The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-14
CAPITAL SHOCKED
BY REVELATIONS
SUFFERS CASE
Believed Him "Grandstand"
Player But Did Not Think
Him Crooked
ALWAYS POSED AS
FRIEND OF PEOPLE
Was Fine Actor and Always Timed
His Actions and Appearance to
Secure the Best Dram
attic Effect
NY G. e. srEwART

Washington, August 3-(Specal.-Ihere
Is a great deal of regret in congressional
circles over the plight in which Governor
William Sulzer of New York, now finds
himself. Even with the evidence against
him so damning as it appears, the inclina-
tion here is to suspend judgment.
While in Congress, which he was for
many years. Suzer was always a spec
tacuar figure. He is tall and thin and
wears his hair in front long and combs
ie in a sweep across his forehead. He
has been told that he resembles Henry
Clay, and hes liked that very much He
was a ready talker and an accomplished
actor, knowing Just when to quit and
bow to round out his periods in the most
dramatic manner and win the applause Of
his audience.
Everyone realized that there was a good
zeal of the grandstand play in William
Sulaer, but no one-not even his enemies
would have accused him of being
crook and therefore the story OF his
dealings In Wall street and the misap-
propriation of funds given him for cam
paign purposes, come as very great
Surprise to almost every he in this city.
Where he has spent the most of his time
In the past u years
Ambition to Die for People
Sulzer's particularly long suit. and the
one seemingly dominant ambition of his
life was to live and die for the people.
The plain people were his especial care,
and at any and all times he was the
champion of that class. To hear William
Sutherland to see him with his long hair
sweeping across his marble brow-cite
the wrongs of the people and hurl de-
lance at those who wronged them and
maintain that if these prosecutions con-
tinued they must continue over his dead
bea dy or something equally as dramatic
and impossible-was to convince almost
any one of the deep and unalterable
convictions and the unswerving friendship
and loyalty of William Sulzer for the
people
With the trained instinct of an actor
William Sulzer knew just at what mo-
ment to appear upon the scene upon
special occasion, in order to get the full
heneht of the center of the stage and
consume all the limelight there was to
5e consumed. Moreover, he not only
knew the psychological moment in which
10 appear he also knew how to look, how
to act and what to do.
Looked Out for Dramatic
During his campaign for Governor at
the very close. Of the campaign. .whinn
was also a national campaign leIectins
a President and Vice President of the
United States, Sulzer was booked to ap-
pear on the platform at Madison Square
Garden in New York one night. 1t was
notable night, for ON that platform
were TO be Woodrow Wilson, the now
President of the United States. whom
every one felt morally certain would be
the next President, and also Oscar w.
Underwood. outside of Wilson himself
the most potent factor in the coming
democratic administration, the two men
who would without doubt WELD the great
est influence in the political destiny of
the United States for the next four
years. Some smaller lights were to speak
first, and then came Underwood, Sulzer
and Wilson.
There were fully 1900 people in that
vast audience and Suzer planned his
entry so as to get the full benefit of
its carefully studied dramatic effect. Tn
derwoodi came in quietly and took his
seat upon the stage hardly noticed by
the Great crowd until he was introduced
when he was given a great ovation. Not
so Sulzer-no quiet and transformations en-
trance for William. He suddenly ap-
peared as the band quit playing, and
right in the middle of the stage. shook
hands all round. patted a child, happily
placed at the right place on the PLATFORM
ON the head and waved his hand to the
crowd.
Not Considered Great Man
Sulzer has always been proud of the
fact that he has had a hard struggle
in life, and began at the bottom. One of
his breat stock quotations which he uses
in every campaign with telling effect, is
"If they tell you that the door of OPP
portunity in this country is closed to the
humble citizen, point them to the career
Of William Sulzer and give them the
lie.
Sulzer was not considered a great man
in Congress. He was. however, believed
to be honest and clean representative,
and there are many loath to believe other
than that he will likely yet extract him.
self from the difficult position that he
now faces
Many believe that Suzer is the victim of
designing people, and that while he may
be guilty of wrong that he is more sinned
against than shining. They believe him
Incapable in deliberate crookedness
In any event it is admitted that his
spectacular political career is closed If
he escapes the worst in New York he
will be lucky, and his ambition that the
governorship of New York should be a
stepping stone to the Presidency has been
swept away forever.