Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-17
LION AND THE LAMB
Strange BedfeIIoWs in New
York City Campaign.
HEARST A BIG FACTOR
His Candidacy All That Prevents
Tammany Walkover.
MAYORALTY NOT THE ISSUE
Real Fight Is for Control of City
Finances Thrugh Election Of the
Board of Estimate.
MAYORA.LTY NOT THE ISSUE
Special From a STAFF Correspondent.

anomalies. The old saying that politics
makes strange bedfellows" was never
more strikingly exemplified. 1t is about
the oldest amalgamation of seemingly in
congruous political elements that could
well be imagined.
Talk about the lion and the lamb lying
down together-why. that celebrated in
stance of determination wasn't circum-
stance to the political consorting that is
going on In this town in the present cam
paign. The spectacle of w. r. Hearst.
who for years has been reviled by the re-
publicans as being almost an anarchist,
now upheld and encouraged by them and
looked upon as a possible savior of the
day. is sight for the gods and men.
Ostensbly this is a campaign for the
election of a mayor of Greater New York
and certain municipal officials. Beyond
that 1t also Is a struggle between contend
ing interests for the control of u body
100000 a year and letting of vast con-
tracts for public improvements. Also In
volved in the fight is the life of that Won
derful political organization known as
henchmen.
Real Question at Issue.
The determined effort of great business
interests of New York to get control of
the city government and shake loose
Tammany's hold in behalf of retrencl-
ment and reform in the expenditure of
the taxpayers money is responsible for
the strange political alliances that have
been formed. 1t is a case of the end
justifying the means, and all hands are
willing to eat their share of crow.
Bear in mind throughout the campaign
that the main object of the contendlng
parties is to secure control of the body
which disburseS those hundred and eighty
five millions. That body is known as the
board Of estimate and apportionment and
consists of the mayor, with three votes;
the controller, with three votes; the presi-
dent Of the board. with three votes; the
president Of the borough of Manhattan.
with two votes, the president OF the
the president of the borough OF Brook
lyn, with two votes, and the presidents OF
the boroughs of Queens and richmond.
each with one vote. This board makes
all the allotments for city government
and improvements and authorizes all ex-
penditures and contracts.
Keep steadily before you the fact that
this is the stake in the political game
and you can call the cards as they fall
from now on.
The Who and the Why.
You know, of course. who are the can
didates for mayor; perhaps you will be
interested to know why they are. The
Tammany candidate for mayor, Judge
Gaynor of Brooklyn, was chosen by Tam
many because Tammany needed the as
sisranee of its erstwhile enemy, Patrick
McCarren. Tammany could afford to give
McCarren the mayor, because 1t would
have the controller, an office vastly more
valuable than that of mayor. and would
have majority on the board of esti-
mate. Tammany also nominated the
president of the borough of Manhattan,
who has more patronage than the mayor
himself.
Tammany can get along without the
mayor-witness its experience for a while
when Murphy and Mcclellan were at
outs-but Tammany cannot get along
without the small Offices, which it needs
to maintain Its organization.
The republicans nominated Mr.. Ban
nard for mayor because he is business
man without any entangling record and
can command the support of meneyed in
terests. He is practically unknown to
New York outside of financial circles
Herbert Parsons, president of the republi-
can county committee, explains Mr.. Ban
nard's selection in these words:
Not only does the present financial con-
dltlons of the city require business man
as mayor now. but the future of the city
requires business man as mayor now.
and innumerable other improvements
must be made. Every property owner.
every rent payer wants the city'S credit
restored, so that the city's bonds, which
must be sold to raise the money for
these purposes, will bring higher prices at
lower interest The higher the prices the
lower the interest, the less the burden
upon the taxpayer and the rent payer. To
| restore the city's credit, what is more
reasonable than to choose for mayor a
1or ~,
| financial matters, and who has had to
do with the care Of $70.OOO.O0O Of deposit
tors money?
New York city has an enormous debt,
an enormous budget and tax rate that
is oppressive to real estate owners and
rent payers. Under present conditions
the rates Of interest on city bonds are un-
| usually high. and the prices Of the bonds
are unusually low. The cry during the
last year has been for a business man for
mayor. That is the reason that the fusion
forces have nominated Otto T. Barnard
The Reason for Hearst.
William R. Hearst has been nominated
for mayor on an Independent ticket. the
nominees with him for the minor offices
and for the board of estimate and appor-
tionment being the same as the nominees
on the republican ticket. That accounts
| for the support of Mr.. Hearst by William
NJ. WINS, who was the republican candi-
date for mayor In 1905 against Mr.
Hearst. 1t also explains why Mr.. Hearst
is held up by the high brows' among
| the indepenG ants and republicans as Ier-
| forming a high public service by his
candidacy. You see, it's still that same
hundred and eighty-five millions.
| Did you think you would ever live ia
| see the day when the New York Evening
Post and the New York Times would
praise William r. Hearst. whom, in the
past they have opposed SO bitterly anc
have called him every evil name they
| could lay their tongue to- as the yer.
nacular puts it? You know, of course
| that the complacency of the exponents OF
law and order and established society
over the candidacy Of this man whom
hitherto they have regarded as q parial
is due to their belief that he can draw
votes from Tammany and secuEb the
election OF the fusion candidates for the
board of estimate and apportiOnment.
| 1t is great day for Mr.. Hearst. HI
does not have to hark back very far t.
recall the time when he was defeated fol
the governship of this state in the las
hours OF the campaign by the head o.
| the republican party, President Roose
welt. denouncing him as an anarchist
Now he is called upon by that same party
to save the city Of New York from tn,
hands of men who are alleged to be in