The New York herald., 1870-05-14
Tho Aidermanic Nominations-The Duty Of
Tammany.


Tammauy.
The men who were instrumental In making
he new Charter-the men who fostered 1t and
fathered it-were evidently sincere in their
intention to give this city good government
and we must give them credit for that purpose
Their first selection for Aldermen included
gentlemen Of high standing in the commu-
nity-such men as the public have been
always desirous to see in the Board. The
absence Of men like those named and the
presence Of the rough element have been
a constant complaint Tammany has done
its duty in nominating such men as
Moses Taylor, Royal Phelps, Oswald
Ottendorfer and Lawrence Jerome, oil good
and excellent citizens; but if they de-
cline to serve-as it is said some of them
have-the Tammany leaders must not be held
responsible. We, and the public for whom we
speak, have been contending for years that the
only way to obtain good city government
was to put our best citizens into Office. 1t
would seem that this is just what the leaders
Of Tammany have been trying to do; but If
the parties who are rendered the nomination
decline to accept it of course, to this extent,
the effort is frustrated.
What is the duty of the democratic leaders
in this emergency9 1t is clearly to present
more good names as candidates for Aldermen
in the brief time allotted to them. Let them
cast their nets into the waters and they will
find plenty mora excellent citizens willing to
accept the responsibility. There is no
end OF names that might be suggested.
There are respectable men, for example,
among the working classes who do not afili-
ate with any political association, and are not
mixed up with any political cliqucs; men of
intelligence, who represent the wants and in
terests Of large portion of our citizens quite
as much as men of wealth. Many Of these
gentlemen would, no doubt, be willing to
accept the positions Of Aldermen; such men
for instance as Nelson W. Young, who declined
the nomination of the outside democratic fac
tions, preferring to stick to the old organiza-
ton, and might well be put upon the Tammany
ticket as a representative man among the
working element of the city; and there are
many more of the same class who might be
selected.
However, the duty of the democratic chiefs
who bear the tomahawk aloft, and flourish
the scalps, and shake the blankets
in Tammany Hall, is evidently clear in this
matter of nominations for Aldermen. In the
two or three days left before election they
must persevere in selecting our best citizens
for the ticket If the gentlemen so chosen
shall-one after another-decline, and leave
the ticket to be filed in by the roughs, then
there will be 20 fair excuse for grumbling here
after. 1t cannot be charged upon the leaders
of the democratic party that-with all the power
in their hands--they did not give the fullest
opportunity to the respectable portion of the
community to take fair share in the govern
ment of the city. If the class of men which
the Tammany convention has nominated re-
fuse to lend hand in the proposed reform,
who is responsible for any misgovernment that
may arise? Certainly not the Tammany lead
ers who have done their duty in the matter so
far.