The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-17
Plain Truth About Mr.. Low.

Before the campaign proceeds further let
there be a little cold contemplation of the
Citizens Union candidate as a man of per-
sonal rectitude. Mr.. Lows superior moral
character is the foremost theme Of his adj
vocates and the dream of his admirers.
His alleged inseparablc obligation to honor
Is his chief stock in trade as a public man.
To our observation various circumstances
concerning Mr.. Low have satisfied us that
this particular claim for him is without
genuine foundation. One should suffice to
convince any impartial man that this Is
the true opinion.
The Citizens Union petition was under
taken after Mr.. Low practically had de-
clared that the condition of his accepting
the nomination for Mayor would he evi.
dence that he would be a "unifying force
among the friends of good government"
The nature Of the petition obtained by way
OF evidence was. of course, generally under
stood. That 1t was the embodiment Of zeal
on the part Of the canvassers rattle than the
truthful expression of actual desire on the
part of the alleged signers, has been shown
by the fact that the Unions subsequent in
v~itation to the public by postal cards to
make known it's preferences for candidates
for the other places on the ticket with Mr..
Low, received substantially no response at
all. But the majority of mature men know
without new proof that monster petitions
Of its kind are to a large extent fraudulent,
deceptive, or meaningless.
When, however. this petition was COM
pleted and the Citizens Union began to
chafe at their supposed non-partisan can
didate's delay in replying to it, Mr.. Low,
seeing that he must decide, decided to ac-
cept, and mentioned the 1902 900 signers of
the petition as the basis for his decision.
The words of his acceptance were put with
an elaboration characteristic of the nom
partisan, cloaked with a peculiar touch of
piety. "1n my view" said he, 1.-THE nom
nation has thus been virtually already
made by the people. No patriot, under such
circumstances, could decline to %serve.' He
accepted "in the fear of GoD." Yet how
unanswerable Is the following letter:
ITO THE EDrroR OF THE srN-Sfr Being one OF those
who signed the petition In favor OF SETH Low for
Mayor OF Greater New York. 1 would like to state
that I did SO under the impression that he was to be
nominated Jointly by all the antiTammany forces.
! did not know that he was to be nominated by q self.
constituted party at q snap convention. which
was held for the sole purpose OF stealing n march on
the Republican party. In being first in the field.
"Iwil venture to say that several thousand Repub-
Leans signed that petition. a. / did. undor a misap-
prehension. That petition. therefore. was gotten up
under false pretences. and I will venture to say. fur.
thermore. that the majority of Its signers now repudi.
alto 1t. !. for one. shall support the nominee OF tho
Republican party.
"There 10 absolutely no Significance attached to Do.
titions. They can bo procured with comparative
ease. and neither is there anything binding In them.
People will sign a petition for as readily as against,
and sometimes sign two.
As q Republican / would like to offer my humble
protest against indoring SETH Low or any other
fusion candidate. Tho Republican party Is great
enough to govern tho nation and the State; surely IL
Is great enough to govern Greater New York.
"GEoRdE FKNrRIoK.
"loa WEST sIxTr. youRTH STREET."
No doubt thousands of the signers of this
petition yielded to the %canvassers' solicita.
ton on the strength Of Mr.. Lows refus.
al to lend his name to the Citizens
Union movement except as a unifyinp
force, unincation to the general mind
meaning -Tammany unincation. His
words were to them a bond that their
names would not be used by Mr.. Low or his
friends for any other purpose. He offered a
contract which they accepted. Yet this
same gentleman, almost holy in the minds
of his infatuated dupes and In the argu.
ments of his political promoters, repudiated
his pledge, after action on the part of others
had bound him to it i~rrevocably, and deter
mined to run "be friends few or many"
The average respect for the principles of
civil law alone would nave saved him from
an act so essentially deceitful.
In our opinion, no honest mind could
have seen the situation as Mr.. Low saw it.
Ambition would have been impotent to per-
suade an honest man 80 to see 1t. Evident
ly Mr.. Low is one of those perverted NOR
alists whom self-esteem finally absolves
from the obligations which the run of men
are accustomed to feel themselves and to