New-York tribune., 1900-11-30
BISHOP POTTER FOR MAYOR
TRIBUNE READER GIVES REASONS FOR
HIS VOTE
THINKS THE MAN WHO THREW TAMMANY
INTO a PANIC WOULD MAKE
STRONG CANDIDATE.


To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: I herewith inclose my ballot expressing
| my first choice for the next Mayor Of New
! York. I have watched your interesting and use
. ful voting scheme from its inception and as the
| names of candidates rolled in could not help
| being impressed with the large number OF men
! that the city contains who would ftly fill the
I important position Of Mayor, and yet | have
wondered why no one voted for the one man who
is qualified above all others to be the city's
+ Chief Executive. That name you will find on
my ballot and it is-Bishop Potter.
I think hear you object at once that Bishop
Potter is out OF the race. simply because he IS
a clergyman. But let Us consider for a moment
if that fact presents an insurmountable barrier
to his candidacy. In the Nsst place. it does not
legally disqualify him from being next
Mayor, so that point can be dismissed at once.
Let US take up next the generally accepted idea
that clergyrnen, as rule are too visionary and
too impractical to execute acceptably the duties
Of a political Office. I will admit that this argu-
n7ent does apply TO most ecclesiastics, but hold
that it is altogether inapplicable to Bishop Pot
ter and point you 10 the record he has made
in handling the affairs Of his diocese TO prove the
soundness Of my position.
STRONG IN DIPLOMACY.
While Bishop Potter performs the Office OF a
Quoting other ceremonies. such as that of con-
frrnation. not one-tenth Of his time. I believe.
is devoted or can be devoted to those duties
The bulk OF his work is executive and
diplomatic. use the word diplomatic advisedly
for in such a large diocese as his containing so
many cergynen as he has under his authority
all processing a creed which is famed among
churchrnen for its elasticity and broadness, only
a natural diplomat Of high order could have
rIa 70rIy
which characterizes the Protestant Episcopal
Diocese of New-York
II you will consider for moment the mental
calibre of the clergymen under Btsaop Potter's
authority you must recognize that they are not
men who can be driven; that most Of them are
original thinkers. who place their own inter
precalions 70 large extent upon Scripture, and
set allegiance 10 their own conscIerces above
allegiance to creed or tenet OF church authority.
Add TO this the prevailing modern spirit Of re-
ugous unrest which finds vent in what is called
the higher criticism" aid which so powerfully
teupts cIergymen to seek notoriety by what we
Iaynen call kicking over the traces and you
have a field il which only consummate dipIo-
macy use the word diplomacy for want Of
better and wish il understood in It's good sense,
and without including any Ingredient Of guile
only consummaJe diplomacy I say, could main
tain that harmony TO which I have already re-
a
seldom that all the Instances Of that kind will
come readily 70 your mind which have occurred
in the last dozen years, including the case OF the
Rev Dr.. De Costa whose detection to the
Roman Catholic Church is perhaps the mast
recent.
Bishop Potter has no less signally demon
strated his financial ability than his diplomatic
powers. HIS diocese is q wealthy one, and the
immense financial interests which are conhded
% the care and management Of its head have
been wisely. prudentIy. thrifty and even brill
iantIy cared for by Bishop Potter am credioLy
informed by men who knew all about II. I have
even heard II said that the Bishop shows as
much system and shrewdness in conducting his
vast religious and charitable enterprises as does
Andrew Carnegie for instance, in conducting his
steel works Let that suffice for Bishop Potter's
record. though much more could be said
PLENTY OF COMMON SENSE.
But. again. think hear you object that even
the admirable management OF a diocese full Of
clergymen would not Of itself imply dtness 70
deal with politicians How can you doubt that the
Bishop knows the way 70 daai win politicians
after witnessing the manner in which he threw
Tarulany into rhe panic that now agitates II?
Not since the days Of the Lexow Committee has
Ta1.nany been so badly scared as it IS to-day,
and practically ore man scared il, and that man
was Henry Goldman Potter. All lhe efforts OF
the Mazet Committee. backed by PIatt and en-
gineer-6 BY Moss. did not cause one shlver 70
run down the spine OF Richard CrSaer, whom
Bishop Potter terrified into blue funk in a
[@W DAYS.
AND consider the mastery manner IN which
the Bishop produced this effect. Not by loud
threats OF what ne would accomplish, not ny
rushing 70 the newspapers with interviews, not
hv.na.GZ his sacred GrlCe !!.Jo cerIslOn oy eX-
p!c--ug the n-sr.ors Of evil resorts and WaLcA-
inc me vicious performance OF the lLTI2a-eS,
not y organizing raids upon his or that d.Ve
and driving its inmates into th= tenement
houses not by scold r Z the police Or appea.lEz
weak!y 70 The Police Commissioners . DO their
duty but by wiring powerful, a d.grlhed a
convincing. & solemn, an eloquent an almost IN
sp.red letter 10 the Mayor Of tcIs city. placing
1Iron him th= res pors biily for the whole aboul-
lrayle condition OF the ponce force, from Com
n .ss.cn@rs down 10 dooruan, and placing II
upon him il such a manner that he could n3'
shlr6 or evade Il.
Tn sam man who scared Tammany also
aroused he business men 20 an active sense OF
n cirys huri!.a dor and Bishop Potter more
yVhlc. has been headed by the Cham Der OF Com
...zrce % purify the municipality from police
lrot-cted vice
WONDERFUL 1fODERATION.
There IS another point n favor OF B.shop Pot
ter as Mayor TO which wish 10 draw your at
.e1-lon before close. and mat is The extremely
moderate ard art.-tlnatlca! demand when h
made upon the Mayor n that memorable -e,-
Ter he sad I an not demanding that vice
shall 5- stamped out oy the police or any o-Ler
2.vl. authority That - i Task " h.cA would de-
I.lanG s4r its achievement 4 race o. a1Se-s ana
r.5- OF men. but approach you. sir. 20 protest
with ii nv oovrer against condition OF things
II which wee IS not only tolerated o-I sAlsl-ed
and encouraged by those whose sworn duty - IS
10 represS and discourage IL Eave Wr ever
had clerical retarmer before IN this city who
hr.V@ enough - admit 1Ver mis- oV. sigma