The sun., 1917-09-30
BENNETT ALWAYS
A HARD FIGHTER
Would-be Republican Candidate for
Mayor Has Had Strenuous Career
in Law and Politics

a result OF that bill the Cassidy COM
mittee was appointed and served on
1t and made a separate report"
Even at that time Mr.. Benefits re-
port shows that he was vigorously at
tacking the expansion Of the city's
debt limit, on the ground that it had
grown beyond all reason and that fur
ther extension would be most unwise.
He predicted that the city debt would
eventually reach from 81, ESQ, ,000, 900 to
81, 500. 100000, and his prophecy has
come to pass, inasmuch as 1t is now
$1,000. 900, 900.
1t Is rather interesting TO note, In
asmuch as Mr.. Bennett Is now one
Of the principal opponents o: Mayor
Mitchell, that while he was a member
OF the Assembly there was some talk
OF making him candidate for Presl-
dent Of the Board Of Aldermen. MT.
Mitchell was also a candidate for the
place. and as 1t turned out ne won.
To the defeated or disappointed man
IN the city convention Is given the sop
Of making the nominating speech N
favor Of his successful rival, and so
II came about that in 1909 Mr.. Bennett
strongly depicted the virtues of Mr..
Mitchell as candidate for President Of
the Board Of Aldermen and has been
shooting at him politically ever since.
In the next year he also put UP
fight in the Assembly which attracted
much attention. He decided that Ray
B. Smith, then clerk OF the Assembly.
shouldn't be clerk any longer. and
when the nettled Mr.. Smith challenged
Mr.. Bennett to oppose him the young
Assemblyman from the West Side ac-
cepted the challenge gleefully and pro-
ceeded to troWlce the sub-leader Of the
lower house to a standstiil. Then Mr..
Smith sent word to Mr.. Bennett that
1t would be good thing to talk peace
and offered him anything he wanted
II he would be good and play the game
as 1t was played. Mr.. Benefits an
swer Is not on record, but he didn't
Join hands with his defeated opponent.
Critic of Mitehel's Policies.
Later he made up his mind that he
would like to be leader of the Fifteenth
district. which had given him his place
in the Assembly, and he defeated.
Harry W. Mack for the office. Next
he wanted to go to the Senate. and in
1914 ran against the organization and
proceeded to waltz into office with a
majority Of $500 That ended Mr..
Bennett's political office holding for
tho time being and he turned to the
/ task Of jumping on the Mitchell ad-
ministration at every opportunity.
He found his lever in the position
Of counsel to the Society for the Pre-
vention Of Municipal Waste and pro-
ceeded to criticise the city govern
ment at every turn of the road. The
court house project was his chief point
I OF attack and he did as much as any
one to halt the expensive proceeding.
He=attacked every phase of the en-
terprise, the cost Of the site, the cost
Of making plans, the constantly in
creesing expense. and finally held that
/ the pay as you 60 policy" would
, eventually force its abandonment. Mr.
Bennett declares incidentally that
while q member Of the Cassidy COM
mittee he predicted that the city would
be forced to adopt the pay as you
/ go" principle OF city finance.
He has constantly fought the pro-
posed contract between the city and
the New York Central Railroad, which
has been opposed principally by the
residents OF his district and the ada
cent districts on the West Side. He
says he became convinced that the