The age-herald., 1901-10-20

GW 4OINAAs OceCHr% ~E0''
 Nf Republican and Democrat. In- INI dependent Citizen and the non S1 descript Citizens Unionist buckles on his sword and prepares him. self for the battle of the ballots to be waged on November 5. The fight for the mavorality Is one of the most extraor- dinary in the annals of the city. From the standpoint of the politician 1t pre- sents vacations and complexities, from that of the citizen it is confusing and baffling. So many issues are involved, so many are in direct oposition.
 The situation must not be viewed sole ly from the point of observation of a cit- izen of this great city. It opens up broader view. It Is a study in the poli- tics of a great city which Is representa- tive of the country. What New York is today, Chicago will be tomorrow, and within few years at least twenty cities. That the tendency in this country is for cities to grow, for population to gravi- tate to cities Is an admitted fact, There fore, 1t is fair to assume that the battle to be fought out in New York is not only merely local, but state question. The AeAOtAo oS SAACJ 0h v HI lhh6 tSAly IO- day, will exist In other cities in due course of time.
 Stripped of politics, the question as it presents itself is as follows: The city controlled by the dominant political pow CT or organization has been run in the interest of gang who control the organ fzauon. The name of the organization is Tammany Hall, the inside gang who con tro1 1t Is headed by Richard Croker, John Carroll, Timothy Sullivan, John Sexton, John Whalen. Percival Nagle, Martin Engei, Isaac Fromme, Lawrence Del mour, Robert Van WycK, Michael Mur- phy and William s. Devery. It Is charged that every species of vice has been fostered by the gang and that every form of it has yielded up portion of it's iniquitous proceeds to Its protectors. Richard Croker has declared that he and his associates were in business-the bus mess described-for the benefit of their own pockets.
 Against this is the force of decency, of law and order. But to wage a battle 1t is compelled to organize and select its generals, captains and subalterns. The Tammany Hall Democrats and their al- lies are solid body against them is the so-called Fusion element oI Republicans Citizens Union, Independent Republi- cans, and Independent Democrats.
 If the battle to be waged could be con- fined to the moral issue 1 am of the opinion that good would be overwhelm- ingly triumphant. I do not believe that vice could be sustained at the polls by the vote of the people. But the issue cannot be so confined The moral issue is in the platform so plainly written that all who run may read, but there are thousands and thousands of voters who will lose sight of the moral issue by the blindness of self interest. This feeling self interest-extends from the leaders of organizations to individuals-individual so for down on the social scale that it seems to be a stretch of the imagination to conceive a possibility of their being af- fected at all An outlet for self interest has been carefully provided
 The candidates for Mayor are both men of large affairs. of moral excellence, of flrmness and character. Intellectually they are equally strong and each from his record in the past is a stout opposer of the vice spectre. Indeed, of the two. MT. Shepard, who stands on the vice platform has been chiefly conspicuous for his warfare on the very vice machine which makes him it's candidate Such is illogical, but, nevertheless, true. What does it mean?
 Is it not a tacit acknowledgement from the machine itself that vice has grown to such hideous proportions that for self preservation 1t must cry halt; and rather than to have stranger bear the rod with which to ohasten its purposes to have the work done by friendly hand Is it not on the line of the same policy that anticipated tha Vice Committes of Fifteen by nominating its ow'I committee of five? Whether this be the, policy of Tammany Hall or not, thousands who be- lieve vice should be controlled, will be- lieve 1t can be controlled by Shepard. It suits their self interest so to believe.
 This idea comforts those Democrats who shrink from having the Republican party gain greater strength in this end of the state. or who for many reasons. seek an opportunity to avoid voting for Seth Low.
 But, in spite of all there are men swho do not blind themselves. Vice is plainly increasing in this great city and lthe money wrung from it by organized coer- cion sustains in power the very gang that has the effrontry to place reformer