New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-02
JEROME NOT FOR MAYOR.
THIS CONVICTION GROWS.
Dir. Cutting Still Insistent- Citizens
Union on City Control.

Sentiment among the fusion conferrees is
crystallizing into the conviction that District
Attorney Jerome is impossbty a fusion
candidate. The Citizens Union leaders re-
luctant to admit this, but the logic of the stu
alton is slowly but surely working toward the
denomination of Mr.. Jerome District Attor-
ney and the selection of new man for the head
Of the ticket
Having made a sort of "gentlemans agree
ment at Thursday nights conference that
fusion is desirable, the Republicans and the Citi
zens Union and Municipal Ownership people are
more and more willing to discuss the probable
outcome of the conference Thursday night
next President Cutting OF the Citizens Union
says 1t Is the desire of the Citizens Union to
nominate Jerome for Mayor without consulting
his wishes and afterward tell him that the anti
Tammany forces demand his acceptance.
The insurTnountable obstacle to the nomina-
ton of Jerome seems to be the Municipal Own
ership League. Having been admitted to the
conference as one of the essential factors, it be-
gins to look as if their opposition to jerome
would render him unavailable for first place on
the ticket. This being the case, the political
''sharps'' predict that the nomination will go
to a Republican, and the names Of Charles E.
Hughes. the gas investigator, and Lieutenant
Governor Bruce are under serious consideration.
MR. CUTTING INsIsTENT.
But Mr.. Cutting is more than ever insistent
on the naming of Jerome.
In District Attorney Jerome the Citizens
Union has an ideal candidate for Mayor" said
Mr. Cutting yesterday. The Citizens Union
cannot pass that ideal. We present Mr..
Jerome only candidate. If the Republi-
can organization and the Municipal Ownership
League turn him down theirs will be the re-
sponsibility."
I'VE shall not sound Mr.. Jerome with refer
ence to his accepting a nomination for Mayor,
continued Mr.. Cutting. Mr. Palliser who seems
to think that definite should be OBJ
tanned from Mr.. Jerome before we go further
does not seem to understand that the Citizens
Union always supports it's candidates men
whom the Office seeks, not men who seek the
office. We never go to a man and ask permits
sion to use his name. Not until we are ready
to offer nomination do we ask a man whether
he will accept not We shall not ask Mr.
Jerome at the present time whether he is willing
to run for Mayor or not. The time to do that
will be after the fusion conference has agreed
on him the candidate for Mayor"
Would the Citizens Union enter a fusion if
the other organizations should turn Mr.. Jerome
down for the Mayoralty?' Mr. Cutting was
asked.
we have not taken up that question as yet.
said Mr. Cutting. "Of course If the other Or
ganizations turn Mr.. jerome down, an entirely
new situation will be presented. and it will have
to be considered when it arises.
President Halpin of the Republican County
Committee said that the Republican conferrees
would inset next Wednesday and decide what
course they would pursue at the Thursday con-
ference
we want candidate who will win said
Mr. Halpin. The objections of Palser and
I to
! Jerome We're not merely that he had not taken
a stand on the municipal ownership question:
but that they believed he would be a weak can
didate. Now If they believe he will be a weak
candidate, their objection to him ought to be
very seriously considered They were astonished
when they learned that Mr.. Jerome had indorsed
the Citizens Union position on municipal own
ership In view of the fact that in his very &C
tive public and private career he had never ex-
pressed any positive views on that subject, they
thought his Endorsement of the Citizens Union
position at this time rather remarkable
CITIZENS UNION PLATFORM.
When MI Hinrfchs was asked yesterday to BIO
more speci1c in outlining what Mr.. Jerome IA
vors in the shape Of municipal ownership, ne
said:
1t is due to Mr.. Jerome to state that under
stood him to say that he faVors munlclpal own
I
operation. except as a last alternative. He dis
tinctlv stated that he did not believe In the
granting of further franchises in the streets at
all and that he is advocate of short term
leases to operating companies. My recollection
is that he said that these leases should be Inn
tied to twenty or twenty-five years, so that the
city NAV be able to make new contracts from
time TO time thus receiving increased rentals as
conditions become more favorable to the city
Mr. Jerome also read and approved the pro-
nosed platform of the Citizens Union. L pre-
scented such platform 70 the conference last
night The same has been approved by the city
committee of the union.
This proposed platform goes no further than
the spirit of the Elsberg Public Franchise BILL
which the Citizens Union presented TO three
successive legislatures. and which said legisla-
rures three times defeated. The passage OF
such bill would have given the city weapon
in dealing with the traction companies which
to-day is denied to it.
DR.. David BIausten superintendent of the
Educational Alliance, at East Broadway and
Jefferson-st. does not agree with Congressman
Shoher and others who assert that Mr. Jerome
has rnortalIy offended the Jews
..Tbe general opinion among the Jews on the
Fast side" said DR.. BIausten, is that Jerome
is an honest and fearless man, and one with
whom il is impossible to pull wires.
n--urcrn no DE- HIN TIE C0ITp