The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-09
am rrAR OF con-,
mo Responsibility view Resting on seth Lew
ana His O~pportuntty.

and His Opportunity.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir II Mr..
Seth Low Is really in fear Of God" as he said In
accepting the Citizens Union nomination. how
can he provo his sincerity except by keeping his
word to tho people that he would be q candidate
only II ho was demonstrated to be "a unifyinE
forces A man cannot act "in fear Of God IL
he acts under the impulse of his selfish am
billions merely. Nor Is a man "a ~unifying force"
when he insists on being n candidate. "be
friends few or many" as he said also. In &C
cepting the Citizens Union nomination at
Northeast Harbor. A pledge given in June and
q contradictory threat flung out In September
cannot both DO Gin fear of God" God Is not q
man that He should lie."
II Seth Low would have mon believe that in
truth he walks in fear Of God" now is the timo
for him to show that his words were true and not
an impious pretence. He has now an opportunity
to servo his fellow citizens such as rarely comes
to q man and thus to demonstrate that he fears
God in the sincerity of his heart. When Bourko
Cochran made his great speech at Madison
Square Garden last year, spurning Organism.
he was a noble example Of q man acting in fear
Of God" Thereby he excluded himself from
personal political reward, but he served the
good Of his country and earned and received tho
crown OF popular honor for his courage and de-
votion "in fear OF God" He made himself in
verify "a ~unifying force among the friends Of
good government" He seized q great opportu-
nifty to render q distinguished service to the
American people, and because performed under
the impulse Of duty only. It has given him q
higher place in tho public regard than ho ever
before held, higher. probably. than any no had
over dreamed Of holding. That Is what tho
Bible means by acting " in fear of God"
When necessary political unity Is made i'm
possible by q candidate. his obvious duty Gin
fear OF God" Is to withdraw, SO that there may
be unity upon some other candidate. Tho ono
insuperable obstacle to unity "among tho
friends OF good government" in the Greater
New York Is now demonstrated to be Seth Low
himself. More than any other man in this COM
munity, therefore. it rests upon him to deter
mine whether there shall be unity. and upon
him first and most will rest the responsibility
for tho division and the overthrow Of the
friends Of good government which his candi.
dacy provokes.
1t has often happened in our political expert
ence. State and national. and In the experience Of
private associations and enterprises also, that
vaulting ambitions have been sacrificed to such
duty. When there Is irrcconcilable disagreement
over a particular candidate for Office, imperil-
ling requisite unity, he can make himself "a
u~nifying force" only by stepping aside in favor Of
q candidate on whom all can agree. The fondest
ulultlOH ol men OI inc greatest QlSLlnCLlOn In
our political history and the history Of our
greatest private enterprises have been often
sacrificed under the impulse of that large altru-
istic duty. II is an obligation which rests hon
orably on a gentleman: absolutely on the man
who would walk % in fear of God"
Seth Low. it is said. will return to New York
from Northeast Harbor in the course Of q week
or ten days. following the drift OF travel which
tends away from Mount Desert in September.
When he reaches this city he will find that his
Citizens L MON candidacy has destroyed all pos.
sibility Of his being "a unifying force, - and that
II he persists in It he must run as a can
dldate who can get votes only by di-
viding 1.-THE friends Of good government"
II AS moi Il mere matter of receiving
an Endorsement" from the Republican party.
Even with that there would be dissension fatal
to his chances OF election and to good govern
ment. for a large part Of the Republicans would
refuse 10 support his candidacy even il he were
nominated by their convention. Mr.. Lows
managers have been steadily insulting the Re-
publican party throughout his stay at Northeast
Harbor. and arc keeping up the insults still. so
that cordial Republican support Of him is out Of
the question. 1t is SO certain that the sentiment
Of tho great bulk OF the Republicans is
against him irreconcilably that his nomi-
nation by the Republican City Convention is
utterly impossible. Mr.. Low. therefore, cannot
run except as the Citizens Union candidate
solely and against the Republican party, in
other words, as a disunifying force. That stu
alton will confront him when he gets back to
New York. and he cannot escape from 1t.
Without his candidacy, and with the assist
ance Of well-directed harmonizing influences
coming from him, this disunion and this discord
can be transformed into harmony. so that when
the Goth OF this month comes there shall be cor
dial and irresistible unity in the nomination
and support OF some other candidate. Only by
Withdrawing his candidacy can Mr.. Low prove
himself "a ~unifying force" BY pursuinga course
so obviously required by his pledge he will earn
as much public honor and gratitude as he will
earn and receive public contempt by sacrificing
to his selfish ambitions the unity to which he
promised to devote himself wholly. The crucial
test OF this mans character. accordingly, will
come in a few days, and his standing in this COM
munity from this time forth. whether it is low
or high. will BIO determined by the way he goes
through it.
As to his election. nothing need be said, for it
is impossible, under any circumstances; but by
continuing as a candidate he may assure the
election Of the Tammany ticket. Tammany.
from Croker down. is basing all its hopes on the
candidacy Of Seth Low. and with good reason.
NEW YORK. Sept. 8. MANHATTAN.
why Colored People Don't Commit Suicide.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: In answer to
"Another lnouirer !" In to-dAv,a tsapa 7 uo,,. 49,.