The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-26
SETH LOW THE DICTATOR.
ONLY HIS CREATURES TOLERATED
IN OFFICE BH HIM.

HoeblinE, tho Hon. y. y. II. btrnnhhhn anu
Prof Dwight, Founder OF tho Columbia
Law school - His Board OF Education.
When Seth Low became Mayor of Brooklyn in
1881 he Immediately assumed q dictate ship
such as has never been equalled In tho history OF
that city or any other city in this country. In
his first message to the Board of Aldermen OF
Brooklyn he said:
wish TO state distinctly that the acceptance OF an
appointment at my hands will DO evidence to the
community that the person accepting IL has personally
given to me the assurance that he win. without delay,
give mo his resignation whenever 1 ask II.
Further along he said:
As to their deputies. their chief executive oficers,
/ shall expect TO he consulted. because they give char
acter to an administration almost a. much - does Its
chiefs, and l have a right to insist that the appoint
ments shall be satisfactory to me az well as TO them.
The personal assurance given to Mr.. Low at
his demand was not by word OF mouth, but was
In writing, md 1t read like this:
hereby tender my resignation ns Commissioner OF
the Department of -. the same to take enect Inn
ncdiately. -. Commissioner.
Seth Low had tho right to appoint the heads of
all the departments in the city government.
The law said that their terms Of office should be
30 long. The law didn't suit Seth Low. He de-
manded autocratic power, and in spite Of tho
law he insisted on getting the designations Of
these officials before he would appoint them.
u a" ",u .naC 'ne heauS departments
"'n" "Pp"in' he' "epu'ies' u te'nns :"
81 Wv "ei' p''rrueu "r wv
w. =" "on n" e"n
nv "' u y n''nSou Hppoih. INC
uoputno' =" SO 'n"' Nv Ia" enouiu
"" Wv .H"v "o 'uou'u n"'o u w
Seth Low, when he became Mayor of Brooklyn,
would appoint no man to office who would not
$1,000 - p'"o.S II. inc W u" NJ
Nia.ol' Il "no "ou,u not 'ir'ueily become a
- ~ o'uuen. ! o'"'ao.er
wy :" '-'is '''n y" e'et NV IL VI c
- 10y t''N' '"'" i'poi'e'
'."'oT",'"",
~ o'ie, oh"rac'eris'icoi M ma Is tnatne
' o wa" pie''n'o y III Vi no"oA
Us ~, !. 'no9o nun nave an! "u.h'li''
10 no ~,sn' 10 Nefo ~ opposi'ioh I'M
80 "' 1911 40 .h";of VI Il ~ "hu .
~" t""' - y. " - quIoNi' "'he
ouu ,"he TX .haFSc'er oi II mo zap
p '"en pi"oe i"Ne ns [ecoru shhoo
ne W" 'hH,oro, hrooAlyn anu sinco NO mas oeeh
fFesaueh1 Oh Co'u"oia 'oiiese'
i"eo Lh'i"oh'e III "osoiu'oly provo INC
statement make are these: In Col. hoeoiing.
the chlet engineer ana the master OF the Brook
iyh hringe' oe'h 10" ROUNDS man with a strong
L1iho' n man. 100. VINO mad been mis- personal
~ "N "' o''oN ~ ~" III ho Va
mlnlstratioh ana nave aidec him In every way
ne could. WITHIN one week OF his taking office
sem Low declared that Col. hoeoling must be
misplaced as the mead OF the great bridge. You
know the story OF the methods that no TOOK TO
oispiace him-how no went so far as TO use his
own ia'her In an enueaVor 10 induce Coi. hoeo-
hns 8 wlfe 70 play the traitor.
Inc second instance Is that OF his treatment
OF 'hc non. - l. otrahahah' the man VINO made
prospect fark. Lake Coi. hocoling, Mr.. Strana-
nan haS oeen the personal friend OF Seth Lows
iather ana OF Setn 10" hlmselt. lie was famous
IN munic'pal arairs before seth Low was born.
lie khe" moro In a minute about the manage
H'eht Oh acitJ imam seth Low mas been able to
sather IN all the years or MS Ire. Mr.. Strana-
nan, ike 1ol. ftoeolihS' STOOD ready 10
ala seth Low IN giving TO the city OF
brooklyn the oest municipal government that
that CITY hao ever hao. Selh Low insnlted MI.
strahanah ateVery opportunity he had AFTER his
ei.etloh' ana. when the opportunity came, he
Rotr re OF hiin' Inc answer OF the people to
Se'h Low on that occasion was tho erecting OF a
n'ohuh'ht 70 nohof MT. otrahahan TOT mis- work
tUt ina' nhohu"eht Ia one OF the very
&c" monuments ever erected to a man stu iiv-
"k s'""uS 'o'u"S a. u entrance 70 fros-
he.si 40 AZ VI p'ooAi!h'
~" e". ."a p'o'ee ny ASSERTION
!" w. n"tS"l' II hea. VI inc
co,''''," ~" 7en'ot "n'c'' m4uo o'lumoie
So'ese "o"' ~ "u''h " "neh oeth Lo"
a" sue" Vi mo 'n'l''ution' II most
. ,"" s'noo' !" Il 'ouhtr!' In frol.
Wv " 'Ao toeU!ihs anu
9Iu"anan. VI strong "Ihu'a manor VIII power;
noOou' > n.NsptHte u nooou' s,oo'' anu tur-
- Wv "n"'i" w oe'o"o e't".'' spite
VI 's't nat II equation 'oiunoia pos
Sr''e "a oeeh n"I' W ii I'd" ochoo' tnas
'o' i",En' 'ou"ueu II Srea,' 8e'h 10"
''"''N.u ~ ket ~ ol f.ot p"lsh'' nho no
'h"n"tu 'ho La" 9chooi rom 'he most sue
n burden on the college. 1t is that to-day. It
hood of $50 200 a vear moro than n hna brou.h.
to rho institution
There is another incident that proves what I
say. When Seth Low became Mayor Of Brook
Ign. no found in the Board OF Education very
many men with strong minds who had the inter.
ests OF tie public schools OF Brooklyn Mt heart.