aroused him to
an outburst of righteous Indignation. He was
content to serve the organization in whatever
place it pleased Croker to call him TO, and
quite willing to protest that Tammany had no
apologies to offer for the scandals of Van
Wyck's administration. Then while keeping
himself clear from scandal, he has as Mayor
allowed Murphy TO determine the character of
the administration, dictate the heads of impor
tant departments and use them for his own
purposes. The result has been a rich stream
Of contracts and the outrageous bargain with
the gas company. Mr.. Cutting is right in think
ing that Mr.. Mcclellan has not the courage to
deal with the issues Of the next four years.
The peoples interest in valuable franchises is
at stake, and the sponsor for Oakley is not
likely to deal firmly with the corporations in
control of public utilities.
The Republican party, by platforms and by
habit, as well as by work at constitution max
ing, is pledged to the doctrine of municipal non
partisanshp Under local conditions, where
the machinery of the great par~es Is an inev-
liable feature of a campaign, it IS not easy to
live up to that doctrine. The idealist is always
horror stricken at the thought of making any
concession to the feelings of the Republican
organization, yet always anxious for its work,
and. after doing his best to insult its adherents
is Indignantly surprised If those adherents do
not work with more than their normal part-
san energy Nevertheless, the Republican or
ganization is pretty generally in line for good
government, and the Republican voters furnish
the bulk Of the support of reform movements.
They have supported Mr. Jerome before now
even at the minute when he was attacking them
extrayagantly and unjustly. So now they will
take the hard raps which he gives them in good
part and will sympathize with his plea for in
dependent nOn-partisanship. AS We say, there
are practical difficulties in the way of turning
a party organized for general political actiyi-
ties to something entirely different in city
campaigns. Yet no non-paFtisan campaign can
be otherwise carried TO success, and, as the
Republicans believe in city administration d-
vorced from the issues of State and national
politics, they will hope for successful progress
in the good work seemingly begun this week
10y Mr.. Jerome and continued by Mr. Cutting.