Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-16
GEORGE INTERVIEWED
HIS OPINION OF THE MOVEMENT OF WHICH
HE Is THE HEAD.
He Relates His Election Experiences Says IguO-
rance and Prejudice and Bribery Defestsd HIM
He Will Never Seek Office Except
asa Matter Of Duty.

a"dl co SNilu tnC ShSiSSiS iiSuiN
George TO reporter yesterday afternoon
when he was asked at his offico in Astor
place if he would recount his varied expe-
riences in the recent Mayorality contest.
Now that the campaign is over are you
much disappointed at the result?" asked
the reporter.
''No, am very well satisfied indeed. |
do not like politics, and my own tastes
lead me in an entirely different direction;
but as the matter was presented to me |
felt it my duty to head fight for princi-
pie if called upon, provided there was a
prospect of getting vote that would not
belittle the movemeet.
II did get much larger vote than at
the beginning any-of US thought possible,
and the whole effect of the campaign was
to unite our people and arouse thought in
a much greater degree than we could have
| anticipated. / would have accepted elec-
tion as imposing an arduOus duty from
which would not have shrunk, but new
er desired it, and feel that, while | have
been released from hard task, rs much
good has been done rs though had been
elected. 1t really matters very little
who hold the Offices the
main effect of any great political
movement is that it influences thought
ard arouses conscience The effort of our
campaign has been to set people all over
the country thinking about the most i'm
portant questions, and this movement
must increase, for thought arouses thought
and discussion begctS discussion. We
have in the United States the greatest
problem to solve, and up to this time they
have been thrust aside or been treated
with levity by those who have most inilu-
ence upon public opinion. Now that the
economic and sociol problems have come
into our politics they must demand atten-
tion
UNSELFSH CAMPAIGN WORKERS.
Like most candidates for public office
| suppose you had many unpleasant ca
perienees?'
"NO had not. | do not know any
thing better calculated to disgust a man
with Republican institutions and human
nature than the ordinary experiences of
candidate He is hunted down by strikers
and bled on all pretexts. But my candi-
daCy was of an entirely different kind. |
did not pay dollar i'll assessments; | did
not treat a man even to a glass of beer,
and was not asked for penny, save by
one or two tramps, who would have asked
me whether ! was a candidate or not.
Even the newspaper reporters who accom-
panied me refused to take 4 cigar from me
on the ground that | was candidate.
! The hardest WORK was done in my behalf,
and it was done by men moved by enthus-
iasm, who had no personal motive TO serve.
! 1t was pleasure TO meet such men, and
felt honored by their devotion to me as
! the representative of a great cause. More
| was accomplished, and with less money
than was ever accomplished before. 1t
was a new thing in New York, where peo-
pie have been accustomed To see the candi-
date bled for thousands of dollars, to see
crowded audiences willing to pay for the
privilege of being at a political meeting
and clamoring for the basket to be sent to
| lutlu Wucu COlltCllOl NtS lthCu up
Men who do that are in earnest.
How were your meetings attended, Mr..
George, and how did they impress you?'
with only one exccptiOn-a meeting
in the annexed district during heavy
rain stOrm-they were crowded TO the ut
most capacity of the largest halls we could
get and there was in them all something
more gratifying than numbers-an honest
enthusiasm and sincere devotion. This
spirit was remarked by all our speakers.
They differed from the ordinary political
meeting resembling the meetings held
when the Republican party was tirst form
ing upon the slavery issue or those meet
ings ATTAINED with patriotic devotion
which were held at the beginning of the
war.
IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE.
What do think most affected the
votes for and against me? Well | was
nominated because it was believed that !
best represented the protest against unjust
social conditions and the best means Of
remedying them. Many of the men who
supported me fully appreciate my views
of the connection between the land ques-
tion and all other social questions Others
again, such as the socialists, while not
agreeing with me, fully saw in my candi-
dacy the possibility of bringing these ques-
tions into prominence. Again there were
many men who, with only vague ideas Of
the theories | represent, hailed my nomi
nation as a break in the old, corrupt party
methods, and were glad to vote for man
who was not selected because he could
put up a large assessment and who owed
his nomination to 4 spontaneous move
ment of the people instead Of TO the plot
tings of professional politicians. Against
me were arrayed ignorance and prejudice,
the power Off money and all the arts of the
professional politician, and to those was
added the influence of the press"
You speak of ignorance and prejudice
how did these affect you?'
II speak of the ignorance and prejudice
to which Mr.. Hewitt and his supporters
appealed in denouncing my supporters as
communists and declaring that my election
would bring anarchy and chaos. Next to
the class thoroughly debased by poverty,
and whose votes are bought and sold on
election day. the most ignorant people on
economic subjects are TO he found among
the well to do Satisfied with things as
they are, they shut their eyes to the most
obvious dangers and imagine that any one
who proposes any radical reform is 4 de-
structive. / was, moreover, persistently
misrepresented. Some of the newspapers
did not hesitate to put words into my
mouth that never uttered, and Mr.. Hew-
tits committee circulated slips and pam
phlets purporting to be quotations from
my speeches or works which were as arrant
fOrgeries as the Morey letter"
BRIBERY EXTENSIVELY REsORTED TO.
Some of your supporters allege that
the counting of the votes was done to your
disadvantage. DO you share in this
beliefS,,'
There was probably no more conup-
ton and fraud in this election than is
usual at elections in New York; but il
was this time all on one side and all told
against US. Bribery was extensively
resorted to to beat me, and / have nc
. Joubf that poopv votes really cast for pns