The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-24
OPEN LETTER TO HIGGINS.
Frank a. Fettcr Asks: Are You or Are You
Not Running on Odell's Charities RecOrd?''


Not Running on 0dell's Charities RecOrd:'
Frank A. Fetter, chairman of the COM
mittee on politics Of the New York Charities
Conference and professor of political
economy and finance at Cornell, has writ
ten an open letter to Frank w. Higgins,
in which he says:
The principle of non-partisan management
or our state benevolent Institutions is an
issue IN TINS campaign, and as chairman of the
| conference committee on partisan politics
feel It my personal duty without involving
| the conference of charities OF, the other menu
| bers OF the connlttrrI to call your attention
to certain facts touching the recent policy
REGARDING our State institutions and Affect
| ing their future welfare. Though this is a
| campaign OF recollection" 1t should also be
campaign OF education.
a LAD the protests G3 OF many REPUBLIC ns
needed or even printed in the party organs
to which the protests were presented two
prevented and the leading candidates on the
Republican state ticket would not now find
themselves In such difficult, position. At
| last II Is generally recognized that the at
| tempt to make the benevolent institutions a
wheel IN the partisan machine Is not only
pad morals. but laundering politics. The
Ework Of education must go on until the non
| partisan management of our State institutions
Is established so firmly that no party dares
| to assal IL.
There is much doubt. sir. In the minds OF
! tho public as to your precise convictions and
IuTposeS regarding Ine management OF the
present administration toward the benevo-
lent institutions? are You or are you not
running on the odell record in this matter?
Your friends are insisting that you are In
no way responsible for the misdeeds of Gov.
Odell. and they declare that you are he issue,
mo one else's record is an issue in this cam
paign.
Strenuous Efforts are being made to con-
vince the doubling that YOU were not the
choice OF your campaign manager. Despite
all this protestation many still fear that they
are witnessing bit OF amateur theatricals,
in which, for the entertainment of the public,
you are playing the role OF hero with your
kind friend the dark villain of the melo-
drama.
This. question Of the honest non-partisan
administration of the State benevolent in
situations is. happily. t" large and steadily
increasing number of voters the paramount
issue in the state campaign. In view of the
facts. you can not be surprised that such
citizens should expect from you on this issue
the most unequIvocal and emphatic assur-
ances.
In view of your support of the Odell charity
legislation at every stage of its progress
and upon every vote, 1t ia not enough to dis
YOU to confess either that you then lacked
the ndspendenSs to what your 4ds
seek in every way possb BILE to repair your error.
Repentance and contest on must precede for
giveness. In view of the grave reasons to
to the wishes of the political manager to
whom your nomination was, due something
the public OF your independence.
1t has been boosted by your friends that
you would eat that tag" but as yet YOU
have merely snapped and snarled at it, while
the owner of the tag. quite unmoved. has
kept his firm grip on the collar Ii is a vital
question whether Chairman Odell Ia stronger
than YOU and the Republican party, or whether
you. supported by the great mass of Repub-
icans and by the State and national COM
mittees. can prove yourself stronger than he
is.
There is just one kind of evidence other
than words that you can offer in this case
II you and the state committee can compel
Chairman Odel to resign at once from the
place which he now holds in such an un-
seemly manner, 1t will indicate that you are
free to redeem the promises you are max
ing.
Such an event would fttingly evidence
the downfall OF a direful policy. 1t would
inspire with new hope the friends of honest
administration in the benevolent institutions
of the State. but il. on the contrary, this
campaign closes with your present manager
still with the Republican State organization
in his grasp 1t will to thoughtful men, be
conclusive proof that he is stronger than
you are.
II Mr. Odell retains the Craftsmanship, you
would better, MIR: Higgins. devote the re-
naming two weeks OF this campaign to a
euogy Of his administration. which at present
neither you nor any one else has the hardi-
hood to defend. In the interest of the State
and Of the nation may you choose wisely
for choose you must or stand condemned.