New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-21
The Choice

narrow margin Dy NHlSu MI 4hiNN''NA "N
the Republican nomination for Mayor over
Mr.. Bennett. No man can be Mayor OF TINS
CITY for four years without making many
enemies. Mayor Mitchell had against him
Republicans who objected to policies OF his
affecting various localities Of the city. lie
had against him a considerable German
element which votes the Republican ticket.
He had against him the Hearst strength.
He had against him Brooklyn element
composed of friends Of Justice Cropsey and
local politicians who, with all their Skill,
were playing politics for patronage, and
this last element carried Kings County for
mis- opponent. Finally, he had against him
all those to whom partisanship represented
more than good government.
The primary vote was distinct shock to
supporters Of the Mayor. No good can
come from blinking that fact. 1t was not
that the Mayor proved weak, for no prl-
mary campaign was made for him and the
total vote was light, but that the various
clements opposed to him proved strong
far stronger within the party from which
the bulk of his support must come than had
been expected. 1t is an excellent thing for
The Republican party and for the city OF
New York that the disclosure came now
,rbile there remains time to change the
conditions thus revealed.
Kings County came near to defeating
Mr. Mitchell for the Republican nomination.
If il had. it would have precipitated
t5ree-cornered fight, with the chances in
fsvor Of the Tammany ticket. Kings Coun-
ny Republicans can defeat fusion in No
rernber. and will, if their attitude remains
Unchanged. In view of the primary result,
the strategy which gave the Tammany
orination to Judge Hylan, practically
Unknown outside his own borough, I'M
skilled in municipal affairs as he is, proves
10 have been dictated by no mean political
Judgment. Brooklyn is the critical sector
in this campaign. There is no reason 10
assume that Judge Hylan will not poll
there his full party vote, and perhaps
considerable proportion of those who ma
bitually vote outside party lines. The ke-
publicans of Brooklyn, on the present
showing, will hold the balance of power IN
the election. They must decide whether
they will put Tammany Hall back into
control of the city government or whether
thew will retain Mayor Mitchell and his
\. Fusion associates.
. Too much stress cannot be laid on this.
OIt is the chief issue-the one real issue-of
this campaign. Brooklyn has its local
grievances against the Mitchell adminlstra-
ton. The Mayors GENERALIZATION policy,
the marginal railroad project, the belief
that the Health Department had made
ouate local representation in the infant
paralysis fight, aroused antagonism toward
the head of the administration. Richmond
was sore because the garbage disposal
plant was located in that borough. These
things were seized upon and artfully CAPT
tailed by Democratic politicians and anti
Mitchell politicians not Democrats. There
was a persistent campaign of misrepre-
sentation, of mud singing, Of personal
abuse.
The question is now squarely before the
voters whether these local matters, on each
of which the administration acted in good
faith and with the best of its judgment,
warrant the return of Tammany to power.
The question is whether the voters are
willing to act for the good of the entire
city, or will permit local pride and local
prejudice. played on by astute politicians,
to imperil the unquestionable advance
which New York has made under Mayor
Mitchell.
Tammany government is a danger to
every borough. Taxpayers of Brooklyn,
of Queens, of Richmond, of The Bronx, as
we'll as of Manhattan, are menaced by the
Tigers hunger for jobs and contracts. The
Police Department, freed from graft and
raised to its highest point of public SER
vice under Mr.. Woods, Mayor MitchePs
personal friend and appointee, operates in
the furthest confines of the city as well as
in Broadway and Fifth Avenue. The
splendid Fire Department, administered by
Mr.. Adamson, a candidate with Mayor
Mitchell on the Fusion ticket, gives its eff
Gent service to Coney Island, Kingsbridge
and Central Park West alike. The Street
Cleaning Department, the Charities De-
partment, the Corrections Department, all
of which have made notable advances in
municipal service under Mayor Mitchell,
play no favorites in their work. The
Board of Estimate dispenses the funds for
the entire city.
Mr.. Hughes has termed Mayor MitchePs
administration the best the city ever had
Tho choice offered to the voters is con-
tinuation Of that record-and not that