New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-31

| throwing the "Ring" machine, we do not see
how they can withdraw their nominee with
honor now that the Republicans refuse either
to indorse him or to permit themselves to be
beaten by discussions.
The withdrawal of General Slocum is a
question which more nearly concerns the flu
ture of Democratic reform movement OF
much promise than 1t does the result of the
present contest in Brooklyn. BY remaining
in the field General SlOcum would draw from
the support Of the "Ring" candidate many
Democrats who will not go to the extreme OF
voting directly for Republican but we do
not believe that all of these will, If General
Slocum withdraws, vote for Mr.. Howell. AT
the same time there is large number of Dem
ocrats who, disappearing of Mr. Howells course
on the License bill and other measures, will, even
if General SlOcum runs, vote for the Republlcan
candidate for business reasons. We do not
think the withdrawal or the continuance III the
field of the third candidate of vital consequence
to the result in Brooklyn.
II is because the issue there on the Mayor
atty ticket is to be fought out on other than
party principles that we hold to this belief.
The political prizes ut stake are unquestiona-
bly, important they are even vital to the eX-
istence of the "Ring there hut the campaign
has assumed more tho aspects of a bust
ness than a political fight. Brooklyn has been
cursed rs much by ubusinesslihe methods OF
administration as by political rascality and
Mayor Howell is largely responsible for these
blunders. He is an adroit politician, but not
business man-at least not as Mayor
Moreover, he has been on the unpopular
side of many measures, more especially
Of that, originated by himself, OF
taxing the right to do business over the
streets of Brooklyn while cXempting pleasure
seekers from the same imposition. The prln-
chile of taxing haclsmen who use the pubic
thoroughfaIes solely for business purposes,
and cxcmpting those who maintain carriages
only for their own use, may be night IN the
abstract. for, ms n rule, the hacllmen pay no
other tax or assessment for maintaining the
payements, while the owners of private coaches
usually do pay taxes in other forms. but
when Mayor Howell extended the license tax
TO include the butcher and baker and milkman
and tIadcspcople generally, to whom the
use of the streets is business necessity. he
trod upon dangerous ground and did an unjust
thing. For the classes named as being sub
iccted to this special tax pay for the mainte-
nance of the streets in other forms, precisely
as the rich owners Of private carriages do, and
as haclmen do not pay and consequently the
special license is a gross and unequal imposi-
ton upon them against which they are likely
to rebel.
Mr.. Seth Low, as business man, is opposed
to such methods, as he himself very clearly
explained on Saturday evening last and if he
comes into Office next year it will be with the
declared purpose Of remodying the plumbers
which his opponent has made. His brief speech
on the occasion indicated is an admirable
campaign document for local contest. He
touched only upon the business issues in
VOWED in the election, and took the popular
side of each. 4 temperance man, he rccog-
nizcd the wisdom of a firm but conservative
course IN dealing with the excise question, 80
complicated hy State laws and court decisions.
Himself large taxpayer on real estate, he
denounced special taxation in which are unjust
Determinations And upon the sore question in
Brooklyn Of rapid transit lie took the middle
ground of favoring the building of roads, hut
insisted that the individual property owner
should be Unidentified for what was taken for
the public benefit. These views are clearly
and cmphatically cnunciatcd; they are diamet-
REALLY opposed to those Of Mayor Howell; end
the business men OF Brooklyn will wisely
choose for Mayor the candidate whose views
and promises are those of the strict man Of
business. rather than the Mayor whose prac-
tees in two terms have been the reverse of
busiucss-lkc.