New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-10
7 ak Of
City Hall

Ine IoCbl pOlltlChl slhuHb'"" no"
awarded by common consent to Will
lam NJ. Bennett, the former State Sen
ator. When Justice Cropsey let fall
the banner of Republiean partisanship IN
the municipal campaign, Mr.. Bennett
snatched it up with cry Of Excel
sior!" which he has been echoing night
ly ever since. In one Assembly dis
trict Republican club after another ne
is appealing now for the nomination
Of a straight Republican ticket. in
Guiding himself for Mayor and Judson
G.. Wall for Controller.
What do Republicans want" he eI-
claims. with a ticket which seeks to
put in Office two former Tammany Hall
Democrats ?"--the specific reference be
ing to Mayor Mitchell and to Robert
Adamson, Fusion candidate for Presi-
dent Of the Board Of Aldermen. "Vote
in the primaries instead for straight
Republicans like u.s."
Straight Republicans! In 1912 the
former Senator, who now displays such
a pictistic pride in his partisanship. be-
came a Progressive. shook the dust OF
the G.. o. p. from his substantial bro
gsns and employed such vituperation
against the standard of his former al
legiance as no Tammany Hall Demo
crat ever conceived. In the same year
Mr.. Wall. his running mate, was serv-
ing the city as a tax commissioner
by appointment CT Mayor Gsynor.
The next year Mr.. Wall made one OF
committee Of nine which insisted on
the denomination Of Mayor Gaynor,
hardly a Republican candidate. And
when Mayor Gaynor died Mr.. Wall be-
came a most loyal and earnest sup
porter Of Edward (. Mccall. the Tam
many nominee. He even took the stump
for the former chairman Of the Public
Service Commission and jounced along
on the Democratic band wagon to the
end OF an Improbable campaign.
Mr.. Wall was asked day or two
ago If. in view of his recent political
history, he did not consider his status
as straight Republican aspirant for
nomination a trife inconsistent.
Il think" he replied, that you might
call attention to the election law and
the constitution in this matter. Call at
tention to the fact that both the law and
constitution provided carefully that the
date for municipal general elections
should be changed from the even TO
the odd numbered years, for the spe-
cifc purpose of providing that voters
might vote outside party lines at local
elections without prejudice to their
party standing"
But what is this, if it is not an srgu-
ment against the very thing for which
Messrs. Bennett and Wall are contend
ing in their pre-primary Canvass
straight Republican ticket? And, If
Mr.. Wall had no conjunction in de-
sorting his party during the municipal
campaign four years ago, why, his Re-
publican auditors are asking them
selves, should they scruple to support
ticket, Endorsed by their orgaHiza-
ton, on which appear a scattering OF
Democratic names?
As for Mr.. Bennett, he did not even
wait for municipal campaign as an
excuse for his spostasy. His desertlon
in q Presidential year was an even
more heinous offence against that me-
TEDIOUS regularity for which he and
his colleagues are pleading. But neither
as a matter of fact, has any standing
whatever in q strict Republican court.
hfai haa n at a a
paradoxically, simply an indication OF
the lack of reverence for regularity
which had come to obtain in the NUM-
cipal field.
The late Mayor Gaynor, who was
Mr.. Wallis mentor in many things, was
particularly fond of expressing his con-
tempt for the man who insisted on
party regularity in municipal politics.
"You know" he once told The Trib-
une, that | do not admit that national
or state politics has anything to do
with the city government at all. |
deny il absolutely. | have always done
so. | do not think that any nan at a
city or local election should be in
fiuenced even a little bit as 70 how he
shall vote by his national or state
party affiliations. Am | right?'
Yes, answered a dominent element
in the electorate, even in these com
paratively unregenerate days. To-day
their affirmative chorus has become
predominant. Even Tsmmsny has found
it expedient to veil its passion for reg
ularity in a fusion dress, and We have
facing one another this year, instead
Of the G. o. P. and Tsmmany, the
Fusion Committee of 1917 and the
Democratic Fusion Committee Of One
Hundred and Seventy. Non-oartisan-
ship in municipal politics, from he fad
Of a few has become the fashion of the
multitude.
The only reactionaries in the scene
are Nessrs. Bennett ct al. late con-
verts TO an outworn creed.