The New York herald., 1872-11-03
. co..issss ss seventy N us<


COMMITTEES Of Seventy. has got itself into hce
water. Having bednggled lis once decent
garments in the mire OF political intrigue u b
now looked upon by the struggling. schcming
politicians a. Hessian In their pay, and is
expected to do all their dirty work without
finching When il ventures 70 strike out in
an independent path, or 10 do any act not ap-
proved by its employers, il is Mapped over Ghs
knuckles and reminded of its dependent posi-
ton. In two of the Assembly distzicts il has
presumed to regard the democratic nominees
as preferable to the republican nominees. and
has SO announced. Thereupon II is taken 70
task by one of the discarded candi-
dates, the son of ex-Mayor Opdyke. who
charges that the committees action 10
melted by the opposition of his father to tho
cumulative voting charter Of the Seventy Lass
Winter. This opposition the rejected candi-
date justifes, and he tells the members of tho
committee in plain terms that they are . set
of impudent and impracticable blockheads.
SIN my Judgment" he says, 'it has happened
that the wisdom Of the committees action has
not been in proportion to the excellence Of
its intentions, and I await the final Judgment
Of the citizens Of New York as to the infalli-
bility OF its decisions" The pet charter Of
the Seventy he pronounces miserable hum
bug, and he reminds the committee that ita
selection Of candidates last year for municipal
offices twas not such, in all cases, as to make
its approval Trustworthy guide to the friends
of reform"
The abuse of the wrathful candidate is noe
the limit of the unhappy Committees grief.
The republican organ adds its rebuke
to the personal assault of the angry
aspirant to Assembly honors, and sharply
tells the Committee that in two As
sembly districts it has rejected the best cam
didates and endorsed the worst" or, in other
words, that it has dared to reject two repub-
licans and endorse two democrats. This,
after the nomination of the venerable Mr..
Havemeyer for Mayor by the republicans, 10
regarded as an objectionable rebellion against
partisan discipline which the Committee ID
imperiously ordered to explain" At the
same moment comes forward an O'Bnen
politician, Mr.. William G. Barrett, who has
been heretofore o member of the Committee
of Seventy, and assails his associates Of
the Committee for their criticism Of
the Apollo Hall nominee The Seventy.
alluding to O Brien's candidacy, have said:--
:sFhe people Of this city are familiar with Mr..
O Brien' history and record, and there is not,
we believe, one intelligent citizen who does
not know perfectly well that he is in every
a
aspires and into which he is being pressed by
all the dangerous elements of society. We
appeal, therefore, with confidence to all who
have the honor Of the city at heart, and who
really wish to save it from the disgrace which
Mr.. O'Brien's election would necessarily bring
upon it. to prevent such possible calamity"
Now, this Mr.. Barrett regards as ''an abandon.
ment of the principles and objects for the
support of which the Committee had been
organized" and hence he repudiates all
further connection with it. The nomination
Of Havemeyer he denounces 'tas betrayal
of O. Brien, and he regards the seventy Solons
as mo longer impartial, but partisan" So it
is plain that the Committee is destined to get
'.more kicks than ha'pence" on all sides.
The whole difficulty arises from the depar-
ture Of the Seventy from their original and
legitimate province as Q reform association.
Assuming to speak for those of our citizens
who are in favor of ignoring politics in
municipal offices and selecting the best men
put in nomination, Independent Of political
considerations, they had no business either to
lend themselves to any political organization or
to seek the spoils Of Office for themselves. The
moment they commenced bargaining, trading
and intriguing, that moment they lost all title
to be considered reform organization and
placed themselves on q level with other politi-
cal schemers and wirepullers. The repub-
lican politicians nominated their asso-
ciate the venerable Mr.. Havemeyer,
for Mayor only as dummy through whom
they could trade for Grant and Dix votes with
the O'Brien party in exchange for their own
support of O'Brien for Mayor The friends
Of O'Brien are naturally indignant at any
serious assault on their candidate emanating
from the Committee Of Seventy. At the same
time the republicans claim the allegiance Of
the Seventy for oil their nominees, and assail
that badly 1ctmized body of fossiized poll
ticians whenever it presumes to set up an
opinion Of its own. Between the two the
Committee has an uncomfortable experience
but its sorrows are of its own creation. IF the
sscri4ce of the venerable Mr.. Havemeyer
should be completed, and should end in the
election Of James O'Brien it would be the end
Of the Committee of Seventy and its fraudu-
lent pretences; and thus far at least it would
prove public advantage.
MARRIAGE OF THE EMpERoR OF CHINA.-HiS
Imperial Majesty the Emperor Of China was
married to the bride elect, Alute in Pekin, ON
the l6th of October. The lady was escorted
in state to the palace, but beyond this there