New-York tribune., 1921-09-08
The First Battle

lhe First Battle
On Tuesday next will occur the
first of the two battles both of which
must be won if the city is not to have
four years more of Tammany and
Hylanism. On that day the enrolled
Republicans of New York will deter
mine not only who are to be their
candidates but the broader question
of whether the good government
forces of the city are to be united.
For Mayor the nomination papers
OF four candidates have been filed
Henry II. Curran, Reuben L. Has
kell, Fiorello II. La Guardia and
William M. Bennett. Which of these
gentlemen should be voted for by Re-
publicans who have at heart the in
terests of the city and the good re-
pute Of their party?
It is clear to The Tribune that but
one answer is possible. 1t is to mark
ballots for Mr.. Curran. His candi-
dacy is the only one that holds out
promise Of the union essential if
Tammany and Hylanism are to go.
New York's electorate is of thre-
parts. One is the Tammany vote, e.
brotherhood Of pelf which is closely
cemented by a belief that the way
to get offices or contracts is by stick
ing to the Fourteenth Street organi-
zation; another is the vote which is
Republican on national issues, and
thus automatically anti -Tammany;
the third is the great group of indie
pendents and independent Republi-
cans and Democrats.
Coalition spells Tammany's defeat.
Failure to coalesce means victory
for the Tammany minority. Such is
the record Of many elections as New
York has partly emerged from the
mire and then slipped back.
Which of the four aspirants as
sures coalition? There is no doubt.
1t is Mr.. Curran. No candid sup
porter Of the other aspirants will
deny this. Mr.. Curran, through long
service, has become expert in all
phases of the city's government. He
is time tried and crisis tested. Long
en- the firing line, he has uniformly
shown courage and intelligence. So
he appeals not only to his fellow Re-
publicans but to all who would have
city administration non-partisan.
The Republican organization, heed
ing the publis's demand for cam
didate who best embodied the coali-
tion idea, indorsed Mr.. Curran, thus
recognizing, after mature delibera-
tion, the grave danger of naming a
straight ticket. The judgments OF
the Independents of all classes and
of the leaders Of the Republican or
ganization thus conceded.
Of Messrs. Haskell, Bennett and La
Guardia we would not speak dispar-
agingly. Their weakness is the diff
Guilty of electing any one Of them.
If one Of them should be nominated
Tamnany would be delighted. A
spurning Of their advice would SO af-
front the united that Murphy could
resume his interrupted golf playing.
Are we going to delight Tammany?
The conditions are so obvious that
it is not strange that those who re-
fuse to catch step in the main move
ment are spoken of as insurgents"
mot insurgents, of course, to the
Republican organization, for every
Republican has right to be candi-
date If he SO wishes, but insurgents
to the cause Of good government. In
this matter, as in many others, the
true test is not what man says he
wants but the unavoidable conss-
quences of his acts. A vote against
Curran is vote for Tammany.
Mr.. Curran's case is so strong
chat it is inconceivable that he will
lose in the primary. But bare sue
cess Is not enough. A large major
ity is needed to put enthusiasm into
the campaign. To help achieve this
every enrolled Republican should fix
next Tuesday firmly in his mind and
allow nothing to keep him away
froy,, tho ,.n11s