The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
SETH LOW ADEAR LUXURY.
SENT TAXES Up A-KITING WHILE
MAYOR OF BROOKLYN.

uehFn On NntTthNFA hho |
Promises but Didn't Do-A Statement or the
2 Cost or His Kline OF Business Priucipaes.
"Business principles in tho City Hall" |
"Down with tho bosses - These are the two |
slogans OF Seth Low and the Cleveland Mug |
wump idolaters and Colombia University ON. |
ployees who are, as the sporting mon would say,
camping his game" THE Sun showed yoster-
day a small part Of Seth LOW record while he
was Mayor OF Brooklyn ~ boss and dictator, bo-
side whom all other bosses pale. Seth Lows
power was absolute. BY compelling his under
lings TO evade the law, he held over their heads
clubs in the shape Of letters Of resignation OBJ
tanned from them before he appointed them.
Every mans place, every mans bread and but
ter. II he was drawing IL from the Brooklyn city
Government, was subject to oven the viii IN Of
Seth Low. Though the law gave him no power,
though the law distinctly stated tho only
ground upon which persons could be removed
from office, Seth Low, the boss, could unmhko
az easily as ho could make. By the turn Of his
hand he had 1t in his power to make any map
commit hari-kari. In fact, he made his undo r
lines do that before he permitted them to DO
underlings; all that remained for him was to
announce their act, II he WAS so disposed.
Business principles in tho City Hall T. shouts
! Seth Low now. That was Seth Low shout DO.
fore he became tho autocrat OF Brooklyn.
business principles in tho City Hall! Brook
Ign rang with the cry q month before election,
just as Now York to-day. rings with the CRY In
the neighborhood of 80 East Twenty-third
street. On that cry in Brooklyn Seth Low
was elected. The year before he went
into eflco It cost tho city Of Brooklyn
So, 1O6.573 to support the Government.
Seth Low was In Office for four years. and
the kind of business principles that he intro
duced cost tho people OF Brooklyn moro than
| 90 ono 0nn , war Tn his laat year in IN "a N
cost the people of Brooklyn s9,5so, $50 to sup
port the Government Recall the fact that Seth
Low was absolute dictator. that ho had every
department in his own hands, and that no man
could do anything without his approval land no
man did anything except at his dictation) and
compare those figures. There you have a pic
ture of Seth Lows business principles, as shown
by his own record in Brooklyn.
Seth Low promised the people OF Brooklyn
when he was running for Mayor that tho tax
rate should be reduced. He proclaimed from
the housetops that the people were being robbed
by unjust taxation, that property was over
valued, and thai business principles were neces-
sary in the City Hall. The way to introduce
business principles was to elect him, no said.
He promised that II elected Brooklyn interests
alone were to be studied; it was to be a govern
ment for the people; he promised the people Of
Brooklyn that the city would blossom with inn
provements Of all kinds, and it would not cost
them anything; they would come by expanding
honestly the money then raised. He promised
that he would establish q public market; he
said that the ono thing Brooklyn nee led above
all others was rapid transit. ELECT me- he
shouted, and you will get rapid transit" He
proclaimed from the housetops, as he 10 proclaim
ing now. that the children Of school age were
neglected. that the educational system was bad,
that there were insufficient schoolhouses. and he
shouted Elect mo. and I will build school.
houses sufficient for tho accommodation OF all
the children"
He proclaimed also from the housetops that
his administration would be absolutely non.
partisan and that he would enforce the ~strictest
civil service rules. No man should be turned
out for political reasons, no faithful servant
should be disturbed. These are the principal
promises that he made. How did he fulhl them
Seth Low was elected Mayor of Brooklyn In
1881; his first year in office was 1882; the tax
rate in Brooklyn in 1882 was b. SO on every
500. The total assessed valuation was 1898,
1887. After Seth Lows business principles
had been on tap in the City Hall two years the
tax rate rose to $40 30 on 800. At the end oil
three years 1t rose to 1888, and at tho end OF
four it rose to 81. 90, or a total increase during
his administration Of almost GO cents on 300
That's how he reduced the tax rate. A steady
increase from his first day in office to his last
day in office. But that Is not all.
bet"een the years 1881 ana 1850 the inter
Sehihg years oeinR 'ho'c IN "nich seth 10"
administered inc government on business prih
cipies al .ho oi'y fi"i' INC assessed vaiuation
OF properly was pu.u up hioro 'nnn @ioTooo'ouo
lhatb no" no iuiiii'e" ME promise 10 reduce ths
valuations as well as tho tax ratio. With ali
th's tremendous increase IL the assessed Vaiua
lion ana IN Inc TAX ra.e on the increased as
sessea Faluat'oh' oelh 10" went OUT OF once
ana to-day tnere !. NOT one srent puonc I'M
pro'enie"'' reoHi 10 n peopio ~ iou 'ears
, II = n.' .o'o Il stot'
OF MS e"traHeouS tr0Stnioh' Oh Col. WASH
r ink'o" n 'o'ihS ""o "Nu '.en I'LL
, intimate personal n soc'S, irfehu' now
"hen no la oeoh IN ohce ou' one "eek
ne announced .nst ne was gong 10 turn Col
i.oeoins ou'oi LIE piaoo =. ehiei ons,heer "
l .he otiuse' 'hs" ,H oou,so =, eo""'tuotion'a NV
now III ~ =. " 10 .n'.' 10 y
MAKE Tue VII VI tnlo IltH v tTdilOT o nrT nuh