New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-21
MAY CURB sTANCHFIELD.
MCGUIRE OPPOSED TO THE DEPART
MENT STORE ISSUE.
NATHAN sTRAI,s ANSWERS THE CANDIDATE
AND SAYS HE REGARDS HIS ATTACK
PURELY AS POLITICS.

It's n pity that Mr.. StanchfieId hasn't some
thing better to talk about than department.
stores II campaign issue-Nathan straus' OF
r. H Macy & Co, Mr.. Stanchhed's crusade against
the department stores.
Something has happened TO John B. stanch-
field the Democratic candidate for Governor,
who started out to smash the department dry
goods stores because, as he asserts, they belong
to the family Of trusts. Executive Chairman
James K Mcclure is opposed to Mr.. Stanch-
fields use of the department store as a cam
paign issue, and it said last night that
Richard Croker himself, who at first thought 1t
was a grand idea, has been quietly informed
that some of the most liberal supporters of the
Democratic party object to having department
stores put into the monster family for the
use Of the Democratic showmen who are Try
ms, to carry the State for Bryan
Nathan Straus, of the firm of r. II. Macy
g. Co. who in 1894 was nominated for Mayor
bv Tammany Hail. and whose place on the
ticket was taken by Hugh J. Grant, feels paa
about the campaign issue that Mr. croker
candidate for Governor has brought 10 the
front Mr. Straus was seen yesterday at MS
office on the sixth floor of his big store at
Sixth-aye and Fourteenth-st, and when the
reporter made known his errand was at hrst
much averse to saying anything. In reply to a
direct question to whether he lndorsed MI
.Tt,s a pity that Mr. stanchfeld hasn't some
+bire better to talk about than department
stores as a campaign issue I've just been
reading about Robert c. Ogden's defence of the
danartment stores in a Philadelphia newspaper
and am free to say that I cordially lndorse
Mr. Ogden's views There were department
stores before there were any trusts. Twenty
five years ago in this city there were perhaps
two or three department stores NOW there are
twenty-two or twenty-three. and they are all III
active competition with each other all the lliile
The modern department store is simply d ue-
velopment Of commercial life. 1t Is IKE grea'
country store in having pretty nluch every
thing under one roof Without department
stores many things would to-day cost the con
sumner 80 per cent more than they 40 Inc
naonIe get the benefit of the low prices"
..Win Mr.. Stanchfeld's agitation against de
nartment stores affect your relations with the
Democratfc party?" Mr.. Straus was asked.
After looking very hard at the floor for half
a minute, Mr.. Straus said:
at don't know as it will regard Mr.. Stanch-
6alds attack on department stores purely as
politics"
Chairman Mcclure Of the Democratic State
Executive Committee is opposed to dragging
department stores into the political arena III
answer to a question he said;
.'Mr Stanchhed is using the department
store issue wholly on his own responsibility
Personally l regard it as two-edged sword
II cuts both ways. There were department
storee bafore there were trusts Besides,
GOOD many young men work in large depart
nent store when they wouldn't In smaller
store There may not be any real difference II
the work but that's matter OF opinion WITH
tbe clerks themselves think 1 may say thai
department stores will not figure to any grea
extent in the campaign this fall.
There was good deal of quiet talk YESTERDAY
In canpaign circles the bad breaks tina
Mr. StanchfeId has made in the last year oi
two HIS position IN favor OF expansion anc
his mast utterances on the subject OF ORGANIZED
labor were all talked over yesterday oy th'
Democratic State leaders.