The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-08
Union for Gen. Tracy Imperative.

The study Of the returns Of the election of
1885, when HENRY GEORGE first ran for
Mayor, is instructive and even alarmingly
suggestive.
There were three candidates for Mayor in
the field in 1885, GEORGE, a political out
law; HEWITT, Tammany and united Dem
ocratic, and RoosEvELT, Republican. AS
returned the vote stood: HEWITT, 9O,552;
GEORGE, 6s,11O, and ROOSEVELT. 6O,435.
On the face of the returns, therefore,
HEWITT beat GEORGE by a plurality of
22,442. That certainly was an unconfort-
ably small margin. But it has a more
alarming appearance when an analysis of
the full vote cast at the election shows that
it came almost wholly, IL not entirely, not
from Democrats, but from Republicans.
The Republican vote cast for ROOSEVELT
was 6O,435, but the Republican vote re-
ceived by that party's candidate for Asso-
ciate Justice of the Court of Appeals, Judge
DANIELS, was 70. 1856, or 1851 more than
RoosEvELT's. Those 1851 Republican
votes were cast for Mayor HEWITT, giving
him his comparatively narrow plurality
over GEORGE of %, 442. If to these Repub.
lican votes are added those which went to
the whole Democratic ticket at that cleo
ton, when it was notably good by general
consent, the whole plurality Of HEWITT
appears to nave been contributed by the
Republicans solely.
That such was the case actually is demon
strated by a comparison of HEwITT's vote
with the full Democratic vote cast for the
Democratic candidate for Associate Justice
of the Court of Appeals, Judge PECKHAM, or
1888. or these GEORGE tool 6S,11O,
leaving HEWITT but 81, 26i votes.
II, then, HEWITT had obtained only the
Democratic vote left after the incursion of
GEORGE, he would have been beaten. He
was saved and New York was saved from
Georgeism only by Republicans who zane to
his aid. The same comparison as applied
to the other candidates on the Republican
and Democratic tickets tells substantially
the same story. ADRIAN S.. HEWITT was
elected Mayor in 1856, and HENRY GEORGES
first assault on the conservatism of New
York was defeated by Republican votes.
The same emergency, the same crisis, Is
here now, except that the danger from
HENRY GEORGE Is far greater than 1t was
In 1886. Instead of a political outlaw, he
is now the regular Democratic candidate,
with the force of the most enthusiastic SEN
timent of the Democratic party impelling
his canvass. Tammany Hall is disinte-
grated by its own political pusillanimity
and by the violent assault of the George
canvass. It's ticket provokes popular de-
rision as the "yellow-dog ticket"
How, then, is HENRY GEORGE to be
hcateni Conservative Democrats must do
as conservative Republicans did in 1856,
when they elected HEWITT with their
patriotic votes.
The situation has been reversed since
1886. A Republican, Gen. TRACY, now
leads the forces of social order and CON
servatism, instead of the Democrat, Mr..
HEWITT, in 1885. HENRY GEORGE him
self is the Democratic leader. Democrats,
therefore, must rally to the support of Gen.
TRACY II his election and the defeat of
HENRY GEORGE are to be made sure.
These are plain and indisputable facts and
their recital must produce conviction in
the mind of every reasonable citizen. The
forces OF social order and of property, for
the defence OF the existing social system
against the onset of the social revolution.
are fortunately led by Gen. TRACY. He
commands the fullest respect and con
fldenco of men of all parties; he is a states
man of national reputation, and he is a
man of a moral and intellectual mould, pre-
sminently fitting him TO be the leader OF