The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-18
SEE POLITICAL SKELETON
NEW WORKERS WITNESS NEW
 PHASE OF CAMPAIGN.
William Twins Support of Hearst Re- calls Incident of Henry George Fight for Mayor of New
 York City.

New York, Oct. 17.-Taken from the grave yard of forgotten campaigns. a political skeleton. covered with the dust of twenty-three years was brought forth and rattled in New York tonight, adding intensity to the three cornered struggle for the mayoralty of Greater New York, a position sought by William I. Gaynor. Demo- crat; William R. Hearst. Independent, and Otto T. Barnard, Republican.
 The three nominees rested today and tonight but the fight concerns new phase of the campaign--the political record of William M. Wins. Hearsts ardent Republican supporter-albeit his opponent four years ago.
 The new twist in affairs came in the form of a statement issued tonight by Henry George, Jr., son and biogra- pher of the famous tax reforner, who charged in effect that Wins went to his father in 1886 and offered him in- ducements to withdraw from the may oraity race against William c. Grace. As a matter of history, George refused to be sidetracked and entered the con- test only to meet defeat.
 In a formal statement given out last night. Twins. apparently expecting an attack on his alleged connection with the George Grace campaign, de- nied he had ever made any offer to Henry George to retire. As opposed to this, Henry George. Jr. says to- night:
 sIn his prepared statement, publish ed this morning, Mir. William Wins denied the story that in behalf of Richard Croker he offered. to Henry George, my father. $25,000 to withdraw from the mayoralty contest ih 1886.
 "In response to sas statement made in the newspapers by Abram s. Hewitt, relative to the 1886 campaign. my father toward the close of, the uss7 scaxn pafkn@ andssSpst asfew days- psforel rhis death Issued a statement which with the attendant circumstances may be found onS pages 462-3 of "The Life of Henry George by me. The state ment is as follows:
 "'Before my nomination had formal ly. taken place, Gin 1SS6), I received request from Mir. William M. Wins, then chamberlain of the city and close political friend and representa- tive of MT. Grace, to privately meet him. I did so at Seighortner's, on La Fayette Place. We sat down in a pri- vate room, unattended and smoked some cigars together. MT. Twins in- sisted that could not possibly be elected Mayor of New York, no matter how many people might vote for me; that the men who voted Knew nothing of the real forces that dominated New York. He said that I could not pos sibly be counted in. He offered on be- half of Tammany Hall and the county Democracy, that if would refuse the nomination for Mayor. they would run me for Congress. select a city district in which nomination was equivalent to election: that I should be at no ex- pense whatever, but might go to Flu rope or anywhere I willed and when I came back should receive a certifi- cate of election to the House of Rep resentatives. I said to him finally:
 "'You tell me I can't possibly get the office Why, then, if I cannot possibly get the office do you want me to withdraw?
 "IIis reply was: You cannot get elected, but your running will raise he'll" I said: You have relieved me of embarrassment. I don't want the responsibility and the work of the of- flee of Mayor of New York. but l do want to raise hell. I am decided and will run."'"
 MT. Wins in reply issued a state ment tonight in which he said:
 ''In 1897 I denied that had ever of- fered Mr. George a nomination in be- half of Tammany Hall and I also de- nied that any such conversation as that here given took place between us: still deny it. MT. George is dead and care to say nothing further of the matter. Even the courts will not hermit one to testify to a converse ton with parties deceased,
 "It will be noted that Mir George does not repeat the accusation which was made yesterday that l attempted to bribe his father"