New-York tribune., 1872-10-18
THE COUNTY TICKETS.

IHE COUAI1 IIChEfo.
Past practices of the Custom-house leaders
had so firmly established the rule of King eau
ems in that party that its County Convention,
like that of Apollo Hall, was expected to wait
for no conferences or compromises, but take,
without murmur, the dummies whom MIR. Muir
ply had selected to be its nominees. But it
was found last night that two strong conflicting
interests agitated the members of the COnyen-
ton before they were drawn together, and
OBrien and Van Mort secretly struggled which
should be, as the Custom-hOuse candidate, the
agent of the old Ring which has been over
thrown and that of the new one which ought
to be OverthrOwn in November.
Although adjournment followed without
nomination and Conference Committee was
ordered it is now supposed that either George
NJ. Van Mort or William F. Havemeyer will
be the nominee for Mayor. 1t is wholly a
question whether or not the Grant Republi-
cans can afford to do without 0Brien's organ
izatiOn. Their success in Pennsylvania has
encouraged them to such degree that many
of the leaders believe they can run in all their
local candidates, while Tammany and Apollo
Halls divide the opposition. Should this be-
lief prevail and actuate the Convention to-
morrow, the nomination of Mr.. Van
Mort as Mayor will follow. If, on the contrary,
the Custom house decides to keep faith with
O'Brien and carry out the corrupt bargain
made months ago, it is understood that Mr.
Hayemeyer will be the candidate of the Re-
publicans. But he will be nominated only TO
be beaten by treacbery of those who nOmi-
nate him, while 0'Brien, the true candidate Of
the Custom house, is run in. Mr.. HaVemeyer
will poll considerable part of the Reform
vote, particularly if indorsed by the Com
mttee of Seventy and other Reform organ
izations, thus taking away something from the
strength of Mr.. Lawrence without affecting
unfavorably the vote of 0'Brien. Further, the
CustOm-house machine can be depended upon
to furnish 0'Brien with several thousand votes;
and the patronage of the Department of Pub
lie Works would be expected IN his favor as
against Mr.. Havemeyer, on the theory that
Mr. Van Mort would think that to make Mr..
Havemeyer Mayor would be to strengthen
Controller Green. Besides with Mr.. Have
meyer as Stalking horse" to catch the Re-
form votes which belong to Lawrence, OBri-
ems tickets would be furnished or "run oup
from the Custom-hOuse polling booths, and
thus by combination of fraud, deception,
and skillful wire-pulling NewYork might
be dishOnored by having a convicted thief
thrust upon her as Mayor. O'Brien is the
nominee of an Apollo Hall caucus; he has
been for months allied with Murphy, and for
a year he has been part of the old Ring,
which he helped to expose; his election simply
reestablishes that old Ring more powerful, il
not more crafty, in the City Hall, under the
disguise of the CustOm-hOuse Ring. To ward
off such q disaster should be the aim and
effort of every true Reformer.
The truth is that Mr.. Abraham r. Lawrence,
the nominee of the Liberals, is the only can
didate for Mayor, nominated or suggested,
who is in any sense true Reformer. He has
never been even indirectly connected with the
broken and corrupt power which seeks to re-
establish itself by intrigue with the Custom
house. He was RefOrmer before the Com
mittee Of Seventy existed before Mr..
Havemcyer had been aroused from
his retirement to active cooperation with
Tilden and O'COnor; while Van Mort was yet
the subordinate of the Ring; and O'Brien con-
tinued to falsify his accounts as Sheriff and
cheat the County by false charges. Mr.. Law
renee abandoned Tammany Hall in 1868, when
it fell under the control of a few persons, and
Joined the opposition, which finally overthrow
the Ring. The Committee of Seventy selected
him as one of their counsel in the early Fall
of 1871, and he took a prominent part in all
the cases brought at that time by their direc-
ton. Upon the floor of the Demo-
cratic Convention of 1871 lie denounced
the frauds which had been commit
ted IN this city, and impressed his
hearers with the necessity of an absolute pu-
rifcation of our municipal government. Re
turning from the Convention, he attached
himself to every organization which had for
it's object an entire change in all the offices
of this city; and now fittingly appears as the
Mayoralty candidate of the strongest of all the
Reform organizations.
Where men of such different records as these
are presented, true, earnest, honest Reformers
surely need not look long where to choose.