The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-22
what the Different Candidates Must no, n
Elected.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUS-Sir: It IL very in
teresting to read in the columns of your paper
the various reasons assigned by citizens and voterS
for their choice OF Gen. Tracy. He Is most de-
cidedly my choice. and l take the liberty OF stating
the mental process as q result Of which aside from
my feelings OF loyalty to the Republican party. with
which 1 have always been identihed) / could not for
q moment think OF casting my ballot for any other
than Gen. Benjamin F. Tracy.
Some years ago q farmer. resident in susquehanna
county. Pa, owned . large yellow dog. HIS farm
was beside the Delaware. Lackawanna and West.
ern tracks. This dog fell into the habit OF chasing
the express train along the tracks and down to
tho curve which hid the train from view. One
day while earnestly engaged in this pursuit
q neighborng farmer. seated upon the front
porch OF the farmhouse and witnessing this e-
traordinary effort on the part OF the beast. removed
his pipe from his mouth for a moment and said.
Hiram, I'm wondering ef that dog thinks he kin
kctch that train ~ to which the owner responded.
~ amt; I'm wonderin' what in thunder he'd do with
It ef he did ketch it."
This, very bluntly, pictures the mental situation OF
all thinking voters at this time. What Van wyck
would do with the Mayoralty II he got II is as certain
as history and experience can make 1t. and every
vote cast for Van wyck must be deemed to be cast
with full knowledge Of what he would do. There
can scarcely be any doubt. In the premises.
What Nj. George would do II he got 1t. while not
certain. is nevertheless probably ~tolerably clear In
u Inluub vi al tuiuAthB IL "toi 30 -
sincere which is advanced as . complete answer to
all criticism OF his platform or political plans) 10
utterly beside the question:. unless II be proper to
state that q sincere man, II he be in error. is by so
much the more q menace and n source OF danger. He
may DO reasonably calculated by virtue Of this sin.
certify to stick to his error all the more pertinaciously.
When we come to Mr. Low the question becomes
full of vagueness and doubt. 1t is impossible for
any one to state convincingly. SO as tosway the tudg-
ment Of thinking men. just what Mr.. Lows policy
and acts as Mayor would be. He says. IL An a Re-
publican!' but the history OF the past few weeks 10
sufficient to show that this is an empty phrase. II
Mr.. Low has not independence enough to assume per.
sonally the responsibility of deciding the question
whether, upon discovering that he was not ' a unity.
ing force" he should withdraw as a candidate, but
felt that he must leave It to his Executive Commit
tee. consisting OF Mr.. Reynolds and others. what
guarantee has the voter that their influence will have
waned in the event of his selection as Mayor of the
city OF New York What guarantee has the voter
that Mr.. Low will prove utterly devoid OF gratitude,
or that those who have sacrificed so much to adj
vance his canvass will not have their reward ?
What evidences of independence have Mr.. Low given
up to this point to justify the slur cast by him upon
Gen. Tracy. when he suggested that II the latter were
elected. New York would be governed from Washing
ton? To be sure. this slur was a boomerang of the
most Australian type. as the ballots will show. But.
TO be brief, 1t has proved impossible for the papers
supporting Mr.. Low. up to the present time. to indi.
CAtc SicatlS NV WIN "eiBn enoueu oi AFSu"out 10
satisfy my judgment that they know. or that Mr.. Low
knows. Just what he will do "ef he ketches the
train"
On the other hand. II Gen. Tracy is elected. We can
be assured. not only by reason OF his record in city.
State. and Federal politics, but by reason of the REQ
ord of the party with which he has always so con.
sistently been identified that II he should say 81 am
n Republican, II would convey some idea TO the aver
age voterl that the cause OF good government could
not suffer. Every argument advanced by the Citizens
Union. and bearing upon the question of good munic-
ipal Government. can be advanced with equal force
az regards the administration Of such a man as Benja,
min F. Tracy, the next Mayor OF New York.
HENRY w. JEssuP.