100 years ago in The Record
Monday, Aug. 13, 1917
Bowing to the inevitable, Troy’s Republican leaders unanimously endorse Fourth Ward alderman George T. Morris for mayor tonight.
A master plumber and the son of a popular orator, Morris is a fiscal conservative who often votes against the rest of his party in the common council. Presenting Morris consideration tonight, Fourth Ward committeeman John Doyle praises his “wonderful record [of] opposing everything that savored of inefficiency and extravagance.”
The furthest thing from a favorite of GOP bosses, Morris outwitted them by declaring his candidacy before the county committee had a chance to endorse anyone else. His vow to contest a primary election scared off all other mayoral prospects, none of whom wanted to spend time or money campaigning for the nomination.
Accepting the nomination, Morris kicks off what promises to be a highly personal campaign against three-term Democratic incumbent Cornelius F. Burns.
“I know the people of Troy, for I was born and reared there, have always lived and mixed with them,” Morris says, “and I know they are tired and sick of the expensive moving picture show which has been reeling off at the city hall during the past five and a half years.”
Burns enjoys extensive bipartisan support, having been endorsed by the Republican-leaning Record in 1915, and statewide pres- tige as two-term president of the state conference of mayors. His popularity, as well as Morris’s unpopularity within his own party, makes the challenger a serious underdog
Morris is unimpressed. “Of course, the press hero of the elaborately staged scenario has, at different times, temporarily caught the fancy of some of our citizens,” he concedes, “but his acts and his antics have been along the lines of tickling the vanity and promoting the political interests of the silk-tailed actor on the spike-tailed horse, at the expense of the taxpayers.
“Cornelius F. Burns has been the biggest bluff and the most complete official failure in the history of the public life of Troy. During his time as mayor, Troy has gone backward in everything excepting property and water tax rates.
“He has devoted his time and spent the city’s funds in planning stunts in which he could be ‘ the pretty boy,’ rather than in efforts to make Troy attractive to industries, and to encourage capital to develop the city. These things Burns pledged himself to do, but has absolutely failed, either intentionally or because of incapacity.”
Morris asks for support from all “who desire the government of Troy to be conducted for the welfare of Troy and all Trojans, rather than in the interests of an egotistical aspirant for state and national political recognition.”