The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-01-08

| ter, fury and oil the passions and emotions
that Councilmanic flesh is heir to, ending in q
general application to strong whiskey and
hard words, threatening finale in which 1t
might become the province of Superintendent
Kennedy's stock company to take prominent
parts.
The Mayors Messase-Hew shall We Get .
Good City Governmcnts
The Message published this year by Mayor
Hoffman is Q creditable document, for him,
and contains some good points, although they
are marred by the wrong-headed views Of Its
author. The Mayor very truthfully says that
the present system Of governing New York In
slices is one under which we can never expect
to enjoy an efficient, competent and honest
government, and that to secure such desirs-
BILE and unusual blessing It is necessary that
there should be one powerful and responsible
head to the whole organization. In other
words, Mayor Hoffman finds by practical obser-
walton that. to render government in reality
beneficial to the people there Ii needed GER
tain amount Of Capitalization Of power; Q
principle against which his political friends so
eloquently dsclaim when applied TO the federal
government s8.a
Direct responsibility to the people il, no
doubt, an essential requisite towards securing
an honest administration of our municipal
affairs. But how is it to be obtaineds Ger
tainly not by popular election in the city Of
New York alone, where it is notorious that
the polls are controlled by the worst influences,
where new voters are made by the thousand at
every recurring election, large number Of
whom are only temporary residents Of the city,
and pass away before another election comes
round, and where, in the general scramble for
place, the successful candidates seldom repre-
sent majority of the voters and are for the
most part the choice of the grogshop, the
gambling house and the ring.
The great error into which Mayor Hoffman
falls is in supposing that the municipal officers
elected BY the people Of New York represent
the majority of her citizens, and that any inter-
ference with the city government by the State
Legislature is q species ofoppression practised
by minority against Q majority. The fact is
that the whole elective portion of our city gov
eminent represents only fraction Of the voting
population. Mayor Hoffman, who grandilo-
quently claims to possess the confidence of the
vast majority of the people, holds bis Office
by vote Of only thirty two thousand out of .
registered list Of one hundred and I'VE thousand
electors. By scramble between several cam
didates he luckily succeeded In obtaining .
certificate Of doubtful election. But he Is o
minority Mayor, tho. representative. Of . repu-
dated faction, With majority Of forty thou
sand votes against him. In like manner tho
Aldermen who compose the present Board are
In an aggregate minority Of neerly twenty
thousand on the whole vote Of the oity. Yet
the Mayor Indignantly spurns the idea Of = mi
norities" ruling over 9 majorities."
The Governor Of the State is elected BY the
voters OF the whole State. He Is moro directly
responsible 70 the people than Is any
other public officer. He leads the ticket
Of his party, and Is is acknowledged
representative. His acts are subject to tho
scrutiny of the public, and the account Of
his Stewardship must be rendered every second
year. The head Of the municipal government
of New York should be his appointee, and
directly responsible to him, as he Is directly
responsible to the people. 1t is immaterial
Of fveor moro men; but from this head. pos
scssing all the executive power, should emanate
every subordinate branch of the city govern
ment The Mayor or commissioners thus sp-
pointed by the Governor should, in their turn,
have the appointment Of the heads Of every
department and the absolute power of re-
moval. This il the system that would bring
responsibility to the people directly home to
the whole city government Mayor Hoffman
objects that the electors OF the whole State
would shus control the affairs Of the city; but
he sorgels that New York is not little town
on the Seneca river, but great metropolis, in
the prosperity, health and safety of which
the state Is vitality interested. 1t Is the
heart Of the State and distributes the life
blood through the whole system. The people
of the Commonwealth have right TO . voice In
it's government Nor is their control Of its
great general interests at all inconsistent with
the idea of local selt-governmept; for the legis-
iatiVc power III III IuAtttrs TeiaunR W mo Guy
and the largest powers Of investigation into the
affairs Of every department would remain In
the Common Council, which would continue to
be elected by the voters Of The city alone.
Under such system the evil 10 which Mayor
Hoffman alludcs, Of q number of independent,
irresponsible commissions, having no common
head, would be removed, as well as the evil 10
which he does not allude, Of an elective grog-
shop government, representing only miser-
able minority Of the citizens.
Among the sensible suggestions Of the Mes
sage are those relating to the wharvcs and piers
and the opening Of Fifth aud Fourth avenues
10 the Battery. The Mayor slludes 70 the dilap-
r. a. -