The New York herald., 1872-09-21

| The agitations and excitements of Presi-
DENTAL campaign on national, State and
municipal affairs bring out all the reserved
forces of our political parties. factions, cliques
and clans. And when, as this year. we have
before us, and all in the same general
election, q Presidential electoral ticket
Congressional ticket, State ticket legis-
lative ticket and municipal ticket to
vote for the excitements and agitations of
the general canvass are inevitably greatly
increased from the cross-purposes and Gross
frings, and the exchanges on our national and
local candidates, between the various factions
and parties concerned. But when, superadded
to these disturbing elements of numerous
national and local candidates, we have new
party organizations and divisions and defec-
tions, all inexplicably mixed up in the COM
mon cause of city reform, we have confusion
worse confounded, and the prospect of city
reform becomes correspondingly gloomy and
discouraging
Yet these are the conditions upon which our
fellow citizens and taxpayers Of this Eight
little island" are entering into the important
work in view of an election in behalf of city
reform. To all the various considerations cal
culated to affect the mind of the voter as
between Grant and Greeley, Dix and Herman,
Cox and Tremain, and this or that Assembly
ticket, are now added the question of this,
that or the other candidate for Mayor, and all
the complications of our city politics. National.
State, municipal, all the great and small issues
involved, and all the interests of the candi-
dates and parties concerned in the schedule of
elections suggested, come up for the judgment
of this people on the 5th of November.
Remember, remember, the fifth Of November.
On our Presidential question we have three
parties in the feld-the republicans for Grant
and the liberal republicans and democrats for
Greeley and o fourth party Of the straight,
or Bourbon democrats, is still making prepara-
tions for On active hand in the battle under
the Bourbon banner of o. Conor and Adams.
These Presidential complications will to O
great extent, effect the divisions of our parties
and factions upon our State and local tickets.
But still, from the numerous organizations and
clans that have sprung up here with especial
reference to our municipal election, it promises
to be the most perplexing muddle and the
most Improbable scrub race ever known on
the island since the first landing of the Dutch
1t would be superauous here to give the cata-
logue of the associations and clans already
organized and at work looking to the election
Of our next Mayor, for their name is Legion.
Conspicuous among the candidates men
toned for this important Office are II. G. Steb-
bins, W. F. Havemeyer, Charles E. Loew,
Andrew H. Green and James O'Brien. Mr..
Stebbins is a man whose high character and
qualifications for any public position demand
ing large experience in public affairs, ability,
integrity and sound discretion, are universally
admitted /; but, under the peculiar conditions
of the crisis, he is hardly the man required
to grapple with the difficulties of the situa-
ton. He is not sufficiently known among the
masses of our voters to meet the necessities Of
the case. Mr. Havemeyer is also q man
universally respected and esteemed, safe and
reliable man, in fair weather and plain sail
ing, and is widely known, too, as a man, from
his services in this capacity, who would make
good Mayor. But his experience and his
ideas of city retrenchments and city reform,
we apprehend, are associated more with New
York of the past than with the city Of the present
and the future. Mr.. Loew is one of the most
popular of our rising democratic politicians;
but without depreciating his talents and
capabilities, it may be said of him that he has
not yet passed those intermediate stages of
political experience or study required for
first rate Mayor. Mr.. OBrien, at o single
bound last FALL sprang into the position of
popular reformer, and he has o powerful and
devoted clan OF his back who appear resolved
| to run him for Mayor against the field, regard
less Of the strength or the number Of his COM
petitors; but we fear that Mr.. O O'Brien is too
impulsive and enthusiastic for this Office, which
particularly calls for q cool head and sound
| Judgment. Mr.. Green, our present Comp
troller, has become somewhat famous for his
retrenchments; but we want Mayor whose
notions of retrenchment and economy will
not stand in the way Of those improvements
and expenditures needed for the continuing
progress development and prosperity of the
city, and Mr.. Green does not meet this requi-
sition.
Other citizens more or less distinguished as
public benefactors, popular politicians or wise
old money savers have been mentioned as
likely to come to the front with this or that
coalition or party or association or clan as its
candidate for Mayor. But in casting about
for candidate whose learning, talents, gen.
eral knowledge of public affairs and practical
business habits would eminently qualify him
for the Mayoralty and the great work of city
reform, it has occurred TO us that Charles A.
Dana, of the Sun, (which shines for all,"
would meet the demand. He is fine scholar,
and from his writings oil who have read them
will pronounce him keen and profound