James K. McGuire: Boy Mayor and Irish Nationalist

5. The “Wilderness” Years

96 5 The “Wilderness” Years Unlike defeated politicians in the modern age, McGuire would not have the luxury of spending any years in the “political wilderness.” He had a young family to support. He and Frances had three young children and their fourth, Rosalind, would arrive on January 16, 1902.1 He had a number of business interests that needed his attention, and he still had his duties as chairman of the Executive Committee of the State Democratic Party. In this latter capacity he was editing a threevolume history of the party.2 As the year progressed, McGuire visited David Hill to begin the organization of the upcoming campaign for governor. Despite his loss the previous November, McGuire was still regarded as an attractive statewide candidate who could have a place on the ticket that fall. McGuire denied any interest in being a candidate.3 Once again, he was being touted as a candidate on the statewide ticket, this time for comptroller. The former mayor rebuffed the suggestion but did commit to making speeches during the campaign as well as to taking charge of the campaign in Onondaga County. He had also committed to making five speeches for the Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania. He would be replaced by former comptroller Bird S. Coler, who took the position in anticipation of becoming the Democratic candidate for governor that fall.4 On August 2, Mayor Kline managed to achieve a new low for pettiness as the Carnegie Library was dedicated in Syracuse. Despite the fact that McGuire had obtained the financing for the library from the industrialist, Kline and the library trustees kept him waiting t h e “ w i l de r n e s s” y e a r s | 97 for the ceremony and did not undertake the laying of the cornerstone until after he had left. Observers believed that McGuire had been denied any part or mention in the program because the Republicans did not want him to have any favorable publicity whatsoever.5 At the convention in Saratoga, Bird Coler was nominated for governor.6 McGuire played a more subtle role, albeit one that would have significant repercussions in the campaign. Throughout 1902, the nation was in the midst of a coal miners’ strike that occupied much of the Roosevelt administration’s time and effort in trying to bring about a resolution.7 In the midst of this controversy, McGuire proposed adding a plank to the state party platform calling upon the president to nationalize the mines and coal industry. When the plank was first proposed , it was considered so radical that former senator David Hill was reported to have told McGuire, “It’s worse than anything that Bryan ever wrote. Don’t you think that you are jumping a century in a night?” McGuire’s plank was not some abstract concept that he had interjected into the campaign without considerable forethought. He likened it to the Government Printing Office and envisioned the mines’ being run by a cabinet-level office: the Department of Mines.8 It was an idea that would generate much discussion and that he would talk more about during the course of the campaign. In his opening speech at home in Syracuse, he defended the plank against the charge that it was Socialist.9 Governor Odell, campaigning for reelection, charged that “the whole democratic platform appeals to passion rather than reason,” and was “encouraged by those who desired to see conflict between labor and capital.”10 After traveling on business for two weeks and having time to reflect on his situation, McGuire announced his retirement from politics . He was not, however, willing to assume responsibility for the most recent defeat. In his statement he explained that the reason the Republicans had prevailed was because Governor Odell was the better candidate. He offered to step down from party leadership but would not tolerate his friends being sacrificed.11 It was to be a short-lived retirement. While McGuire would be absent from the city for significant periods of time in 1903, as events 98 | Ja m e s K . Mc G u i r e unfolded it would become clear that he was still in charge of the local Democratic Party. McGuire’s business interests were continuing to prosper as the year unfolded. McGuire was employed by John Mack, an asphalt baron whose empire expanded dramatically as he and his...