The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1897-11-12
mayor to be of the city of Greater
New York"

mayor 10 DC OF the city OF Greater
New York"
1t was Judge Van Wyck who
spoke. / found him calm, steady,
thoroughbred, impeiturbable. 1t is
worth ones while to be a gentleman.
Here was one who had come forth
victor from fierce contest. He had
come through the fiery furnace, and
yet there was naught Of the smell of
fire about his garments. There was
no waste, no anxiety relieved, no
strain removed; he was as cool as
ever before his nomination. lie had
triumphed; one of the greatest Offices
of the land was his: and yet there
was nothing of cXul!ation about him,
as of a small soul flattercd by elcva-
ton. Van Wyck seemed as one who,
on the threshold of responsibilities
new and great, was res olvcd to meet
them with honesty, and discharge
them with al his power for the gen
eral good. The Office is high, but
here was man as high as the office.
"Therc is no reason, whether of
policy or propriety, continued Judge
Vns WJsS, iRreponse to my question,
"why / should not say to the people
of the city, through the Journal, what
is in my mind at this time. Let me
say then, that / am grateful; 1 am
not insensible to the compliment
bestowed; l can best respond to it
by giving the wisest and most honest
effort to tue discharge of the duties
to which / am called.
"At the outset / want to call the
general eye again to the Democratic
platform, to my acceptance, to my
interview in the Journal of October
"a. By these | stand; those princi.
pies therein set forth l wi d. NY
utmost to foster-thc promises to the
last letter l will keep.
Gas VIC begin this first year of
Greater New York there is much TO
do. Liberty must be restored to the
citizen, the protection of his rights
must Lc resumed, the pillagc of pub
lie money must cease, extravaganza
must be discountenanced, waste must
stop, schools must be built, the streets
must be reclaimed from chaos, taxes
brought to proper level. Private in
terest has too long governed this city;
it must give way to public good"
''The government of a city, as l
understand it, has naught of scnti
ment about it. 1t is the mcrcst bus;.
ness. We must get tho most good
for the least money. No man must
be oppressed, his liberty must last
inviolate, his life and property must
be protected, the broad purposes of
city government must be carried out,
the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der must ever be the star to steer by.
Getty government is the merest
business, and to make it successful
and to reach the ends at which we
aim, all the officers of the city, wheth-
er they be mayor, judges, police, or
what you will, must serve the city,
not rule it. The people must rule;
the officers must execute the peoples
orders. TO make the business Of
city government a triumph to the
citizen, it is further needed that every
officer, however high or however low,
must be honest and fit. He must
know his duties, he must bring prob.
ity and faith and honor forward in
their discharge.
owe are overtaxed. This must be
looked to and the taxes trimmed down.
For city, as for an individual, there
are comforts, there are luxurics. The
needs must be met and fulfilled
every one of them, whether it be a
competent police or an adequate
school system. When evcry city
need is met, of the comforts and the
luxuries We will get what we can.
II have said that city taxes must
be cut down, that honesty and caro-
must come to the spending ofpublic
money. Yet you are not to infer
from that that | stand in any doubt
as to the temper of the New York
city public touching Improvements
and expenditures. There is nothing
in the line of improvement that can
make this city better to live in that
the people are not entitled to and do
not want. The New York public is
not niggardly, not parsimonious; it
wants every benefit, and every adj
vantage, and is willing to pay for
them What tho nnonln do object To