Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-28
HENRY GEORGE
ASKED TO BECOME THE W0RKINGNEN'S
CANDIDATE
For Mayor Of New York Gty-Hs Con-
sants in Quite a Long Letter,
Provided $4,000 Signatures
Are Procured.

NEW YORK, August 2I.-DeIeSateS
from nearly every Trades Union in this
city, crowded Clarendon Hall, last night
Mt the conference held by those members
of the Trades and Labor Associations who
propose to take an independent stand in
politics and nominate their own candidates
for number of Municipal Offices which
will become vacant this fall. Mr.. James
p. Archibald, acted rs Secretary and John
w. Macklin presided. Mr.. Archibald
opened the business by announcing that he
had received communication from Henry
George, in answer to an inquiry he (Archi-
bald had rs to Mr. Georges willingness
to accept the nomination for Mayor.
Mr.. GEORGES LETTER
said that it is nowhere more necessary than
in New York to make municipal politics
mean something more than struggle for
office. New York's highways, docks, and
sanitary arrangements are Tar inferior to
those of first class European cities. The
Great mass of her people must live in tene-
ment houses packed closer than people are
anywhere else in the world Her parks,
such as they are, are beyond the reach Of
most of the poor, and hundreds of thOus-
ands of her children find their only play
ground in the streets. The great body OF
her citizens have therefore deeper inter-
est in her government than the question
whether this or that set of politicians shall
DIVIDE THE sPOILS.
Here in America mOnstrOus wealth and
monstrOus want make their most shocking
contrast. In America the ballot is the
only instrument of reform. Mr.. George
goes on to say,
''Yet before can accept the nOmina-
ton, wish to have it clearly shown that
the workingmen of New York want me to
be q candidate and will support me with
their votes have no dread of finding
myself in n minority, but enough sO-called
labor movements have proved failures.
1t seems to me that the only
condition on which it would he wise in Il
labor convention TO nominate me, or on
which should be justified in accepAhg
such 4 nomination, would be that at least
80, 600 citizens should, over their sigma
lures, express their wish that | should be-
come candidate and pledge themselves to
GO TO THE POLLS
and vote for me. This would be 4 guaran-
tee that there should be no ignominious
failure and mandate that | could not
refuse.
''On this condition, therefore, would
accept the nomination if rendered. Such
condition, know, is an unusual one,
but something unusual is needed to change
the habitual diStruSt and contempt with
which workingmen's nominations have
come to be regarded into the confidence
that is necessary for success. 1t may be
harder to get 30, 900 signatures in advance
than, with the confidence thus Cngender-
ed, to bring several times that number Of
votes to the polls, but unless there is in
the movement earneStneSS enough TO do
hard things, it is idle to enter upon the
work"
The demand for a pledge of 80, 600 votes
somewhat tlabbergasted the labor pOliti-
clans, but the main part of the audience
CHEERED LOUDLY.
John Bealin, brass worker, said the
laboring classes would be benefited by
bringing the land question into local poll
ties. The laboring man was trOddcn upon
by corrupt politicians, he continued and
cited Squire and Flynn, as examples. Not
only would 10000 men sign the request
for Mr.. George to become candidate for
Mayor but would put one dollar sub
scrintion hehind their nameS
4 number of committees were appointed
to report at the next meeting, which will
be held September 2nd.