The age-herald., 1897-09-05
NEW YORK CITY POLITICS
  Will Tammany Again Rule the ROost2 SETH LOW FOR MAYOR
Is Announced by That Organized Band of Mug wumps Known as the Citizens Union, Who
 May Give the Tiger Walk 0vera
Special 10 The Age-Harald.

campaign of Greater New York has been opened ahead of schedule time by the ac- tion of an organized band of mugwumps, known as the Citizens Union. They have nominated Seth Low for mayor, after re- fusing all overtures to confer and com bIne with the republicans and other anti Tammany organizations.
 This leaves the polBical situation so far as its relates to the selection of can- didates simply chaotic No one can say with authority what will happen, but the present drift of affairs is in Lhe direction of the municipal ticket. The republican leaders have stated so often and so em- phatically Lhat they would not accept Low if the Citizens Union nominated him first that they cannot yield without an abjsct surrender which would disrupt their organization.
 Three ticke.s would mean the cleo ion of the Tammany candidates by an enor- nous plurality, and no practical poiid- clan of amy faction doubts it. So the re- publican leaders hesitate and the har moIfzers of the par-y are working night and day to arrange some sort of com promise.
 The Citizens Union is political move ment peculiar to New York, and it is worth ca eful study and observation. It represents social as well as political ele- ments ard conditions, and l. is striking example of the power of he few over he many where the smaller force is carefully directed.
 New York is called a. wicked city and a cosmopolitan one. Ut may be both, but there exists here a spirit of Puritan.sm that is so compact and forceful Ina it's power is superior to all opposing forcss in puIblc and social affairs. few thol B. ard descendants of the original Pur1- tans, who built up New England, robbed the Indians, sold slaves to the south al a big profit and burned witches at the stake, live in New York. These men have fnhe.G.ed the spirit of their ances- tors. They possess the same energy and force of character, and they are today the controlling Influence in the affairs of the metropolis. Four-fif.hs of the church attendants in the present city of New York are Catholics bull the Pro- 'besl ant rel gbon still dominates in school, society, charF,y and public life. It Is the aggressive splrI.- of the Puritan that saves the creed from des ructdon. Ts
 It is the same Puritan spirit that closes fs eyes 10 wickedness which thrives by gaIshght, but hunts 10 the death who dares offend openly. It was this spfItt that encouraged and sustained the Park hurst crusade and mada possible un'on of opposing forces to defea. Tammany Hall three years ago. The power of this Puritan band is partly due to the cow ardice of the forces to which it is op- posed. The members of the sub-Strata of society, the fon5ignerT, want go get up and on in the world. They seek ma terial progress and regard responsibility as one siep forward, so they are putty In ths hands of the men who control the wealth of jhe city and shape it's social and moral policy. The middle classes want to get into society, so it is after all an easy matter to account for the far reaching power and influsnce of the Puri tan who belongs to the 400 dn the social world and is a mugwump in politics.
 The citizens union is the creation of a handful of Puritans and 1t has attract ed all classes of mugwumps including those democrats and republicans who re- gard practical politics as crime and all political leaders as criminals. There are few hundred of these men in New York who feel that they should rule the city by divine right and they are the unrelenting foes of all men who seek or hold office through the power of political organization. The union is made up of men i'm about equal numbers who hate Tammany and the republican leaders not for any sins of omission or commission, but because they are regular and legiti- mate political organizations. There are i ir, yybn w01l n gladly put Tammany into power again if by so doing Hhey could crush Senator Platt and the organization that he has built, up while there are so-called demo- crats who had rather see. e.ths city in the hands of socialists and anarchists than contralled by party organization. The talk of these men about good g'oy{rn- ment is the ramlos'st kind of alypocracy They want the offices for themselves and their friends Such are the men who have nominated Seth Low for mayor. This mugwump candidate is a man af- ter the heart of alis packers. He has al- ways posed as a man better than the party to which he professed allegiancse- MT. Low is a man of pleasing personali- ty, he is rich, poses as reformer and gave s1. 100000 to Columbia college. He inherited all his wealth from his father. It is not apparent that he has any special qualification for the office of mayor of Greater New York. The fact is that MT. Low has never done, said or written anything worth examination by a student of the deeds of great men. All efforts to force national issues Co the front in this campaign have failed so far and they cannot succeed because human nature cannot be changed in il month. The republican city convention may indorse the national platform in-a perfunctory way. The Tammany leaders have never had any intention of reaf- frming the Chicago platform They are going to make the fight on state and local issues alone, and as a gambling choice it Is an odds-on bet that free sIl- yer. the Dingley bi1 or any other ris- tional question will mot change 1000 votes in this election. There is too much at stake In the local contest 10 drag into If tsss1Iaz f1aaf were cn.ff1ad at t1,o rol-a