The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-31

The Political ROUGH AND TUMBLE Flour
The election contest in which the people of this
State are now engaged presents the best idea Of
political rough and tumble fight that can be
well imagined. The different factions into which
all the parties are dsintegrated have joined in
the melee without the slightest regard to princi-
pies or rules Of action. They have " sailed
in" to borrow an elegant expression from a
political rowdy, and are kicking and mauling
and gouging each other in disregard Of all the
recognized modes of procedure in politics or in
"the ring" Apart from the question Of the
Governorship, in which the taxpayers of the city
and State are really interested, there is not
single principle Of national, State or city policy
involved in the issue of the present contest 1t
is simply and merely a tussle as to who will get
into this that or the other Office, and it is almost
certain thing that the greatest political rowdies
will be the winners. But, no matter who wins
the decent, honest citizens, are sure to be the
losers in the long run.
Some ridiculous attempts have, indeed, been
made to cover up the real character of the con-
test by getting up sham issues, such as Lecomp-
tonism and anti-Lecomptonism. But the people
are not to be gulled by any such transparent
humbug as that. Kansas shriekers exhausted
that subject in the last Presidential campaign II
is dead and buried, and cannot possibly be resur-
rected But yet that is the only inscription on
the banners under which the voters of the oppo-
sition are asked to rally. The candidate for
Sheriff, or Coroner, or County Clerk, or some
other subordinate office, is put forward "a an anti
Lecomptonite-just as if the levying OF an exc
cution the holding of an inquest, or the pocket
ing of fees, we're to be affected in any way by the
position Of the official on the Kansas question
And so every frothy ward orator spouts nonsense
by the yard on the subject of the Lecompton
constitution, and defends or abuses the ad-
mnistration Just he happens to belong to the
'pros" or the ''antis"
The truth is, as we have said before, that there
is absolutely no principle of policy entering into
the present contest. The only question is
whether one set of knaves or incompetents will
get the fat Offices and be chosen to represent US
in the national or State councils, or whether the
choice will fall on another set. not whit better
or worse. The people have little choice between
them. To use homely phrase, lit is six of one
and half dozen of another Unfortunately
we are well used to having the best Offices filed
by the worst men. II is no new thing to have
the man who was candidate for the State prison
yesterday put forward tomorrow a. q oandi-
date Tor Congress or the Assembly. Such
things seem to come in regular course in po-
litics. Let US only hope that the selections
to be made next Tuesday will not be much
worse in the average than those that have
been made hitherto. Besides, Grand Juries have
got into dangerous habit OF iDdictng officials
and We may thus get rid of some of those that
will be chosen in advance Of the regular expira-
ton of their teru Let it be understood, how
ever. that the present is free fight all round
and that, no matter who wins or loses, the public
generally need not expend much sympathy on
the defeated, or much congratulation Oh the
winners