The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-07
LOW DEFINES THE ISSUE
SAYS IT IS SIMPLY GOOD GOVERN
MENT FOR GREATER NEW york.

hiS speech accepting the Cttfzens' Union
Nonination-A Clear, Lucid Presenta-
tion of the Case From His View Point
Say officials should be Responsible to
the People and Not to Parties.
New York, Oct. 6.-Seth Low tonight
publicly accepted the nomination of
the Citizens union for mayor of the
Greater New York at large and en-
thusiastic mass meeting held in the
Cooper union. Charles Stewart Smith
called the meeting to order and made
the opening speech.
Joseph Larocque made long speech
during which the audience manifested
it's impatience to hear Mr.. Low. Carl
Schurz delivered long. address which
was enthusiastically received. State
Senator Charles Guy spoke for the
home rule democracy. Seth Low was
then introduced.
Mr.. Low had a carefully prepared
speech covering several pages Of type
written manuscript. He stated that
owing to the lateness OF the hour he
would curtail his remarks.
Following is a summary from the
text of the address furnished the press:
Mr.. Chairman and fellow citizens:
From the point of view of the Citizens
union this campaign has only one. OBJ
ject, namely, to secure good govern
ment for the city of New York, know
that it is considered audacious in some
quarters to appear before constitu-
ency comprising more than half a mil
lion of voters with a programme so
simple. Many men, I know, find 1t hard
to believe that a cause Of this character
is capable Of evoking spirit Of self
sacrifice in any Of our citizens But
let us look at facts.
On the first day Of January the char
ters Of three cities, New York, Brook
lyn and Long Island City-the first two
the largest cities on the continent, and
of, I do not know how many villages.
are to be replaced by the Greater New
York charter. This does not mean
simply that the personnel of all these
various cities, town and village govern-
ment is to change on the first of Janu-
ary. But it means that the actual
agencies of government throughout the
entire territory affected are to be sup
plemented by new governmental agen-
cies, in many instances Of an entirely
different character.
The problem before the voters Of New
York, therefore, at this election, is not
simply to secure a capable and horest
administration Of governmental organ
ization already in operation. But it is
to install over an immense territory an
entirely new city government; to unity
and harmonize interests that have hith-
er to been separate and more or less con-
f1icting and to make the new agencies
of government as efficient as those
which they supplant throughout Tie
length and breadth of the territory af-
fected. Evidently here is a. municipal
problem OF the first magnitude.
There never has been a greater prob
lem presented to the people Of any city
in this country or abroad. When it is
considered that it affects the home and
the business interests Of more than
three millions of people, it is evident
that in it's municipal aspect pure and
simple, this canvass lacks not, one ele-
ment Of consequence to the voters OF
the city or New YORK.
1t seems to me to go without saying
that this problem cannot be success
fully dealt with by any man who goes
into the office Of mayor with a double
object in view. It will tax to the ut
most the resources, Of any one whose
only object it Is to deal with this prob
lem successfully and on its merits. But
if the mayor Of the peoples choice is
selected under such conditions that his
primary obligation is toward some
other object a successful installation
and administration Of the new charter
is simply out of the question. If the
city government by the consent of the
voters is to be treated as party spoil
history is full Of illustrations of what is
to be expected. The city's work will
be done after a fashion and the work
of building up the party or faction, Of
the powers that be, will be done with
the utmost thoroughness.
Now let us see the form that this con-
test has taken. There are four tickets
in the field. Two of them, the ticket
headed by General Tracy and the ticket
headed by Henry George, openly pro-
claim the doctrine that in the solution
of this tremendous municipal problem
that confronts the city of New York,
national issues and not the local issues
are to dominate in the mind of the vot-,
ers. General Tracy or the platform on
which he stands says that the general
issue is Organism, with free coinage of
silver at 16 to 1 and all that that inn
plies. Henry George in the main agrees
with him as to the issue and brings
into the canvass the Chicago platform
of the democratic party. only General
Tracy is against Organism and Henry
George is for it,.
Both of these gentlemen propose to
reform the city, of course. Neverthe-
less they do say, both Of them, that the
city's interests are not the paramount
issue and that the voter ought to cast
his ballot primarily with reference to
national issues. This is the voters
privilege, undoubtedly, if he wished to
do so, but, if he does do it, he must
not be disappointed If he does not get
good city government. No man can
serve two masters and if the people of
the city elect a mayor because of the
views he entertains on the free coinage
of silver, and all the rest, they must not
be surprised if the mayor they elect
subordinates the interests of the city to
the exigencies Of the party to which
he belongs, in its strenuous efforts to
use the city for the advantage of the
party in all succeeding elections.
Translated into plain English, this