The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
EVERY VOTER READ THIS!
AN EARNEST AND CONCLUSITE LET
TER ADDRESSED TO SETH Lon

uf It IL worth the Candidate's while 60 Sacri-
fee the City's Good TO the Joy OF an Acn-
deinIc Discussion or Ron-Inrtisnn ship. IL nt
worth Any sincere Mana While TO Help =
Seth Lo,r. Esq.
DEAF SIR: When the result Of tho election Ia
made known, II will DO found that the contest
has been between the two historic parties. MIR.
Georges followers and yours, sincerely as they
may be convinced to tho contrary, will respec-
lively be seen TO constitute II much smaller por-
ton OF the whole body OF voters than do the
Republicans and Democrats.
Tho conditions are such that the ele ton OF
the Tammany Hall candidate is imminent, al
though IL 10 certain that the only candidate by
whom both he and Mr.. George can be defeated
ia the candidate Of the Republican party.
1t is indubitable that, II tho foes OF corrup-
tion. Organism and revolution we're fighting
under tho samo flag, there could be no such
danger. II 1t be discovered that Tammany Hall
has secured the control Of our municipal Gov
eminent for the coming four yenrs the RESPONSE.
bility, We may say the crime, will be yours.
No Independent has as yet ever secured tho
election to the Mayoraity in either city without
the support Of one or the other II the regularly
organized parties. There is absolutely no rea.
son for believing that it should DO otherwise At
this time.
An experience even longer than that Of any Of
JOUR buppOIlCIb, III cuth no bhN ~ hoW
doing, satisfies me that there is an almost i'm.
measurable distance between their shouting
strength " and their voting strength" l know
them VOL and have suffered defeat with them
too often not to know the danger now.
Those who have had your campaign in charge
from the beginning have shown that at the out.
set the Republican party would have placed you
at the head OF the ticket. and thus guaranteed
the defeat OF Tammany Hall, and finally have
- - H. - N1n N-.- 1900 . --s q l.
your own hands. Your oath would have been
as sacred under those conditions as it can be
under any others.
1t appears, however. that your advisers pre-
ferred your candidacy upon their platform to
your election on any other; and were willing to
jeopardizo the welfare OF tho city for an occa-
sion publicly to discuss a theory.
The result is that you are about to take sufl
cient votes away from the effective opposition
to Tammany Hall to make possible, if not prob
able. the election Of the Tammany candidate.
Your only justification for this is that, como
what may to the city, you and your friends, ad-
vocates Of non.partlsanship in municipal cleo
tions, prefer to sacrifice both the city and your
selves in order that your alleged principles may
make show Of such strength as they have, and
at this most critical juncturc.
Heretofore reformers have been quite satisfied
with such conditions as resulted in the election
of the present reform Government in New York
city. Your party appears to be equally salts
fed with them. or at least with the results
OF them, because it finds no praise too high
for that Government What, then, can pos
ably justify your determination to disregard
the vast majority OF the Republican voters and
to endeavor to Brighten them into your support
by the charge that otherwise they will be re-
sponsible for a Tammany ~victoryl Is it modest
or sincere for you to assert that it must be
you or Tammanyi Was ever a party or a
people approached in such a spirit before,
and have you any recollection of any can.
didate, before you, who has been bold enough to
make such q demand and in his own behalfl 1t
would be impossible Of belief, did we not actu.
ally see it, and it will be treated as it deserves
when the day for action comes.
Your policy may be unselfish, splendid, he
roic il you will your friends say it isl. but it is
not patriotic, nor yet wise. You and your
friends know that the Republican party has NOM
mated q ticket " hich is above reproach. They
know that its candidate for the Mayoralty is the
eblest, most experienced. and altogether best
equipped man that has ever been nominated for
the place by any party. You, yourself, assert
friendship for this gentleman. and cunningly
tell your followers to say nothing disrcspectful
Of him, while you. yourself. have intimated that
although your own oath will be everything, his
will be as nothing. 1t is unworthy OF you, Mr..
Low. And your friends. filled with sweetness
and light. how do they speaki This is how one
OF your organs. which lays the greatest claim to
intelligence and decency. characterizes him.
The other is Candidate Tracy, Platt's Tracy.
who. at the boss's command. obediently, and
even with signs of pleasure, executes q commits.
sion to do disreputable work that would dis.
grace q heller a Fred Gibbs OF the better ele.
ment; the chief actor in a piece OF political
knavery and imposJure; a Tammany Repuoli-
can assisting Croker to get control OF the city; a
political assassin, masked and disguised, going
forth not against the traditional enemies of his
party, but to stab Seth Low; a serf, thrall, re-
tainer. and all-too-willing tool OF the old Repub-
ucan boss"
II this is the manner OF man that Mr.. Tracy is,
how can you call him your friend and how can
you speak OF your present diff, -ences as one OF
"lifes tragedies" y 1t certainly 10 not one OF his.
although election day will give a strange fulfil.
ment to your more than curious remark.
No intelligent person contends that municipal
government is other than the proper admins.
tration OF the affairs OF the city. Your DECLARE.
tion that you are in favor OF good government is
general and meaningless, and the guarantee of
your oath that you will give the people good
government is no Letter than the similar guar
entee of Gen. Tracy or Mr.. George and is in fact
no guarantee whatever, for good government
sSfeAS aihhJ nus 'SiAS BoOc ihlChtiOlIb.
What means have you to fulfil your promise
You have no well-deined or organized body OF
supporters, and they are not agreed upon any
platform Of municipal administration You
must act either with or without advisers; in the
first case your government would be little better
than a dictatorship, and certainly no wiser than
yourself; and in the second case. 1t is to be as.
Bumed that you will be no more successful In
selecting advisers than you have been during
Al. ~aat &c.. -1- --l
with such advisers. success or satisfaction could
scarcely be predicted.
tits probably useless hero to enter upon the
discussion OF the question OF non.partisanshiI
in municipal government. There may be nc
politics in municipal administration whatever
but 1t Is certain that securing the control OF the
government 10 a matter of politics, and in thi.
your moro indiscreet friends now assert for you
and oven those who are not your friends ar,
willing to admit, that you are past master o.
the art OF politics and are doing the work o.
promoting your own advancement more shame