The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-26

The Approaching Municipal Election.
All the party journals are very busy about
the approaching elections The State election,
for which the tickets are made out does not
seem to attract much attention, although the
selection of proper candidates from this city
for Senators and Assemblymen is very i'm
portant thing; for, as we have unfortunately
seen, these officials exercise considerable infiu-
ence on the internal affairs of the metropolis by
their conduct at Albany. All the party jour-
mails, however, are exhibiting the deepest inte-
rest in the municipal election for Mayor, Corpo-
ration Counsel and the members of the Com
mon Council Boards, because there is more
money to be made out of these offices, the
pickings whereof may be reasonably set down
at about ten millions year.
But decidedly the most important feature In
the preparations for the elections is the organi-
zation of that body of intelligent, respectable
men-merchants, bankers artisans, and laborers
as they are-who by careful industry have
worked themselves out of comparative obscu-
rity to become the leading property owners in
the city. They have called themselves the De-
mocratic Vigilant Association, mainly, we pre-
sumo, because the majority of them weredemo-
Gratis, though there are some republicans and
wings among them. They number now some
hundreds in their ranks, and they can raise
at moments notice, from fifty to a hun
bred thousand dollars to carry out their
purpose. These men are not politicians they
are sensible men who have been watching
H. 50 ,k,
greet at the shameful misgovernment under
which the city has been suffering for many
years past. They have seen every political
faction become the tool of rowdies and
shoulder-hitters, every nomination and election
absolutely controlled by the vilest men in
the community; they have found this true
alike of Tammany Hall, Mozart Hall and the
republican cliques, and they have combined
for the purpose of reforming the whole abomi-
nable system.
The members of the Vigilant Association do
not intend, we believe, to take any prominent
part in the State election unless it be to rebuke
the traitorous doctrines of Seward and the
rowdyism Of Syracuse; but they are determined
to make their voice heard and their influence
felt in very marked manner in the municipal
election.
We understand that this Association intends
to nominate an executive committee, who shall
report the names of five trustworthy men, who
are not pledged to the rowdies, for the Office of
Mayor, five Of the same class for Corporation
Counsel, and five for each of the Aldermen and
Councilmen to be elected. These names they
will submit to Tammany, and if any of them
are nominated for any Of the above Offices the
Association will support and elect them. They
care nothing for personal preferences; in their
own list there will be none but respectable
candidates, and it matters not which of them
may be nominated we shall be sure to have
competent, honest and unpledged man to vote
for.
This is one point in the programme of the
Democratic Vigilant Association. Another
point is this:-The Association is about to or
ganize and support at its own expense new
bureau, with an efficient staff of clerks whose
sole duty it will be to watch closely the pro-
ceedings of the Corporation and all the officials
Of the city government see what is going on
right and what is wrong and report regularly
every week or fortnight; such report to be pub
lshed in the newspapers, and paid for as an
advertisement This project, If properly car
ried out will prove the most ingenious and
beneficent scheme ever undertaken for the pro-
lection Of the people Of this city from fraud and