Henry George, Mayor of New York

[HueyLong]

1886, he ran and came in second, losing to the Tammany Hall candidate. (And beating all-American TR pretty well)

Now, for whatever reason, he was popular among the Irish circles of the city. Lets say a few more ward bosses throw support his way, and get a larger Irish slum vote for him. And lets just say thats enough for him to win. (It may well be, IIRC it was a comparatively slim margin of defeat)

What does Henry George do for the city of New York? Does it become the progressive paradise he was praised for dreaming of? Or is he just another mayor?

 

[Matthais Corvinus]

The reason that Henry George lost was because everything possible was done to stop him from being elected. TR got beaten so badly cause the Republican powers that be decided they would rather have the devil they know- corrupt Tammany than the devil they don't- revolutionary Henry George. So even if HG got the most votes, Tammany would just count enough votes for their candidate, and the Republicans would avert their eyes, hold their noses, and allow it (just like OTL).

If, by the grace of god and good fortune, he did in fact get elected (which is pretty much ASB, but whatever) then I think that it would have been an administration mostly fought to try to get anything done. The problem is that without a political party, he doesn't have a ready stock of political appointees. I think that his best course of action would be to try and make an alliance with the reform wing of the Republicans, people like TR, by enacting Civil Service Reform and some other of their pet projects. With those people on his side he would be able to staff his city, and maybe with his renegade Irish political bosses and these proto-progressives he would be able to create his own political organization.

How did he come down on Populist Party issues? Cause I can see the possibility that if he does become Mayor of New York, then he could represent a potential ally to the mid-western populists. Perhaps using his model, a serious Populist or Socialist Party could be promoted in urban areas. If Henry George is able to create an organization, then it will be largely built on progressive accomplishments. Public-educated and now Civilized and Intelligent slum Irish promoting Georgism across the great cities of this nation?

 

[HueyLong]

I don't know if its ASB. After all, only eight years later, they elected a reform mayor opposed to Tammany. (William L. Strong)

Maybe have an outrage or scandal arise a bit earlier regarding Tammany Hall (okay, another one). An earlier Lexow (sp?) Committee, in say, 1884, that robs Tammany of some of its influence for a time.

 

[Matthais Corvinus]

There is a big difference between a Reform mayor, who is probably a Republican, versus Henry George, who was very revolutionary. The reformers were proto-Progressives, Henry George was a Socialist. The difference is huge, and is the reason that the same people who elected Strong also were strongly against Henry George.