The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-03
Tho Fictitious and the Real Cam
paiGn.

Tho Republican City Convention 10 to DO
held on the 2sth Of September. The date
for the Tammany convention has not yet
been fixed, but 1t will probably DO q few
days later.
About four weeks still remain, therefore,
before the serious campaign will begin in
New York, and meantime Mr.. SETH Low
and his Citizens Union will have the field
to themselves. II there is anybody In New
York who wants to hear anything moro
about Low after the town has had his
name and singular virtues dinned into Its
ears for more than three months, doubtless
the young chaps Of the Citizens Union will
be eager to crafty the strange desire.
Only four weeks moro Of the hummery OF
the Low monomaniacs and then we shall
get down to hard political sense
What, by the way, does tho candidate OF
the Citizens Union stand for, except, of
course, his own moral s~ublimityf He was
put up on Wednesday by q little committee
of bosses, but no precise platform Of princi-
Piles and issues was provided for him to
stand upon. Several months ago the Citi-
zens' Union made a general address to the
public which might have served as an apol-
OSy pidOloihh, ouo ~ "So " oA"eSAs
out into the light On Wednesday. The
bosses were in such q hurry to nominate
Mr.. Low, in their assumed character as ar
biters of the political situation, that they
forgot all about the usual procedure Of put
ting a candidate on a definite platform.
They nominated SETH Low simply because
he is SETH Low, and because they boss the
Citizens Union and are crazy to have q finger
in the political pie. The most distinguish
ing feature of the address was Its studied
exclusion of the Republican party and the
supreme and distinctive Republican issue
from the campaign it proposed to conduct.
1t called for recruits. saying that it mat
tered not whether they were Republicans,
gold Democrats, or silver Democrats, so
long as they voted for its ticket.
In an accompanying declaration Of prin-
ciples it made a square bid for the social
istic vote. proposing or suggesting a scheme
of expenditures which would bankrupt the
city. Tammany, probably, will go 1t one
better in such demagogy. and when the
campaign actually begins will nave no
difficulty in smashing in short order
the paper machine the Citizens Union
has constructed in the tenement house
districts with labor SO prodigious the
hot summer through. The hope Of di-
verting to Low a large part of the Bryan.
lite vote, which the Citizens Union has
been cherishing SO fondly during all these
months, is a fantastic dream. Those PEG.
pie will not go over to Low, who represents
a social atmosphere and a theory Of life
wholly obnoxious to them. Tammany can
knock out the Citizens Union easily and
quickly In the very strongholds where
Lows sentimental hackers iatter them.
selves he is strongest.
Mr.. SETH Low has been put In nomina.
tion by his political agents, but he stands
for nothing in vital principle. If he makes
a campaign during the present month, II
will have to he on his own superior good
ness alone, usually not an engaging sub
ject for human nature as 1t runs. Not
until next month will begin the really i'm
portant campaign on grave and substan
tial issues. 1t will be a hot fight between
the Republican and the Democratic parties
strictly, and If Mr.. Low stays In the field
during October, he will have to go by him
self to fight his windmills.