Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-15
Probable Choice of Reform Element
in New York,
SENATOR PLATT Is FOR HIM
Causes of His Defeat in the Last
Election.
DEMOCRATS w ANT COLER

deaths ana accidents.
Behind this latest movement lies a story.
And there is more in the story than ap
pears on the surface. 1t means that if the
republican organizations of New York state
and city have their way that Seth Low will
hold not only the second highest executive
office in the land. that of mayor of Greater
New York, but that if he makes popular
mayor ne is quite certain to do when
contrasted with Van Wyck of ice trust
fame, he will be d candidate for President
in 1904.
OF course this is long look ahead but
there are powerful forces behind Lows
boom for mayor. Low himself is am
bilious; he Is comparatively young and he
will bring to any office which he may ac-
cept wide experience, a classical educa-
ito knowledge of men and their ways
acquired when he was the idol of the
young men of Brooklyn" and the youngest
mayor OF any OF the great cities of the
country. Besides all these things, Seth
Low. who was styled the ideal mayor"
by the business men of Brooklyn d few
years ago. is possessed with a large private
fortune. and as has been demonstrated by
his work in connection with the rebuilding
of Columbia University. he is not afraid to
spend his own money for the pubic good.
Senator Platt's Change of Front.
One of the most remarkable things in
connection with this movement to make
Seth Low mayor of Greater New York is
the sudden and complete change of front on
the part Of Senator Thomas c. Plat and
the republican organization of the state.
Three years ago, when Seth Low ran on
independent ticket for mayor against
ex-Secretary B. F. Tracy, the republican
nominee, the republican politicians and the
republican newspapers of the state could
not find things bad enough to say about
TODAY iS in
favor of the nomination of Seth Low for
mayor. and all of the regular republicans
unite in praising him as the one man GER
tain TO lick Tammany out of it's boots"
The reason for this change, 1t is asserted,
may be found in the fact that Senator
Platt has determined to once again play at
his old game of President making. 1t Is
said Of Mr.. Plat, that he has never pick
ed Il winner" in any of his President max
ing plans, but that the next time he hopes
for better fortune. His quarrel with Gar
field at the time of the Conkling incident
will never be forgotten, and as is well
known Platt favored Governor Morton at
the time that Mr.. Mckinley was nominated.
Men Back of the Low Boom.
The men who are said to have been in
s;rumentaI in swinging Senator Platt to the
support of Seth Low for mayor of Greater
New York are leaders in the chamber of
commerce as well as the Citizens Union or
ganIzatonS. Some of these men are busi-
ness men who rarely take q hand in politi-
cal fights. They are the men who with
Bishop Potter are responsible for the ap-
polntment OF the dnti-vice chamber of COM
merce committee of fifteen, and il is as
serted that they have agreed to raise any
amount of money necessary for the cam
paigu.
One reason why these men favor Seth
Low for mayor is because they are con-
WINGED that he is one of the few men who
can defeat Tammany Hall. even on an anti
lima linz
form New York city, it is pointed out. Is
essentially a democratic city. Despite the
fact that Bryan and free silver were about
as unpopular in this section as a man and
an issue could well be, nevertheless BRYAN
carried this city with almost all of the
newspapers against HIM, with the chamber
OF commerce a unit against him. with the
leaders Of thought and action against him
almost TO a man, with the men at the
head Of the churches and the colleges al
most solidly against him. That Bryan got
nearly 10000 majority with the vast com
mercial interests of the metropolis arrayed
against him proves conclusively that the
republican and the reform elements must
bring about complete fusion II they hope
TO win. And the men upon whom the re-
publicans and the reformers can fuse can
be counted upon the fingers Of one hand.
Misunderstanding Last Election.
The efforts to have the republicans nomI-
nate Low three years ago failed through
a misunderstanding between Low and
Platt When the suggestion was first made
Low was spending the summer in Maine
Some of his intimate friends and conf
Dental advisers wrote him that he could
be elected If he would refuse to run as a
republican candidate. The idea was ad-
Vanced that If he would accept a citizens
union nomination the republicans would
not dare to run anybody against him
ana that no prominent republican would
dare TO accept a nomination. Low him
SELF, thought he would be stronger before
the people as an independent candidate.
Fer time 1t looked as though the in
dependents and the citizens union men had
won-that no prominent republican could
o se thauced TO run against Low. But Plat
finally went to ex-Secretary Tracy, who
was law partner of one of his sons and
personally begged the veteran republican to
run, II for no other reason that for the
purpose OF holding the organization to-
Sether. And Tracy consented to lead what
he regarded as forlorn hope in a good
cause. e
However, both the republicans and the
reIormers have profited by their expert
ences of three years ago. and the friends
of Seth Low are approaching the friends
or Senator Platt in entirely different way
<his year.
Popular Demand for Low.
or the popular demand for Low to head
the republican reform forces there can be
no doubt. The New York Tribune. which
mas Tor some weeks been conducting n yot-
Ing contest for the purpose of getting an
expression Of the popular will regarding
the mayor, credits Low with receiving q
large plurality. The chamber of commerce.
people have prepared figures to show that
Lows remarkable run indicates that he Is
strong In the tenement house districts He
had as his campaign manager at that time
James q. Reynolds of university settle
ment fame. and his vote in the Tammany
strongholds on the lower East Side was
certainly a remarkable one. The chamber
the Tammany game next year will be to
try TO show that the fight Is that of the
rich against the poor; that the vested In
terests of the city, the wealthy classes are
all In the republican camp. and that the
Tiger Is the friend OF the poor men and
the workingmen. Inasmuch as Low in his
independent campaign for mayor ran
strongest in the sections of the city where
the poor reside, they argue that IL Low Is
nominated Tammany will fail to capture
the workingmens organizations
Controller Coler is the one man whom
the democrats might nominate who might
possibly defeat Seth Low in the race for
mayor. The independent vote would be
divided. and II Coler secured any consider
able proportion of II he would be elected
If there were only two tickets In the field.
But there is no likelihood that Coler will
be nominated. Croker has heartily disliked
the controller ever since that official de-
nouneed "commercialism in politics" and
II he should be compelled to choose between
ma q