The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-11-04
LEADERS ADMIT
THEYAREU UP IN
AIR ON ELECTION
All Predict Victory, but
Privately Confess They
Are Puzzled.
POLK BACKS mitchell
He IL First Administration Of
ficial to Take Sides in
Campaign.
POLK BACKS Mitchell

tAeir own Individual ticketa will wir
privately admitted last night that ''any
thing might happen" next Tuesday an,
that the night cannot be forecast witt
any degree Of certainty. The atmospher
sn tAe Nitchsl. Hylan and Hillquit head
Snrtsss h ens Of tense expectancy an,
hsoA
WITH the campaign practically at
close the political camouflage in th
various headquarters has been dispense,
with and ths leaders are now dealin,
with cold, hard facts instead Of handin!
sut rose tinted predictions Of easy vic
tsrtsa" A. . matter Of fact. the .elec
tisu y up in the air" and tho politica
nanassrS do not know In which caml
Shs victory " going TO land.
The Democratic leAders contended yes
tsrday that the, dope 10 all their wa,
and that the figures show Judge Hylai
the winner. They insist that the organi
sation vote will stick to the Tamman,
Candidates: that Mayor Mitchell has M
organization and that the votes he viii
get from the Republicans and independ
snts will not be sufficient TO overcom,
The Bennett cutin and the Hillquit vote
Hope fer Patriotic Sweep.
1hs Mitchell leaders are basing theil
hopes On q patriotic sweep" They
even 60 30 far as to say that Judge
Hylan will finish third and that Morris
HillqMt. the Socialist candidate. will be
In second place.
Tho HillQuit managers last night pre-.
Acted that their candidate will receive
upward Of 100000 votes and will b<
elected They were the only headquar.
tsrs to base their predictions on hgurea
william M. Bennett. the nominal Re
publican candidate, merely repeated
that 'he will carry every borough
Charles r. Murphy. although in pos
session Of the estimates Of the various
fammany district leaders, contented
himself yesterday with simply predict
ing the election Of Judge Hylan and all
Of the Democratic county tickets.
There 10 no question about the cleo
ton Of Judge Hylan," said Mr.. Murphy.
The Democratic city ticket also will be
elected. The New York borough and
county tickets will also win. and the
plurallties will not be small Inforina-
ton that have received from the bor-
oushs leads me to believe that the Dem
ecratlc tickets. borough and county. will
run equally well with Manhattan"
Bennett In Cellar.
The Mayors reelection is a GER
tainty." said Emory r. Buckner, Mitchell
manager. Judge Hylan Is In an express
elevator going down, while Mayor
Mitchell 10 in an express elevator going
up. We believe they have already
paessd each other. Bennett is in the
cellar and Hillquit will finish second"
From the Socialist headquarters ca me
This confident prediction: 1--WE expect
the Hillquit vote to run materially above
100000. We believe that the people OF
New York will not hesitate when the
choice Is directly between q man Of Mr..
Hllquit's unauestioned character and
ability and an old fashioned Tammany
regime
The Socialist managers claim that the
Mayor has no chance Of winning and
that the race Is entirely between Mr..
Hillqu,t and Judge Hyian.
The first word In the campaign from
On Important official of the national Ad-
ninistration was received yesterday by
tpe fusion managers in the form of a
strong Endorsement Of the Mayor by
Frank l.. Polk. Counsellor to the State
Department. In. letter to the Mayor
Mr.. Polk wrote:
As citizen OF New York and a
taxpayer l am deeply interested, as all
right thinking citizens should be- In con-
tinuing an honest and efficient admins.
tration Of the complicated affairs OF our
great city. Throughout the United
States the conduct of the affairs OF the
city by you and your colleagues is rec
cgnized a. the shining example of how
\ municipality should be governed. A
defeat would be looked on In every COM
munity as . serious blow to good gov
srnment Beyond all question your
splendid record entities you to reelection.
Polk Gives Testimony.
Having had the good fortune Of be.
Ing member Of your administration.
know with what honesty Of purpose,
courage. self-sacrince and intelligence
YOU devoted yourself to the thankless
and dimcult task Of meeting The many
Problems that presented themselves, and
shall always feel that I was privi-
legged indeed to have been associated
with you In the great work.
1T 10 said that the average voter has
! short memory. but the people of New
potten the character Of government New
York has suffered from some Of the
previous boss ridden administrations.
They will b called on to choose between
continuing On administration Of the
ri'y's s1sips by trained. intelligent and
honest oMcisls, conducted for the ben
eht % the eitixens, or to revert to 4
partissa aAministretion by respectable
dummtes and incompetent politicians for
lhs bsnsat Of m organisation which GER
'ainly h9A not been distinguished in its
virtue.
Just q take one department a. an
snsmpla. I can not believe that the voter
win hsslte4s y his choice between an
sdministrstipn that has built Up 4 self
respectlnV END efdcisnt police force.
where 'pulf 1oee not count. and Z force
such - wa hsye known. where the men
we're never cure whether they took their
orders from ~ Commissioner or Z dis-
slet Leader. s IL
.inciSsataIiy. even the members OF
rsmmany mugs geesnt the fact that their
randidate 70 net the best man In their
psH orgSntsstten 10 MI the ONCE. Thoy
know thst the hesA soe the orsanixa tion
ts,n~ly took hi orders and permitted
effolcnt msa 70 - turned down for 4
MAN who never before the campaign, and
'et'ainly not IN The csmpaign, has been
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