New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-04
THE TRIUMPH IN NEW YORh.

Many reasons for congra tula ton occur to the
mind rejoicing in Governor Hughess splendid
victory. The winner himself is TO be congratu-
lated upon his well deserved triumph The Re
publican party is to be congratulated upon the
possession Of great a son. The state IS 10
he congratulated upon the retention OF 80 Nahl-
able servant. But il seems most of all, that
the people of the state deserve congratulatlon
upon the high quality of citizenship they have
displayed Mr.. Bryan asked, Shall the people
rule?' In the election Of Mr.. Hughes they have
ruled. and they have demonstrated again, and Ill
a new and striking manner, that they arc MT TO
rule-exceently fit TO rule. They have shown
their appreciation of the highest qualities III
public life, intellectual and moral leadership OF
superior variety. high Ideals and an unbend-
ing adhesion to them, unselfish devotion to the
public interest and courageous defiance OF
every force opposed to 1t, fine faith In reason
and a steadfast refusal to stoop to any dema-
gogic act Men went about the state saying
that a man exhibiting these qualities was too
good for public life, but the people have shown
that he was not too good for them, that no one
like him can be too good for them. They have
shattered the old illusion that in aiming high
in public life there is danger of going over the
peoples heads, and have thereby tremendously
encouraged the faith of every one who believes
in the people and popular government.
For the fight was a straight-out and bitter
fight between good citizenship and bad citizen
ship. and good citizenship has won by about as
handsome a plurality as that by which two
years ago sane collected, level headed citizen
ship won over excited, irrational, hysterical
citizenship. Mr.. Cha ner deliberately elected to
| lead the cause of bad citizenship, to march at
the head of every force of graft and pull, self
ishness. corruption and lawlessness. He might
have pitched the campaign on different level
and gone down to less certain defeat, but
defeat without discredit and he would have
/ done if he had lived up to the rather favor
able impression the state once had of him as
! the avowed admirer of Mr.. Hughes, He sinned
against the light, although he saw it clearly.
! His campaign conducted in the cynical be
| lief that the forces of evil would triumph over
/ the forces of good. He put low estimate on
: the peoples capacity for public morality, and
! the people have magnfcently rebuhed him for
his unworthy opinion of them.
! The public appreciation of Mr.. Hughes's
character and services has been just sig
niicantly manifested here i'll this city as
/ throughout the rest of the state. The small ma
jority here for Mr.. CHAMBER despite the fact
that the selfish interests whose enmity Mr.
! Hughes had gained were very strong and active,
and despite the existence of a large foreign ee-
ment to which insidious and partly successful
appeals We're made indicates the existence of
an effective degree of civic morality here in
large section of the electorate. Tammany was
heartily enlisted in the causes which Mr.. Chan
! lers candidacy represented, yet it failed, not
withstanding all the aid it got from interested
/ sources, to roll up for him one of its oldtIme
majorities The result is a hopeful sign for
the cause of better government in the city.
/ Mr.. Hughes runs considerably behind Mr.
Taft in the state. has been usual with Re
publican candidates for Governor in recent
I nationaI elections, but his nomination unques
tiOnably added great strength to the ticket III
New York and elsewhere and helped to CON
firm the position of the party as q moral
! agency. He is one of the party's great men,
/ of whom it is justly proud 1t is its capacity
to breed such men as Hughes Roosevelt and
/ Taft, in contrast to the Democratic party
poverty in seryceabe leadership that has made
it SO remarkably successful in recent years. So
long as il continues rich in such leaders it will
| deserve to win, and will win.