The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
GEORGE TACKLES HEWITT.
HERE'S A NEW AEECDOTE xBoUT
THE SHEOL RAISED IN 1856.

Alleged oner or n seat In CouErc.. By Graoe
and TnmmnnJ TO George n Ic wouidn't
Run for NInyor-IHe Declares That re Never
Spoke 10 Mr.. Hewitt About That Election.
The Hon. Abram s. Hcieftt,
SIR: You and / were opposing candidates for
the Mayoraltv of New York In 1886. You re-
ceivod the Office, tho honor. and the power of
election. When, on the first of this month, I de.
tcrminod. in response to what | believed to DO
the call Of duty, to declare my willingness to
again stand for a larger office, on substantially
the same platform as before, there came by
cable from Paris. where you were sojourninR,
your declaration to the English press that I was
again to lead tho forces OF anarchy and social
destruction in this city. You arrived yesterday,
and Immediately saw 1T to make this declaration
through the press:
II met Mr.. George in London a year ago. Ho
said to me, You knocked me out OF 20, 900
votes when you ran against me for Mayor. II
you had not cheated Inc then, l would have been
elected I told him that IL l had succeeded in
getting 10000 votes that were originally his. 1t
showed that I was a pretty sharp politician,
only it took him eleven years to find this out"
have not been in London since 1890. Ihave
never, neither in London nor anywhere else,
spoken to you of that election. II you think that
getting 10000 votes counted for you that were
ilob Nao vi " 10 Nv lutllto vi DDllllCNl bndTp
ness, I have nothing to say. have never sus.
pected you Of knowing anything about it,
but believed that tho work was done
by the machines who took you up, not
to save society, but to save their own
plumber. while you innoccntly supposed the PEG.
pie Of New York had elected you to save society,
although you ere long found something of the
true character Of the men who put you forward
in 1886. and stood against Tammany after two
years service in the Mayors chair. being igno.
miniously beaten by tho very forces which had
used you as their tool in 1856.
Before you or I had been formally nominated
in 1856, ] received a request from Mr.. William
NJ. WINS. then Chamberlain OF the city and a
close political representative OF Mr.. Grace. at
that time Mayor and head OF the Democratic
organization known as tho County Democracy,
to privately meet him. This did in a quiet
restaurant in lafayette place. Mr.. Wins
insisted that j could not become Mayor of
New York no matter how many votes were
cast for me, and offered on behalf OF Tammany
Hall and the County Democracy that il 1 would
district in which the nomination was alb
sOlutely equivalent to election: that l should
be at no expense whatever, but might go to
back should receive a certificate of election. /
said to him finally:
office, yet ask me to draw off. Why, IL l can
not possibly get the office, do you want me to
His reply was. You cannot be elected, but
your running will raise hell
said: You have relieved me of embarrass.
mcnt; | am decided. ] will run"
1t came out as Mr.. WINS said it would, but I
did not complain. Complaint at that time and
under those circumstances, without money and
with the press against us, would have been USE
less. Before l. o'clock on the night Of the cleo.
ton l went 10 a meeting Of my supporters while
the rcjoicings of Tammany were ringing around
us, and made 10 them n speech which, taken
down by a stenographer at the time, was as fol-
lows:
IMr. George here gives his speech, which
Under a fair vote of the people of New York
/ would be tonight elected Mayor. II. as now
seems probable. the official returns do not give
me that office. il Is because OF the money, of the
bribery, OF the intimidation. OF II press perverted
the ignorant rich. and the hopeless degradation
of the miserable poor. But, men. / did not
accept your candidacy for the office, nor did you
nominate me for the office: what wo sought
was to bring principle into American politics.
| congratulate, you upon tho greatest Of vic
tories that we have won. They may bride. they
defeat what would be an honest verdict OF the
people; but we have gained what we fought for.
Thank God. we have made a beginning. .Wo
have demonstrated the political power of labor.
Never again--ncvcr again will the politicians
look upon a la Dor movement with CONTEMPT. 80
Tss fiji fnfrF:: the !u! Ws h 6s 9n.' it Thu ! fr is the, The BUN mi1i
never 20 out. We have begun n movement
that, defeated and defeated and defeated. must
still go on. All the great currents OF our time,
all the aspirations OF the heart of man. all the
new forces OF our civilization. ara with us and
for us.'
After eleven years I have accepted a nomina-
ton 10 stand for Mayor Of Greater New York on
the same principles ] stood for then.
But do not think that the people OF New
York will be again frightened with the idea
that. if elected, | would destroy society, and |
feel sure that under present. election laws people
nor votes. after they are cast. stolen from me.
Respectfully yours, HENRY GEoRGE.