New-York tribune., 1870-10-18
CITY POLITICS.

The late Rev Ezra Stiles Ely, d. D., is said
to have once remarked, with reference to the
QuaI1els among his Presbyterian brethren.
prior to their formal separation as Old School
and New School respectively, that there was
probably Jubilee in hell on the recurrence of
each triennial Presbyterian General Assembly.
Our rural Republicans must often have eXpe-
ricnced a kindred feeling, if they did not give
uttcrance to IA similar remark, with reference
to the meetings of our City's Republican Cen
eral Committee.
Why is it that these meetings are not held
with closed doors, and no reports allowed,
but such as their Secretaries see fit to make
For the sake of our friends ont of the CITY,
we urge that they be 80 held hereafter. The
evil that they do should suffice, without the
resulting shame.
Experience long ago satisfied us that our
CITY could never he rescued from her corrupt
ers and spoilers, who own and run the
Tammany machine, unless by a union, ire
spective of party, of those citizens whose para
mount object is honest, frugal, law-abidng
rule. Hence We in 1857, supported Daniel F..
Tiemann against Fernando Wood for Mayor,
though we knew Ticmam to be as bitter and
bigoted a Democrat as Wood could possibly be :
hence we supported George W. Mclean as an
Independcnt Reform candidate for state Sen
ator: hence we did our best, in 1865, for John
Hecker and Richard OGOrman, candidates OF the
Citizens Associations though this compelled
us to oppose such worthy and true men as
Marshall o. Roberts and Murray Hoffman:
hence we would have heartily supported William
F. Havemeycr for Mayor had he been an In
dependent candidate, and not tie standard
bearer of Tammany Hall. For years, we have
been willing to support candidates for Mu-
nicipal Offices whose politics were directly
| adverse to our own, provided they were pre-
sented on independent grounds and publicly
pledged to use their official power for the
benefit of the whole City and not for the ag-
grandizement of any party.
We do not necessarily impugn motives
when we state the notorious fact that the
Tammany Ring has for years maintained it
ill-gotten and wickedly abused power by th'
help of its familiars who claim to be Repub
licans par ercellence, and whenever there is {
chance to wrest the City from the control OF
Tweed and Co. are set on to bawl NO sur
"render!" "Keep the flag fiyingw "Wc
"can't vote for COpperheads " Republican
candidates are good enough for us y &c, &c
We might not be able to prove that Tweed
and Co. pay them for this, but we are very
certain that, if they do not, they ought to.
In December, 1868, eX-Sherff John Kelly waS
ready to run for Mayor, as an Independent
candidate and would have thrashed Oakley
Hall out of his boots, if the Republicans would
have made no party nomination, but supported
him on Citizens ticket. But this the "No
Surrender" gentlemen would by no means
| permit; they insisted on putting up Col Frede-
rick A. Conkling as the Republican nominee,
and thus crowded Mr.. Kelly out of the field.
Mr.. Charles 5. Spencer volunteered to furnish the
money required to man the COnkling boxes, and
did furnish $4,000 for that purpose; every
cent of which, of course came directly
from the magnates of Tammany Hall. Col.
COnkling received 10000 votes, though Gen.
Grant had received nearly $4,000 thirty days
previous--tbe object of the "NO Surrender"
strategists having been accomplished in the
nomination.
We leave these facts to bear their own COM
ment There will never be time when Tam
many cannot hire nominal Republicans to do
her dirty work; but they may not always be
as potent as they have been.
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