The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-09
RIVAL CTS UNION BO0MS.
ARE sIGNLTUREs ZOE Low SUBJECT
10 TRANSFER TO STRONof

stereopticon Lectures on stronE's Administrn-
tion-Dense Secrecy Maintained About the
Lists or Low Names, but the Rate 20 Cell
iectors Has Been Raised from . Cents - o.
The rivalry between the booms for Seth Low
and William l. Strong In the Union has reached
an amusing stage. The local issues" cam
paiRn which has been decided on has afforded
the Strong boomers an opportunity which they
have eagerly seized on to forward tho interests
Of their ~favorito.
It will DO remembered that A. w. Milbury do
livored q lecture some weeks ago to an cast side
audience under the auspices Of the Union. This
lecture was devoted to praise OF reforms which
have been effected by the present municipal
administration, and was illustrated with
stereopticon Vows. Mr.. Milbury 10 an intimate
personal friend of the Mayor. He is In charge
OF tho new illustrated lecture scheme adopted
by the Union, and all Of the lectures arranged
for are In praise Of reforms wrought by the pres.
emit administration
The Union statesmen have an idea that all tho
good that can DO got out of Mayor Strong's adj
ministration will inure to their benefit, and that
the Republican party must DO responsible for
all the odium which may attach TO It.
The suggestion of THE SUN that tho Union
Statesmen take TO the wheel and mako a bicycle
campaign was anticipated by several of them.
Chairman Reynolds OF tho Executive Committee,
for instance, 10 an export wheolman and has al
ready done a good deal Of campaigning on his
bike. He is even now trundling It up tho steep
to convince the Rev. Robert Collyer and other
summer soJourners In that neighborhood that
Seth Low 10 the only logical candidate for Mayor
The secrecy regarding the number of sigma
H fSTss o esnaIsacS 70 il .hs stR R9ti preper IN fav iny 81 Mr.
The man who succeeded Mr., Wilcox as GUS
todian of the lists has faithfully obeyed orders
how many signatures have been received. That
he has done SO, 1t is said, has been evidenced by
art smith n has not said anything recentiy about
the number of names received. Some rumors
have been circulated placing the number in the
as a mere guess.
There is no doubt that 1t is the ambition of
Statesmen Reynolds, Pine, Cutting, and the rest
to secure moro signatures to. the petition than
rolls. Which they w believe sdi Will Be accepted as
proof that there is an overwhelming desire for
the nomination OF Mr.; Low. To that end they
with the greatest diligence, and the rate paid
for each name secured has been raised from 8
s stimulated the iUs esnv tsss ,n "nS Increased % efIi The n re-,
turns. The plea Of the canvasser that he gets 5
cents q name and needs the money always
fetches q name although 1t may be fictitious.
Statesman Clark and all others in charge at
headquarters refuse to give any information
regarding the Low petitions. No one Is per-
mittcd to examine the lists, so that it Is impos.
sible TO make an investigation to determine
whether the names and addresses given are
fictitious or not, or to ascertain the circum-
stances undcr which the signatures were given.
or whether the bona fide signers really favor
Lows nomination or merely signed to help q
struggling canvasser.
It was not until after THE Sun showed that
fictitious names and addresses were being OBJ
tained by tho canvassers that anything WINS
done by the Union statesmen to ascertain II the
lists were honest. All they had seemed to want
up TO that time were names and plenty of them.
As the addresses on the lists were so diversified
IT was found to be impracticable to Investigate
those already turned in-some 80. OOO-so the
statesmen contented themselves with a sort Of
Investigation to prove the genuineness Of future
lists. Canvasscrs who were suspected were re-
quired to tell where they got the names and q
second man was sent to tho places to verify
them. This did not bother the canvassers, for
they arranged with the men who gave them the
namos to stand for them when the second man
came around.
The Low campaign button will be out to-day.
The Strong button fetched 1t.