New-York tribune., 1907-01-17
THE HEARST ALDERMEN.

We are sorry that we have not at hand the
magniloquent pronunciamentos with which the
new Hearst party invaded the arena. The In
ception of the Republican party which. led to
the freeing of the slaves was nothing to the
new movement. The fetters which had been
fastened upon mankind would be struck off by
Independence" The old parties were totterng
TO their graves. The new party in all the splen-
did innocence Of youth calling to the
Peepul:
Rise like lions from your sumbers,
Great in strength and great in numbers:
Shake your chains off like the dew
Which in sleep hath fallen on you:
You are many. they are few
And now after so brief a period we have for
the total achievement of this magnifcently prom
Using movement one Holster" under arrest and
ten others explaining with desperate embarrass-
ment q conspiracy OF circumstances of which
they are the victims. 1t is painful to see radiant
novelty put on so soon an ancient leer. It al
most impels cynicism.
1t Is strange that 1t took the country so long
to appreciate the political possibilities Of Inde-
pendence The old school of politicians scoffed
at 1T. The independents Of earlier. unenlight-
ened days were politically an impossible race.
They went about, nose In air, Enthusiastically
thanking their gods that they were not as other
men are, and they bore with them everywhere
that brand Of political CAIN Thou canst never
be the Peoples Choice" They were q harmless
we shall not say an inoffensive-race, but there
was nothing in IT, for them save the JUNCTION Of
SNUG self-satisfaction. But those were In the
dark ages of Independence. No one appreciated
what could be done with Independence until the
great political emancipation came out of the
West. He taught Independence practical pol
itjcs, and we all know what victory 1t achieved
over its ancient enemy regularity.
The Holsters" In the Board of Aldermen
have been showing what an asset practical
Independence Is. Your regular party man Is
driven like a sheep; 1t is his standing reproach.
He covers under the caucus whip and does
not know his soul is his own. Not so the
Independent; he knows his soul Is his own
every time, and what Is q mans own why
shouldn't he-er-dispose Of? Your Independent
approaches a proposition of practical politics
with an air Of detachment He enjoys his po-
sition as a balance of power" and he makes
the most of it. The straw that broke the
camel's back was a notable Instance Of the
balance of power" and should have felt much
set I'D by It. AS practical" Independence goes
so go state conventions and boards Of alder
men. 1t was a great thing to develop the DOS.
sibilities that lay unnoticed in Independence
We observe another unsuspected advantage In
Independence. Alderman Clifford is already
read out of the party; for on hearing that coin
cidences and marked bills were very much
against him Mr.. Ihmsen, Of the League, prompt
ly classified him as Bermel man! A black
sheep in the Republican or Democratic party is
not so easily got rid Of
"Coincidences' only are against the other
Holsters" 1t seems that they virtuously ig-
norant Of any financial transactions had deter
mined to vote for Judge Cowing and Fate did
the rest putting the bills In Alderman Cifford's
pocket on the very day they changed their
votes If Mr.. Jerome were the prosecutor he
should be, ne would certainly indict Fate for
playing the "City Fathers" so scurvy trick
1t ought TO be felony to breathe breath Of
unjust suspicion upon the board. Only one
doodle" Alderman In more than twenty years!
We almost congratulated the dty, but Jus.