The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-11-04
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER A., 1922.
To the Citizens of New York

To the Citizens of New York
To-day will record the finish Of one
of the most extraordinary political
campaigns this State has had in many
years, perhaps has ever had. The out
standing issue has been man against
man, MILLER against SMITH. All other
issues have been dwarfed by this big
overshadewing issue.
There are other men running for
Office this fall. There are candidates
for Congress running this fall, candi
dates for the United States Senate
running this fall, candidates for the
State Legislature and candidates for
other Offices running this fall, but one
rarely hears their names mentioned.
They are not in the picture, not in
the discussion that engrosses public
attention.
Both MILLER and SMITH have had
one term as Governor and Mu.LER's
term Immediately succeeded SMITHS
term. Each with the same length of
service, and their respective terms
abutting each other, makes it easy to
determine their relative merits as
business men, their relative merits
as Chief Executives, their relative
merits as administrators of the af-
fairs of this great State.
1t is a rare thing in politics when
the voters have the opportunity of
seeing contrasts so clearly and so
sharply drawn. Two years ago. when
MILLER ran against SMITH for Gov
ernor, MILLER had no executive record
to run on. SMITH had two years of
service to run on. Then it was a
question of matching a man OF ac-
ceptable record as Chief Executive
against a man with no record as
Chief Executive. Then it was ques-
tion of matching a certainty against
an uncertainty. Then it was ques-
tion OF matching the tried out man
against the untried man, and in this
there is always a big gamble.
SMITH had the same personal fol-
lowing he has to-day, had the same
personal popularity he has to-day and
he had the advantage that comes
from being in Office.
All this popularity, all this advan-
tage, was matched against the COM
paratively unknown MILLER. MILLER
was we'll known in the law, well
known on the bench, but outside of
the law and apart from the upstate
sections where he lived and had lived
he was not known to the people. And
yet MILLER won out against SMITH
by 74,O66 votes.
But the contest was not normal
one. 1t was IN a Presidential cleo
ton and very abnormal Presiden-
tial election at that, an election that
rolled up a colossal Republican ma
jority for HARDrNG. That MnLER's
vote fell far behind HARDINes, un-
known as he was, running against the
popular AL SMITH as he did, is not
surprising. The surprise, indeed, is
that he did not lose to SMITH.
MILLER's winning the election gave
you, the voters Of New York, chance
20 see what business management of
the highest and most efficient order
has meant in State taxes and in con-
structive work as compared with the
kind of management you got from
AL SMITH and the kind you got from
the several administrations preceding
AL SMITHS.
You are face to face with a serious
responsibility. Citizenship in a de-
mocracy means responsibility. The
question that rests heavily on you
Just now 10 this: DO you wish to
have the business Of this State
handled in business way, or do you
wish to have It handled in a political
way7
For the most part there has been
too much politics in the management