New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-31
The Flag in His Hand
Opponents Forced 1t on Mitchell and
He Upholds 1t

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Unless everybody is fooled. llylan or
Hillouit or Mitchell will be the next Mayor oil
New York. II Hylan is elected. the enemies Oh
the United States, here and abroad, can claim
and will claim that this greatest Of American
communities is opposed TO the war. II hil-
quit is elected. they will say. and none can
deny it. that New York has placed itself be-
hind the Hun. II Mitchell ia elected, the tongue
Of the Stacker and the traitor, here and over
there. is shrivelled in his throat. Before TINS
issue every other should disappear.
So. nothing that is said about Hylan is to
the point except that he is reckoning to the
sedtious vote. the Stacker vote. Nothlng II
TO be said of Bennett, except that he Ia trying
TO take from Mitchell votes that ought 70 DC
Mitchels. which, cast for Mitchell, would IN
sure his election. Nothing is to be said ABOUT
Hillouit beyond what he says of himself, that
he is a traitor TO his country, urgently de-
handing a traitors fate.
And for Mitchell there is this transcendent
thing TO say l-overookng, all-appeallne
that nobly, boldly, with blood that might nave
come from Concord, he has accepted the
issue thus shamelessly flung at him. Hylan'
Hillouit and Bennett have pushed nto
Mitchels hand the flag OF the United states
and have closed his grip around 1T, not oeiieV-
ing that with their threat to shoot at IL ne
would dare TO hold it up. Maybe 1T IS that
Hvlan's threat and BENEFITS is only mo-
ton. but it is that kind of notion which
cvorv patriot should answer with vote OF
scorn and Indignation. Hillquit's is an open
threat. with his loaded gun at his shoulder
If were going TO be traitor or Stacker OF
so selfshly partisan ambitious that could
induce myself TO shut my eyes to the natiohai
and international significance of this Mayor
atty election. should feel better to take my
Mace with Hillquit, and not at the polls only,
hut against the stone wall toward which ne
is backing.
The voters who want Hillquit, Huns mostly,
fools many (the Professor Cattels ana 'he
Dudley Field Malones and the Amos Pinchots
illustrate the fools); the voters VINO "an'
Hylan, who would like TO have Democrats
city il only they could dodge TINS a"lui Is
enc. the voters who want Bennett or rather
Who believe in regularity" and, anyway,
would like to show up this wretched primary
law-these arc more than Mitchell can muster
and they are almost certain so 10 concentrate
as to defeat him, unless
Unless Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roose-
welt and Charles S. Whitman come straight
to the front.
Roosevelt will. Of course. He never lodges.
Two owes or only one he sees and, seeing, he
acts with never finch. Seeing !-tnat IS
inst il. Nobody can see straight II ne letS
ambition slant his eyes. Nobody can see lar
If no lets his eyes dim with the waters OF
trembling.
Il is n shame, "a Whitman suggested, that
the election Of any citizen of New YORK 10
no its Mayor should be capable of lnterpreta-
tion as aid and comfort to our enemy. but
Whitman can't make thing that Is so not SO
bv nutting on a nair of binders and handing
binders around among his fellow citizens.
Tho President may think that with all this
roorev we have raised, all these soldiers we
aro getting ready. ne can eventually win TINS
,rar oven though the effect OF New YORK
election is further TO PROSTATE Russia ana
wider 10 open here. in Italy, France ana Eng
lord tho sluices Of sedition to its chilling
tide. But with never n gun breaking the ar
over Teuton soil. with German fronts Ia
France. in Russia, beyond the Balkans peyoha
The Aims. he would better take the RISK OF
standing by Mitchell than the risk Of turning
around and leaving Mitchell 10 the mercy OF
Tho German submarines that will be at every
III, in Now York City on November 8, and
with never a periscope showing
What can be done in a week! "eli' "r'
President. in less than a week we gave you
tive thousand millions Of money
LEMUEL ELY QClGG..
New York, Oct. so, 1917.