The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-09
Mr.. Low and the Nomination for
Mayor.

MI. SETH Lows letter announcing his
willingness to be n candidate Cor Mayor, |
but saying that he Is not warranted
In accepting the nomination Of the Citizens
Union Mt the present time" simply gives
formal expression to sentiments which OBJ
viously have been entertained by him for
some time past. or course, Mr.. Low would
not have allowed his candidacy to be dis
cussed so generally and so seriously unless he
was prepared to make the run for the Office,
provided that the united opposition to the
Organized Tammany Hall should ask for
his leadership. Otherwise he would have
stopped the talk about his candidacy long |
ago, by making known his unwillingness
to take such a nomination.
Mr.. Low being thus serious candidate for
Mayor Of New York, he naturally requires
that the nomination shall COM to him
with a political backing which will give it
serious consequence. He wants to beat
Tammnny Hall, not to assist in putting
New York under the control of the revolu-
tionary Democracy Of the Chicago platform,
and, hence, he does not want the nomination
unless there is to be a union of all the con-
sentative forces OF this great community,
giving promise of his election.
In other words, Mr.. Low, like every other
sensible man, knows that his candidacy
will amount to nothing, except as a con-
temptible diversion in the interest of
Organism, IL he does not obtain the nomi-
nation and the support of the Repub-
lican party and its organization. That
party must be the engine with which the
Organized Tammany is smashed, il smashed
it Is to be. Without the earnest and
vigorous assistance of the Republican
party no candidate for Mayor of New
York can possibly be elected against
the revolutionary Democracy. There is no
more possibility Of beating Tammany next
November except through the agency of the
Republican party than there was Of beating
BRYAN last November without voting for
MCKINLEY, the Republican candidate.
Everybody, every politician, regular or ana
teur, knows that, and no one better than
Mr.. Low himself, a cool-headed and
sagacious man of much political experience.
His letter, therefore, is a warning to the
wild young fellows and the spiteful politi-
clans of the Citizens Union that, IL they
want him as a candidate, they must stand
aside and subordinate themselves to the
sensible men in the movement who are really
bent on defeating Tammany Hall. When
the Good Government Club contingent con.
eeived the purpose of entering into politics,
and more especially at the initiation of this
Citizens Union enterprise, they declared
their intention Of going into the campaign
Independently of all other political organ
izatlons, and disdainful of them, not
expecting to succeed at the election,
but expecting, rather. to be beaten. They
simply wanted to make a demonstration,
and because, so far as it went, it would
help Tammany Hall, they were not to be
dissuaded from their vain purpose. If the
people of New York do not want us, they
said in their bravado, let them have Tam
many. They did not bear in mind, how
ever, that no man who values his
reputation, or who is fit for serious con-
sideration by the people as a candi-
date for Mayor, would allow himself
to be made a tool of for the benefit of the
revolutionary Democracy. Least of all can
Mr.. SETH Low, the President of Columbia
University, the seat of New York's highest
enlightenment, afford to lead a political
diversion in the obvious interest of Tam.
many Hall. If he should engage in such
an enterprise, especially at this time OF
dangerous political manifestations he
would sacrifice his good name and bring
the university of which he is the head into
lasting disrepute.
Mr.. Low tells the Executive Committee
of the Citizens Union tina he "must have
much more evidence than he now has OF
the popular desire, to make it seem to him
a public duty to become a candidate" That
means that, as a sensible man, he does no,
$1,000 A. - ~
appointed citizens as representative of the
popular desire. OF course. they can nomi
nate him. Anybody can nominate him. II,
can nominate himself. But in order tina,
the nomination shall express the measur,
of popular desire, which Mr.. Low seeks a,
a justification for the candidacy of a self
respecting and conscientious man, he wanti
substantial proof. Such proof can only b,
obtained from n regular political organiza
ton representative of one or the other o
the great parties. In New York there ar,
only two such organizations-the Republi
can and the Tammany Hall. At thist tim,
of political disturbance Tammany repre-
sents the Democracy of the Chicago plat
form the Republican organization repre-
scnts the whole opposition to that revolu
tionary platform, whether Republican O
Democratic. The opponents of Bryanisn
must gather around the Republican stand
ard for the time being, following it mex
November as they followed it last Noven
Der. They can do nothing else unless the
are prepared to lie down 10 let the horde
of the Organized Tammany march owe
them into the control of this foremos
centre of American civilization.
MIR. Low, obviously, cannot take a Tan
many nomination.; hence, in order that hi
candidacy may be serious and not merely
diversion in the interest of Tammany, h
must get the nomination of the Republica
Convention. That Convention has not We
been called; but 1t is not likely to be hel
before the latter part of August or durip
September. Accordingly, Mr.. Low cannc
consider seriously any nomination at tn
present time. The rash young fellows {
Nla Ttf;,npy' IT,i,, nnra 49,. .-s ~.