The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-13
Tho Charter Election.

W: ::..i short tm1-a Few Gays, IN iact-ths
| people OF New York will be called upon to select
officers TO conduct their municipal affairs tor the
ensuing year; and as yet they have hardly given a
thought to the subject. This apathy is really un.
accountable We cannot, for the life Of us, con-
celve how people 80 VIGOROUSLY business like, will
allow clique OF politicians Of each party to rule
and rum this great city as they have done from
lime ,mmemonal. 1t Is Singular that men
will look complacsntly on an increase of taxa
| non from year TO year, and allow few paltry
politicians to taxation at an exorbltant rate
and waste the city funds after they reach the trea.
sury, without raising their voices against the H.
iquitous system. But so 1t is so 1t has been, and
80 it will ever be, we suppose, unless some great
change takes place IN the public mind which we
do not anticipate. In few days the politicians
will, as usual, assemble In the grog shops and
oyster cellars around town. arrange all the political
machinery, and propose to the voters OF
New York two sets of candidates for Mayoralty
and Common Councilmen; and the sef-cheated
and humbugesd people will vote for men, as they
have done In former years, who will give US dirtIer
streets than ever, assess taxes greater than ever
and whose career will be charact erised by more
waste, extravaganza, and corruption .han that of
any Of their predecessors, wing, democrat or na-
| tive. This will be the case IN the year 1919, as
1t has been from time immemoral.
We have abandoned all idea of the taxpayers
ever stirring themselves in the matter of reforming
our municipal government. We have CO. ne to the
conclusion that they cannot be moved-that they
will submit to anything that is imposed on them,
no matter how corrupt or extravagant; and have
determined to cease making any appeal to them In
future. We have few words, however, to say to
the politicians and wlre-pullers. They have 1t all
their own way now, and we advise them to "put
1t on thick" this year. Let them manage their
cards so that the very worst men of both parties
will be selected No matter who they are, they
will and must be elected-one set or the other.
Let the democratic wire puers select, as candl.
dates, men who will not scruple at expendng five
millions Of dollars instead of three let them obtain
pledges, before their nomination, that, If elected,
they will give fat contracts to their riends-let the
wings do the same. One or the other set will GER
talnly be elected, and they may, by agreement,
DIVIDE the spoils between them. There is not the
least danger OF such scheme succeeding, for the
| taxpayers of New York care not how much they
are assessed. Whatever 1t is, they will pay it
To be sure, they will grumble and growl little,
but they are so INJURED to that, that it would be
pity to deprive them of the luxury of doing So
They must not stop at any length They may be
the means of driving few thousand poor people
to Brooklyn or Wlliamsburgh, but what of that?
A poor man has no right to live at all, anywhere.
We beg of them, especially that they will make 1t
a sine qua non, that after election the candidates
will not have the streets touched with broom
during their term of Office, while during the same
period they will levy at least half million Of dol
lars for street cleaning; that they will grant leases
of the ferry rights of the city for nothing, and pay
the lessees something handsome In addition; and
that they ILL., in every other respect, fleece the
people without conjunction. The unfortunate
short-sghted taxpayers will take 1t in good part,
ard will, no doubt, continue them in office for
the year afterwards.
Go il, politicians and wire-pulers, but when you
do go it, 60 1t strong!