The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-10-22
Our New York Letter.
THE MAYoRALTY-How RUFFIANs HAVE
RULED-MR. RoosEvELT's CONFESSION
THE POWER AT THE POLISH BETTER
PRosPEcT-FERNANDo wooD's PRACTICE
AND PREACHING-wHAT is HOPED FOR.
ETC. ETC
New YORK, Oct. 10, 1872.

The political cauldron is beginning to get
red hot with the glow of our municipal an
tagonisms now that the national contest has
been Invested of the stimulating element Of
uncertainty. The Republicans entered the
field to-day by deciding that they would nom
mate Mr.. Haveneyer for Mayor, at their
Convention this evening. This puts the re-
form cause before the community in a tangi-
BILE and practicable form, tor Mr.. Havsmeyer,
albeit Grant Democrat will not administer
office as party man nor be bound by any
trammels to political organizations. Neither
OF his competitors occupy this independent
position. Hence he is immeasurably more &C
| ceptable to the admirers Of good government
than either of them and there really ought to
be no doubt of his election, as his character
is irreproachable, his ability demonstrated
by previous successful incumbency of the
office and his personal popularity beyond
question. Nevertheless, these triangular Skin
mishss are subject to so many extraneous in.
fuences that it is unsafe to predict the result,
even when it seems assured. The vicious
classes in New York always combine against,
and vigorously oppose a candidate whose
election would be surest to effect a rigid and
unimpartial enforcement of the law. Every
junk shop-keeper, dance house proprietor,
liquor dealer, gambler and all others whose
questionable pursuits render them constantly
liable to legal arraignment, will by a natural
instinct vote for the worst man who NAV hap-
pen to be in nomination.
Ii there is only one bad man in the field he
is certain to receive their effective support.
They want Mayor whom they can "see''
who is accessible to the only kinds of argu-
ment with which they are familiar. And
they are able politicians. They know how
to makes illful combinations-to rally their
followers-to bring cut every voter. In the
days of the "Ring'' have stood at the polls
all day long and seen those creatures flying
about with eager steps and Istermaaed pur-
pose, and bringing to tb ballot-box the
hdbataes of all the slums l. the district At
frst used to wonder VIII tsese virtual out
laws should take such an interest in local
affairs, but little reflection suffced to solve
the problem. They dreaded the advent of
rulers who could not be bought, and they
trusted to their political activity to condone
any offenses with which they might be
charged. One of the most potent agencies
whereby the "Ring" so long perpetuated it's
career of crime was the active help OF the law
defying portion OF our voters. The pigeon
holes of the District Attorneys office are
crowded full of untried indictments. When
any servitor of Tammany proved FESTIVE
under his yoke, one of these indictments
was shaken in his face fit didn't happen
to bear upon him personally, it was sure to
involve some near and dear "friend' so as to
put an instant stop to all his plans of revolt,
and indeed to make him more subseryient
than ever
When Congressman Roosevelt entered upon
his canvass two years ago in the then 4th
District in which he didn't reside, he was op-
posed by Gen. Mcmahon a gallant Irishman
and much more orthodox in his democracy
IMAM Roosevelt. AS the latter wasa carpet-bag-
ger,and an American of rather anti-Hibernian
and pretty nearly all the voters in
The district were Irishmen, the uninitiated
naturally thought he would be beaten. They
we're entirely mistaken. He distanced his |
competitor. Subsequently, being one of the
pest natured and frankest men in the CITY. |
md having withal no love for the Ring, he
laively admitted that there were 1900 untried
Indictments in the hands of the district attor-
ley against the voters he was ambitious to
make his constituents, and those were so
many bonds that they would vote for any man
he Boss" told them to.
10 be sure, this Rug tyranny is destroyed
'o"' There is no recognized organization in
'ur midst, which taking for its motto evil
'e 'hou my goodP' deliberately arrays the
ice and crime of great city in one solid
nalanx Tor the preservation of guilty. and
hievlng dynasty. But unfortunately III.
lass OF voters that were wont to be tbu, used
emain, and are conscious of their nower I
hey are exceedingly dangerous to the ne,co
nd good order of the city they infest and dis
race. A single one OF them is equal for
ectioneerng purpose to twenty of your av- !
age respectable citizens, for while he will l