The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-01
NEW YORK'S STRUGGLE
Odds Favor Van Wyck But
Low Stands Well Up
In Front.
PLATFORMS EPIToMIZED
Claims of the Leading Candidates
and Estimates of Their
Strength = Other
Contests.
PLATFORMS EPIT0MIZED

NEW YORK, Nov 1, 1s97.-Tomorrow
will witness a battle royal for the politi-
cal control of the second largest munich
pality in the world. The candidates for
the Office of Mayor, who have any living
chance are four in number, though there
are two additional candidates for the peo-
pies suffrages. Benjamin f. Tracy, Sec
retary of the Navy in the Cabinet OF Pres
ident Harrison, is the Republican nomi-
nee; Robert A. Van Wyck, Chief Judge OF
the City Court, the Tammany Democratic
candidate: Seth Low, President of Col
umbia University and twice Mayor OF
Brooklyn the candidate of the Citizen S
Union, and Henry George, son of the late
advocate of the single-tax theory, the In
dependent, or Thomas Jefferson Demo-
cratic nominee.
Three of the parties indicated oppose in
their platforms or in the letters of
their nominees the present excise law;
the Republican platform defends that
statute as ''the best that could be de-
vlsed."
Seth Lows letter of acceptance (the
Citizens Union put forth no platform
other than this) that the ''excise law
stands midway between the laws that
everybody believes in and the dead laws
that nobody believes In" wherefore he
should take the appeal to the people
themselves
The last estimates and claims of the
various managers of the Greater New
York campaign were given out today.
Chairman Quigg for the Repubh-
can says the County Committee
confidently anticipates the election
OF General Tracy and feels abso-
lutely confident that Seth Low will
not carry a single Assembly district in
the present City of New York. According
to Mr.. Quigg, the ratio of votes as be-
tween Low and Tracy will be 31a to l, and
he expects Tracy to poll a total of 200 900
votes.
Ex4Mayor Hugh J. Grant. who is Judge
Van Wycks manager, issued a statement
in which he estimated the Democratic
candidates tota, vote in Greater New
York at 100000. OF these he expects las. 900
in the present City of New York, S4500
in Brooklyn and S,375 in the boroughs of
Queens and Richmond. Mr.. Grant in his
forecast places the Henry George vote at
from 10000 to 25, 600 and gives Tracy and
Low 225,s0o to divide between them.
Charles Steckler, for the Citizens Union,
/. claims plurality of 27,O00 for Low over
Van Wyck in the present city of New
York, and in support thereof, gives fig
ures from each Assembly district, which
he says are based upon actual canvasses
made by Citizens Union workers. He adj
ded that certificates and vouchers signed
in all cases by the men who made the
canvass, are on file at Low Headquarters.
At the George Headquarters, detailed
statement by Assembly districts was
given out to show that George will have
$1,000 votes in the boroughs of Manhattan
and the Bronx. No estimate was made of
the Brooklyn vote, but unless extreme
ly large George vote is expected from that
quarter, it would appear from the $1,000
estimate that the Jenersonian Democracy
leaders do not claim the election Of their
candidate.
The regular Democracy's platform char
acterizes the Excise law as ubiquitous
and intolerant;" alleges that lit pro-
notes intemperance, furnishes q legalized
refuge for vice, imperils the innocence of
children and destroys the sanctity OF
enues from this city to aggrandize other
portions of the State" The Georgite plat
form is in spirit very similar to that of
the regular Democracy. The law was
passed by Republican Legislature, and
is in one of a number which, according to
the Democratic party idea, infringes the
principle OF home rule, being carried
derating rural vote. which preponderance
is established under the constitutional pro-
vision regarding legislative apportion-
ment.
There is no difference in substance. be-
tween the platform declarations on the
subject of municipal franchises. upon
which point the Greater New York char
ter practically embodies the doctrine that
the city shall not part with the owner
ship Of its franchises. but shall lease them
revision of the terms; but Judge Van
Wyck has gone a step beyond his party
end his Republican and Citizens Union
rivals by saying, in his letter of accept
both own and control Its franchises, and
where such franchises are operated under
grants to corporations fair charge, and
that only. for the service rendered or
convenience furnished should be per-
mitted.'' Seth Low wrote upon the same
point, u think legislation should be
had, however, that will enable the city
to treat every consent to a change of
power by street railroads at a new fran
chise." The Georgite platform is in terms
as strong as the strongest. Of these quot
ed upon the subject of public franchises.
The Republican platform directs particular
attention to the fact that the adoption of
these principles of compensation for fran
chises Was largely due TO the strenuous
efforts OF the Chairman of the Charter
Commission, General Tracy.
Mr.. Low takes the most radical position
of aHthe candidates on the subject of the
civil service, and pI dyed himself that in
the event of his election ''The patronage
of the city shall nqg be used, SO far as it
IS in the Mayors power to prevent it, for
the purpose of either Strengthening or
weakening one party or another, or any
faction Of any party. The Republican
platform asserts The cause of good gov
ernneIlt, meaning thereby honest and in
Stelllgents administration, can never be di-
yorced from the Republican party" but
is not more specific in its references to
the civil service. There is in the regular
4Democratic platform direct reference
to the civil service. The latter instrument
gives place for denunciation of trusts a
demand for "dollar gas,'' for the eight
hours day for city employees and public i'm
*provements upon liberal scale
In the Republican platform several par
agraphs are given to the currency and
other questions that have been promi-
nent in national campaigns, but these is
sues are ignored BY the other parties in
this. con test.
BESIDES the Mayor Comptroller and
President of the Council, the officers of
the municipality that are to be chosen,
there are to be elected members of the
State Assembly, county officials borough
officers and members of the judiciary.
The municipal assembly consists of a
council OF 90 members and a Board of
Aldermen, consisting Of one member for
there is to be elected a successor to
Francis H Wilson, who resigned his seat
as Representative in Congress OF the
Third district to become Postmaster of
Brooklyn The nominees are:-W iiliam a.
Prendergast Republican; Edmund H.
Driggs Democrat. and Horatio G. King,
) Independent Democrat