New-York tribune., 1897-10-26
SETH LOWS CAREER.
MARKED WITH GREAT USEFULNESS IN
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CAPACITIES. '

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF COLIA-
ErA - UNcEAsING INTER
EST IN TIE PUBLIC
WELFARE
Seth Low the Citizens candida,e ior .he oN'|e
~ Mavor OF New-York-the Greater New
York as 1t will be next y"a7-"as 'o'n ~
p,oor,vn on January is. 1850. His grandfather
was a Harvard-bred merchant, and previous -
bic rcnov,, TO New-York was in business In
Salem. His father, Abel Abbot Low, followed
tho Salem bent. went out to China. and re-
t,,rned IN found the great tea and silk house OF
A. A. Low & Brothers. Seth Low received ms
education AT the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute
md Columbia College from which latter he was
graduated in 1870 at the head OF his class Oh
leaving college. he entered his fathers business
house as a clerk and traversed the regular
grades until he was admitted 10 the fr1n IN lo'o'
on the retirement Of the senior members. four
wears later he succeeded, with other junior part
rers to the business, which was finally lqui-
dated in 1883
Meanwhile Mr.. Low became interested in GER
tain phases OF public life especially In puoiic
charities He enlisted as a Volunteer VISITOR 10
the poor In 1875 in the movement which re-
suited In first reforming and finally abohshing
the system Of public outdoor relief in Kings
County, and In 1878 he organized and became
the first president Of the Bureau OF Charities
one Of the earliest societies organized for the
promotion OF cooperation. for the development
of power and resources and the prevention OF
waste and imposition in the field OF charitable
cndeavor. He joined the Republican association
Of his ward and took enerCetically to the sort
Of political work which could be done by young
men Of brains and character within the strict
limits Of party.
POLITICAL LEADER.
A Republican campaign club wes organizeo
IN Brooklyn In 1880 to promote the election OF
Garfield and Arthur. and Mr. Low was CHOSEN
its president The conspicuous success Of this
organization In helping to swell the party vote
Of that year brought its president prominently
into public view. At the close OF the triumphant
campaign Mr. Low retired from the presidency.
and the club was reorganized under the title OF
The Young Republican Club" Though Mr..
Low was no longer the leader OF this organiza-
ton, It was destined to have decisive influence
on his future. Part Of the work to which II
FL ciaiIy addressed itself the improvement
OF the city government, and the principle was
definitely adopted that this object should be
pursued without reference TO National or State
politIca In practice this meant that partisan
nominations should not necessarily be binding
on the club ia municipal elections The next
year brought An occasion for the application OF
the principle and II WAS applied with decision.
courage vigor ard complete success
Brooklyn had felt the wave OF extravaganza
ard corruption that swept over the land in the
wake Of the Civil War. At the time that the
Tweed ring. with its unholy alliance with Tam
many Republicans. seized on New-York, ring
# Ike composition and with like purposes seized
ron Brooklyn. The plunder wGs not so great
because there was not the wealth but the bur
den imposed on the city was relatively greater
The resources OF many decade were mort
gagged In few years. and all benefoent and
even most of the necessary functions OF city sd
mnis,ration were hampered FOR a generation.
The revolt against Tweed in New-York and the
overthrow OF the Democratic power in the State
and, still more valuable. the overthrow Of the
corrupt combination within the Democratic
party. was accompanied by a like movement in
Brooklyn which, with varying success. had CON
tnucd to the time when the Young Republican
Club had run UP the flag Of independence In city
politics One Of its most fruitful Victories was
the passage OF a charter FOR Brooklyn under
which the Mayor had the sole power OF appoint
lnent Of the heads OF departments and the power
Of removal at discretion within thirty days OF
The beginning OF his term Of Office. The char
ter WAS to go into effect on January !. lSS2
The reformers IN Brooklyn the immense
worthiiy use those unprecedented powers.