Life — November 18, 1897 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“OWhile there is Life there's Hope.” VOL. XXX. NOV. 18, 1857. ag West THIRTY-First ST. No. 778, New York, Published every Thursday. $5.00. yearin advance, Postage to foreign countries In the Postal Union, $t.ogayear extra. Single coples, 10 centa, Rejected contributions will be destroyed un- less accompanied bya stamped and directed envelope. The illustrations in LIFE are copyrighted, and are not to be reproduced without special arrangement with the publishers, Fev ERtONE has been saying that the late election in New York is full of lessons, but the several in- structors seem unable to agree as to what they are. Tammany’s moral is that “you can’t win unless you have the votes, and you can’t get the votes unless you please the people.” Mr. Platt's moral is. ‘* Another time, do as I tell you!" and the Citi- zens say, ‘‘ Now you know Platt.” Yes, now we know Platt, but we knew him before. The hope of win- ning in New York without joining all the Republicans against Tammany was faint at best, and though the George movement gave new life to it, the outcome agreed with the original forecast made before the George metcor flashed across the sky. The Citizens seem to think that they have done Mr. Platt a lot of harm, and though it cannot be said that they are satisfied, their affliction is not wholly without the elements of solace. Their best ground for com- fort and hope is that through their efforts the standard of government in New York has been raised, so that even Tammany will feel constrained to do better by us than would have seemed necessary if there had been no fight, no Strong, and no Waring. To educate the voters is a slow pro- cess, but it is sure to continue, and perhaps we shall live to see non- partisanship triumph in a city elec- tion without help from any organiza- tion that is not municipal. * LIFE: OME very worthy and intelligent citizens of New York voted on November 2d for Tracy and Platt. They did it either because they were not satisfied with Low, or because they blamed the Citizens for not making terms with Platt, or because they were persuaded that the main- tenance of the Platt organization was essential to the cause of sound money. Some good and intelligent men don’t believe in non-partisan- ship even in municipal affairs. It is true, too, and can be proved, that there were a number of decent people among the 225,000 voters who favored Tammany. It should comfort and encourage the Citizens to recognize these facts. If their movement had already gath- ered in a// the virtuous persons in New York, the outlook for it would be gloomier than it is. But it has not. There are snatchable brands still unrescued from the burning, and though four years is a long period, it is not interminable. EANWHILE Lire has made no preparations to leave town, but hopes to continue on after New Year's at the old stand, at least long enough to learn what Tammany will do. All of us who have read the newspapers are entitled to belicve that the American metropolis is to be given up on New Year's day to political sack, and that dirt, dis- order, extortion, extravagance, and all manner of crime will hold a four- years’ revel in it. We don’t all hon- estly think it is going to be so bad as that. We expect to see the offices parcelled out among the Tammany men, to see some grave abuses re- vived, to see political government in- stead of government on a business basis, but we also expect that the streets will be safe and perhaps clean, that taxes will be moderate, and that most persons who are qu: fied to enjoy life will live almost as happily as heretofore. Tammany may pilfer and levy blackmail ; doubt- less it will, but it is not grossly in- competent to administer the affairs of the city, "FLAMMARION, the distin- ¢ guished French astronomer, who knows so much and surmises so much more about Mars, is anxious, as other astronomers are, to learn whether the moon has an atmos- sphere, and is disappointed that the big, new Yerkes telescope docs not tell. It is a pity that M, Flam- marion’s lawful curiosity should not be satisfied, but if he has a taste for atmospheres, and cares to inspect a new one, let him come to New York in January and see Tammany’s. He need not bring his telescope. He can see it through any kind of a glass, and probably feel it also. He should come early, both to avoid the rush and to contrast the new atmosphere with the old. HEY say that the Hon. Bourke Cockran buys hats by the gross, not because his head ever swells, but because he is such a vigorous speaker that a hat through which his elo- quence has once passed is used up. Mr. Cockran’s hat bill for October is understood to have been excep- tionally large. (Peanar AINE’S gamebag for the first month of the open season this fall included twenty-five moose, eighteen caribou, sixteen bears, nearly 4,000 deer and five hunters. Besides these, five guides and three hunters were shot but got away, and five hunters and three guides were drowned. The open season for big game and guides lasts three months. The rest of the year Maine is an ex- ceptionally healthy State.