The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-15

Tue MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND THE CRY LIE
osIAruRE.--1bere 10 a great deal of noise made
about the election to the Mayoralty and the
post Of Counsel to the Corporation But these
municipal Offices are Of no Importance as com
pared with others which the people and the
press appear to have completely overlooked.
The Mayor Of New York Is Of no account beyond
the city, and from the manner in which his
hands are tied up by absurd laws he has very
little power even within his limited jurisdiction
The best estimate Of the picayune character Of
the Office may be found in the fact Of tho salary
being only $1,000 per annum, whereas If the
power and responsibility Of the Mayor were
what they ought to be, he would he cheaply
paid by four or five times the sum. As the law
now stands, the Mayor is little better than
head clerk 10 do the bidding Of his masters.
who, If he objects, can do it without his permits
sion. He Is but cipher, Of no value standing
by himself. and possessing weight only when
he follows the lead Of the city legislators.
Hence the difficulty of getting any respectable
man to accept the nomination. Neither Is the
Office Of Counsel to tho Corporation Of any
practical accounts 1t Is only an Office for making
money and feashering the nest Of the holder.
For all tho good he does the city would be
better without him.
Now, the officials to be elected in the first
week of December, who are OF vastly higher
Importance than these, are the Aldermen and
Councilmen. They will constitute a considera-
bic part of tho city legislature who hold in their
hands the strings Of the peoples purse, and can
vote out Of 1t just what amount they please
and for any and every purpose, however
corrupt and even injurious to the interests
Of the city-the Battery enlargement, to
wit. While, therefore, the public attention
is fixed ON tho Offices of Mayor and Corpo-
ration Counsel, there appears to be no notice
taken Of the election of the two boards of the
Common Council. So disreputable has this
body become that hardly any decent candidate
will subject himself to the imputation of being
one of a den of thieves. 1t is notorious that the
great majority Of those who seek to become
Aldermen and Councilmen are without means or
character, and 60 to the City Hall with the deli
berate design of plumber. Whatever their nomi-
nation and election costs them for bribery, they
are sure to amply reimburse themselves out Of
the city treasury, so soon as they can get an
opportunity Hence good man fears to iden-
tify himself with such an assembly of rogues and
rascals. There are exceptions to this general
rule, but they are as rare as black swans
Judging from the kind Of men recently elected
to the State Legislature, there is every pros
poet Of the election to the city legislature of
the most corrupt set of corporate knaves that
ever plundered this unfortunate city. The taxes
are ten millions this year; there is strong
probability that they will be increased to If
teen millions in the ensuing year. This matter,
therefore, ought to be taken in hand imme-
diately by the honest, enlightened and respect
able portion of our citizena
As for the Mayoralty, we are informed that q
special committee, said to be appointed by
the citizens without distinction of party" has
selected from among thirty the names of four
persons as candidates, whom they describe as
distinguished gentlemen, eminent for their at
tainments, business qualifications, energy and
integrity" This is high sounding eulogy;
but it so happens that two or three Of
them are strong partisans, and there is
hardly one who answers fully to the
description given. But how is the choice to
be determined between fourG simultaneously
with this movement the peoples party" "a
German faction) have nominated candidate
and Tammany Hall is said to be in search of
one, but hitherto unsuccessful, while the repub-
licans are at sea without rudder or compass,
tossed about by every wind, and know not
whittier to turn or what to do
All that we know for certain about the
Mayoralty contest is that Fernando Wood is in
the field, the candidate of Mozart Hall; and in
making their calculations all parties ought to
take this fixed fact into consideration. But
as we have already said, the right choice of
the candidates for Aldermen and Councilman
is the all important point in the coming cleo
ton, and deserves the serious consideration of
the people thousand fold more than the office
of Mayor.
FINE PRosPECrs FOR Political ORAroRs--
1t lie supposed that the two paries-the demo-
Gratis and publicans-during the next year,
up to the Presidential election, will expend
about ten millions Of dollars, in electioneering
of all descriptions, in the central debatable
States of New York, New Jersey, Indiana and
Illinois. Let the seedy, ragged political ora
tors brush up; there is some business in
prospect