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ganization was Thomas C. Platt, a Senator of the United States. After the election he expressed his thoughts and feelings about the result in this characteristic fashion: “The November vote in New York is no surprise to me. The people did not want Low, and the Republican party gave to him quite as much support as he had any right to expect at its hands. Although (two years ago) it contributed over 75 per cent. of the vote that made him Mayor, he did not give the Republican organization three per cent. of the patronage. … I did not see Mayor Low once from the night of his nomination to the day of election. He never sent for me nor asked for my assistance. I supported him, but without hope of his election.”
Now contemplate this spectacle. Here is the leader of a great party engaged in a most important contest. The character of the government, the welfare of the greatest city of the republic, one of the greatest cities of the world, is at stake. But this is nothing to him. All he things of is not the interest of three and a half millions of people, not the prosperity and good name of one of the world's most important emporiums of commerce and industry—what he thinks of is simply the spoils of office—patronage. And he actually does not blush to say so. The candidate representing the cause of good government in that contest has not given his organization more than three per cent. of that patronage. He does not assert that the appointments of the Mayor have been bad, injurious to the public welfare. He cannot assert this, for they are known to have been uncommonly good. But that is not what interests him. In his opinion not enough of the spoil of office has been given to his henchmen. The good government candidate has not even during the campaign “sent for him” to ask for the party-boss's assistance, and to bargain with him about his share of the spoil in case of victory. That was reason enough for the party-boss to give the cause of good government only so much support as its candidate “could expect,” and to contemplate defeat with perfect equanimity. For what he cared, the great city and its important interests might go to Tammany unless he was assured of a good percentage of the spoil. Did you ever
