The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-15
Il h German Vote"

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II anybody among Lows followers Is
nursing hopes thathis man will get a great
part of the German vote, he is preparing
himself for q grievous disappointment.
Whatever Herren RIDDER and OFTEN.
DoRFER may say to stimulate such hopes,
q knowledge OF the German character and
disposition is sufficient to extinguish them.
In the first place, there Is no such dis
tinct entity as "the German vote" When
Germans vote, they do not vote rs Ger
mans, but as American citizens. DIFF
fcrences of opinion as to politics are
not more various and decided among
any other element of the electorate than
among the Germans. They have never
held together as a solid political force sepa.
rated by their nationality. They have never
as a distinct body demanded political recog-
milton in the nomination of candidates.
1t is true that individual Germans and some
associations of Germans have traded more
or less successfully on their assume in.
fluence with the citizens Of their national
ity and the pretended demand of Germans
generally that as such the traders should be
allowed n hack at the offices. Actually,
however. the great mass of Germans are not
Interested in the matter.
Nor do the Germans generally unite in
following any political leader simply be-
cause he is a German and can talk to them
in their own language. CARL SEIZURE, for
instance, is both admired and distrusted by
Germans. Those who happen to agree with
him at the moment of one of his political
transformations assent to his brand.new
politics, but he convinces no one who does
not agree with him. His Mugwump fol.
lowing is small among the Germans, as
compared with its proportions outside of
their ranks.
SETH Low is naturally a character that
does not appeal to the cosmopolitan spirit
represented by the Germans of New York,
for he is distinctively a provincial person
who has moved in a social environment and
breathed a social atmosphere altogether for
eign to them. He was bred in a choolw which
is ~antipathetic to the Germans and to the
whole body of the cosmopolitan community
of New York. Tammany has always been
more congenial to it and if Tammany had
not gone into Organism last year there
would be no doubt of it's retaining the
great majority of it at the coming election.
HENRY GEORGE is conducting a "wide.
open" campaign which will attract a large
part of it. The vote which has hitherto
chung to the Republican party is still held
to that party by mistaken conviction.
Hence the German vote will divide be-
tween GEORGE, VAN WICK, TRACY, and
Low, with the probability that a great
part of it will go to the first two, while
the convictions of the Republicans will
prevent their estrangement by the treach-
erous Low conspiracy. The part of it Low
can get will be a minority sure to diminish
rather than increase as the election ap.
proaches. Really, Low represents nothing
which commends him to German sympa
thies, and he represents very much which
cXcites their social prejudices against him.
Among the Germans, as among all the
other elements Of our population, there is a
share Of political stupidity, credulity,
and dclusion, which will help Low, as it
helps him generally. There is also a wide
spirit of social discomfort and wild politi.
cal theorizing, to which GEORGE will appeal
irresistibly. Finally there is the intelligent
and conservative body of the German
community, which will be divided in
political sentiment according as its indie.
pendence of Judgment shall determine; but
we do not believe that any large part of 1t
will throw away its political power by
voting for SETH Low on the I'd of Novem.
Der under the persuasion of Herren RID,
T. and OTTENDoRFER. The advancing
and swelling spectre Of HENRY GEORGE
will have more effect on these solid and
intelligent Germans.