The Washington herald., 1917-11-02
n. Y. CAMPAIG
, IS nationwide
Holland Says Fate Of Nom
partisan Government
Hinges On Result.

Two days after the forty-elSht
States food conservation campaign Is
ended and ten days after the sub
scriptions TO the Second Liberty Loan
u,ere closed an election is to take
r,lace in New York City which appar-
emily has attracted nationwide atten-
tioD This is not due to the fact that
John Purroy Mitchell is a candidate
for reelection as mayor so much as
% the relation which this election VIII
lear toward the growth of municipal
honpartisan administration. IL mas
often been said that 1t is impractcaple
IL not impossible to secure an ade-
uuate and sincere nonpartisan munlcl-
pal administration excepting DS
means of the commission form or gov
ernment. Therefore. should the ma
. jority of the people OF New 1ork Ci1y w,
cast their votes for the candidates VINO
,enresent the partisan government
principle, the result will be looked
unon as confirmation OF the view that
only bv the commission form OF mu-
nicipal government can be desired re-
suits be secured.
Interest In Election
The interest in this election is GER
tainIy national and not purely local
Ordinarily 1t would be. from the ma
tionaI point OF view, of little conse-
uuence whether a candidate OF the
Republican party or candidate OF
the Democratic party were elected
mayor of New York. But the prin-
cIple of municipal efficiency and re-
form made possible by nOnpartisan
government is to be so tested in the
local election that other communities
in the United States which nave
adopted nonpartisan forms OF gov
eminent or that are contemplating
the adoption of a government or tnaI
kind. are very closely watching the
cap1paign in New York and 1t Is ap-
Parent that the hope IL general mat
the nonpartisan administration when
fs identified by Mayor Mitchefs name
viii be so well supported by the peo-
pls that nationwide influence in the
.Ipirection of nonpartisan municipal ad-
ministration will be Immediately felt.
Election In Doubt.
The situation i'm New York City is
somewhat peculiar. and for that rea-
son il is impossible to forecast the
result II the election. Four years ago
the citizens elected by a handsome
\ majority public officers committed TO
uon-partisan administration. Now II
is ALLEGED by those who support this
policy or principle that the results
achieved in New York City by this ad-
ministration fully justify all the
claims that have been made for non
partisan government Of municipality.
Possibly if there were no European
war aud no sinister influences created
in the United States by those who are
called pacifists the reelection of the
non-pa rtisan administration would be
certain.
New York Pacifsts.
There are i'm New York large num-
ber Of voters who either openly pro-
feS.s to be paciiists or who secretly are
aiding the pacihsts. one of the candil-
dates for election as mayor is an
aver1rd pacifst. He is at the head
OF the Socialist ticket. But the So
Ciaiist party is believed to he split
upon this issue. Charles Edward
Russell who has been twice the can
didate OF the Socialist party for gov
eInor of W York, and four years
ago was a candidate of the Social
ist party for mayor of New York, is
giving all his time to the support of
the non-paTtisan ticket, chiefly on the
ground that, il that ticket is defeat
ed, the result viii be accepted in
Germany and by pacifists all over the
United States as indicating that pub
lie sentiment in New York is against
the war.
There are a good many voters who
'never fail to support the regularly
nominated candidate Of their party
for mayor or any other office. The
voters of this kind who are RepUbli-
cans will support the candidacy of
William L. Bennett for mayor. So on
the other hand. the Democratic vot-
ers who never fail to cast their votes
for a regular Democratic candidate
for office will support the nomination
of Judge Hylan for mayor. 1t is the
independent voters and those who,
In municipal election. do not regard
it as imperative taht they support the
regularly nominated party candidates
for mayor. to whom the community
must look for success in case the nom
partison form of government which
has been carried on for four years I'M
der Mayor Mitchell. be retained. No
body can estimate the number of these
Independent voters. Nobody can with
accuracy make an election forecast
which would show how many Socialists
DO not agree with the Socialist candi-
date for mayor Morris Hilquitt, but do
sagree with the most prominent and
heretofore most influential Socialist in
New York, Charles Edward Russell.
Results of Primaries.
The results of the primaries do not
furnish any adequate basis for making
estimate. The registration, especially
in the districts where thinking men
>ive, might justify the opinion that the
preponderance of the independent vote
will be cast for Mayor Mitchell and
others upon the ticket with him.
The liberty. loan campaign which,
IN the last week. created a state of
mind which was almost hysterical
In New York impaired somewhat
the election campaign. The chief
work of the campaign has been
carried on during the present week.
Many think that the Democratic
candidate for mayor, Judge Hylan,
represents Tammany Hall and for
that reason would not receive the
support which in years of Tam
smany's greatest strength the or
ganization gave to the Democratic
candidates. Many think that the
growth Of the Socialist sentiment in