New-York tribune., 1907-11-04
MINISTER ON ELECTION.
DR.. j. p. Peters Finds Little to
Praise IN Candidates for Sheriff.

While the Rev. Or. John p. Peters OF St
Nichaels Church said last night. in his regular
ante-election sermon that the principal tickets
as a whole. were of n higher standard than usual
ne could find little praise in either candidate for
Sheriff OF Tom" Foley. he said that the Tam
many leader was open-handed and probably the
best liked the lower East Side. but that
his whole career had been intermingled with
those of lawbreakers that he should be elected
Concerning Max Ihmsen he said little more than
to ask that the mah be judged by himself alone
and that the voter be not led to vote against him
because of his close connection with his political
leader This city. the clergyman said. was not the
ideal place it should be-
Extreme wealth hand and extreme pow
erty the other-vice and crime and wretchedness
and degradation to be found every hand
he said. 1T is not ignorance alone that causes
this, but greed and selhshness One man spends
his whole life TO accumulate all the money that no
That is the life of pig. 1t is not pleasant
10 have ourselves called swine. but we have made
this city a pigsty-a piGsty with a horrible moral
stencil.
at IS this plgsty with its stencil because men
are not ready to take up their share of the burden
and obligation TO help other II those who
call themselves Christians. If those who call them
selves respectable. would only take up their bur
dens then something might be accomplished When
we complain about bad government we must re-
member that We are the governors. The ineficiency
of the administration of the government is due TO us
and to us alone. When complain Of it. COM
plain OF ourselves"
DR.. Peters then touched the Importance OF
untainted judiciary. even in the minor well
as In the higher courts. Party politics should play
no part in the selection OF candidates. ne said
Willie candidates still nominated by parties
Dr. Peters said that 1t became all the more the
duty of the citizen to vote conscientiously. Only
the quality and ability of the candidate should be
considered at the polls
The office OF Sheriff is a position of large re-
sponslbility," he said. at is of large emolu-
ments. so large these fees that there should
be u report the subject made TO those who
have the charter revision under consideration
The party which gives this office to a man de-
nands that he 1t to reward 1t in the distribu-
ton OF the enormous patronage"
The opportunities it gave Of graft blackmail
and abuse of power said the clergyman demanded
a whose primary connection had not always
been with lawbreakers.
- Tom Foley is probably the most popular man
on the lower East Side" he went lie is a
kindly man. hail fellow we'll met with ALL IL any
ones friend gets into trouble he will always sign
tho bond even when he does not know what the
bond Is for. In his relations with his church he
is generous and devout I understand. But lie is
the owner OF a saloOn-neithcr better nor worse
than the other saloons in the neghborhood. But
he was indicted thirty years ago for keeping a
dlsorderly house. He not tried, and 1t was a
long time ago. but 1t makes us ask what kind
OF Il man he has been since that time. lie now
| owns "A string of saloons. which an important
| element in themselves. and their owner must be
! looked on with suspicion a candidate.
| Accusations have been made that he is behind
| the criminal element. This may or NAV not be
! true l do say this. though that when you elect
! a man TO such office, do not elect a man under
| continual suspicion OF being a friend to law
breakers 1t is not decent or proper for any party
! to nominate for you to elect any man like this
| Such a course is almost certain to end in scandal
| and corruption.
Hearst is accused OF being hystericaI of inter
| 10 Dfa
| and many other things. and those who have been
| associated with him have been included with him
| in the minds of many voters. Forget those preiu-
! dices when you vote for Sheriff"