The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-12
AS MAYOR OF NEW YORK.


The history of Mayor Hewitt's admins
tration shines. He insisted upon a rigid en-
forcement of the laws and held the head of
every department to a strict accountability.
Mr.. Hewitt was opposed to consolidation Of
New York with Long island centers of pop
ulation and Staten island. He opposed the
scheme before the legislative committee
and denounced the measure as being
crude, dangerous, untimely. childish and
sure to lead to protracted and costly litiga-
tion.'
He was the orator of the day when the
East river bridge was opened in 1888, and in
a speech incidental to the occasion said:
"Contemporaneous with the rapid growth
of urban population have grown complaints
OF corrupt administration and bad munic-
ipal government. The outcry may be said
TO be universal, for it comes from both
sides of the Atlantic, and the complaints
appear to be in direct proportion to the size
of cities"
In later years nothing was more typical
of Mr.. Hewitts utter disregard of senti-
ment or consequences when his convictions
asserted themselves than his denunciation
of the candidacy of Edward NJ. Shepard
Mr.. Hewitt was his guardian and bound to
him by ties that were paternal, yet during
the mayordlty campaign of 1901 he declared
that If Mr.. Shepard accepted the Tammany
nomination it would be a gigantic blunder
on the part of the younger man.
Phases of Mr.. Hewitt's career in his spe-
cial business and manufacturing lines, in
humanitarianiSm and civic pre-eminence
and as national figure abound. He was
among the foremost In the work of metal
iurgic science from 1862, when he learned
the processes for making gun barrel iron in
England, to the time of the formation of
the United States Steel Corporation, of
which he was a director. His address on
"A Century of Mining and Metallurgy in
the United States" when in 1876 he retired
as president of the American Institute of
Mining Engineers. regarded a
tant monograph. To him In great part was
due the creation of the United States geo
report on iron and steel at the Paris exposi-
ton attracted international attention.
BUILT UP COOPER UNION.
The present satisfactory condition of
Cooper Union is due to his tireless and
jealous watch on the interests of his IA
ther-in-law's benefaction. His services in
the cause of rapid transit were recognized
at the October meeting of the New York
Chamber of Commerce in 1901, when he re-
ceived gold medal 'in recognition of his
services in the cause of civic rapid transit
under municipal ownership
Some of Mr.. Hewitt's social and public
affiliations are learned from this partial
list of the clubs and societies of which he
was member: Metropolitan, City, Church,
University. Engineers, Tuxedo, Players
and Century clubs, Downtown Associa-
tion, Dunlaps Society," Scientific Alliance,
American Institute, Columbia University
Alumni Association, Metropolitan Museum
of Art, National Academy of Design and
American Museum of Natural History.
Mr.. Hewitt was fine-looking man, of
medium size and erect body. His full
beard was gray and his locks were sill
vered. For many years he was a familiar
visitor in almost all Of the New York news
paper offices, for he had way of mis-
speaking himself to reporters who were
sent to interview him, and he not infre-
quently desired to be set right the next
day. He was of inestimable aid to his
father-in-law, Peter Cooper, in the old gen.
tlemans latter years, in carrying out the
philanthropist's schemes for charity and
public benefit, end vsfs-very active I'm the
management of the Cooper Union. His
ripe scholarship and his knowledge Of the
details of educational matters were of
tial adviser of his brother-in-law, Mr.. Ed
ward Cooper. while that gentleman was
mayor of New York city, and had the
credit for much of Mayor Cooper's success.
Mr. Hewitt was very much more successful
and able a business man than as a poll
tician. He managed his affairs with the
most consummate tact, dealing with his
employees and with his business associates
without jar or friction unpleasantness,
but in public life he was in hot water all
the time. for which he constantly re-
preached himself and constantly sought to
make amends. He gave able support to the
gold Democratic movement.