New-York tribune., 1909-07-15
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
THE GOSPEL OF PARTY LOYALTY.
It Is Most Eloquently Expounded by Charles
Il Belts

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: I have read your editorial page for years
with much interest and lately 1 have read it with
unusual interest To see The New-Y York Tribune
advocating the Popuistic scheme of direct Drirna-
ries is certainly a and novel experience
Everybody knows that Bryan and Hearst advo-
Gated direct primaries long before Governor
Hughes did. and ybody knows that the Repub-
ncan party in convention has indorsed any
such scheme Hearst two years ago advocated
direct primaries. and if he had been elected Gov
ernOr at that time and had recommended the Popu-
Hstic scheme of direct primaries Legislature
1 have often wondered if The New-York Tribune
would have supported Governor Hearst and direct
primaries as it is now supporting Governor Hughes
and direct primaries. But let that pass. am
more interested in editorial paragraph which
appeared in The New-York Tribune on July T.
which reads follows:
Senator John Raines says that the friendliness
for Governor Hughes may disintegrate the Repub-
Hcan party Hardly. But II shows signs Of disin-
tegrating the party machine
The Tribune and Senator RaInes are both mis-
taken. The Republican organization and the Re
publican party Will live and prosper the future
as II has in the past. without any regard to the
position of any man The Republican party
cannot exist without organization neither can
any other party We are reminded that the found
er of The New-York Tribune. Horace Greeley once
thought ne could disintegrate the Republican
ganization and the Republican party. and he took
The Democratic nomination for President for that
ever for that Office. The people will sometimes
become infatuated with a man. and they will go
through period of hero worship but after they
have had opportunity take the sober second
thought they always get back the right track
again. and they stand Loyalty by their party and
their principles without regard to any man This
has been the history of political parties, and it will
continue 70 be the history of political parties. Men
may come and men may go. but political parties
and political organizations go forever. The Re
publican party is greater and better than any
man. living or dead; it greater and better than
Greeley and it has fourished and prospered quite
as we'll without him 1t did with him. 1 would
like to remind The Tribune that the great mass Of
tho rank and file of all political parties true
and loyal their party because they believe its
principles and policies. And Notwithstanding the
caCkle Of the mugwunp and the noise of the deIna-
gogue. the political wrecks-the dlsIoyaI wrecks
strcwn along the political highway. from Greeley
down to date. bear eloquent and conclusive testi-
mOny to the fact that in this moral. this civilized.
this enlightened age party treason has nOt yet be
Urtue, and party loyalty has yet be-
a crime, ana they never will become as
long reason is the torch that lights and patriot
ism is the motive that mankind to political
action.
In this connection II might be well say that
whenever Senator Raines any other loyal Re
publican opposes the political policies of Governor
Hughes II is because they believe that those poll
cies will injure the great Republican party. and for
the further reason that those policies have never
been indOrsed OF sanctioned by the Republican
party 1t Is not because they love Governor
Hughes less IT IS because they love the Repub-
Iican party more And The Tribune and Senator
Raines will later discover, should there be oc-
casion TO test the question that there is an i'm
mense majority of the Republicans OF the State of
New York who love the Republican party more
than they love any
CHARLES H. BETS.
Lyons. y Y. July l3, 1903