The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-05
The Contest Over the City spoiis-The
Issue Between tho Democratic Mayor
and tho Republican Legislature.

Issue Between the Democratic Mayor
and tho Republican Legislaturs.
We publish to-day two communications
which foreshadow the contest about to take
place over the spoils Of the city government
involved in the last election. The one is from
Mayor Havemeyer, and is addressed to self
constituted party of oface-sesksgs ka2Yp as
the Committee of Seventy; the other is from
a correspondent Of the HERALD at the State
capital. Mayor Havemeyer, who was elected
as the republican nominee, but endorsed by
the Committee of Seventy, of which he was
,the presiding officer, makes direct issue
with the republican. party and declares him
self in antagonism to its policy. He claims
to owe his success to the Independent votes Of
the citizens Of New York, independent of
party, although he received about the same
number of ballots that were cast for the regu-
lar candidates of that organization, and hence
he insists that the patronage of the municipal
government belongs exclusively to him and
his friends, and should be distributed by him
without let or hinderance He takes issue
with the Republican Legislature. which
charter which might divert the city Offices
from the control of the Committee Of Seventy,
and pronounces the leaders Of the majority
party ''as dangerous q set of corrupt poll
ticians as those who are under indictment for
past raids upon the city treasury His COM
munication is OF least entitled to the credit
Of boldness. He charges the republicans
with design to cripple the power of the
Comptroller or to supplant him with
| partisan SUCCESSOR" in order to open the
door to wasteful expenditures, and he de-
| nounces the adjustment of the Board of
Assistant Aldermen-a body notorious for its
corrupt and degraded character-as only
| portion Of ga gigantic scheme Of partisan
jobbery." In short, Mayor Havemeyer throws
down the gauntlet to the republican party,
and follows up, with vigorous assault upon
| its character, the policy foreshaiowed by his
support of Charles p. Shaw, an anti-Grant
liberal, for an important city Office, and his
appointment of Tammany politician as
City Marshal. His letter follows hard upon
the heels of Mr. Tilden's exhaustive criti-
cism of the position of the republicans in
regard to the Tammany "ring" exposures,
and is shrewdly designed to lead the city of
New York back into the democratic fold from
which, through the folly Of. the shepherds, it
has recently strayed.
Our Albany correspondence foreshadows the
passage of the New York city charter by re-
publican party vote and gives some Of the
points of the new law. The appointments are
to be made by the Mayor in the same manner
as appointments are made by the President of
the United States or the Governor of New
York-subject to confirmation by the legis-
lative body the Board of Aldermen. As, how
ever, a conflict of opinion might arise between
the Aldermen and the Mayor, and as it is
necessary to adopt some method by which
vacancies may be filed in the event Of failure
to confirm the Mayor nominations, it is to be
provided that if such disagreement shall exist
for twenty days the Mayor and Aldermen shall
meet together at the expiration of that period
and proceed to elect persons to fill the
vacant Offices The principal recommends
ton of this plan is said to lie in the
prospect that a property qualification will be-
fore long be required for vote for Aldermen,
thus giving that body more conservative and
respectable character than it has heretofore
enjoyed. 1t is also urged that the Aldermen,
being chosen from the different districts, are
more likely to be fairly elected and are really
better representatives than the Mayor of the
popular sentiment A judicious arrangement
of the aldermanic districts may certainly give
the respectable portion of the citizens better
chance of carrying a majority of the Alder
men than they sometimes have of electing
their candidate for Mayor Last November,
if the democracy had been united, Mr.
Havemeyer would have stood no chance of
success. Before another Mayoralty election
comes round the breach in the democratic
ranks may be healed, and the party may unite
on O candidate for Mayor. But it is almost
certain that divisions will always exist in the
aldermanic districts, where politicians are less
under party control, and hence closer con-
test may take place over the Aldermen than
over the Executive
There are many who believe that to give
the Mayor the absolute power of appointment
and removal would concentrate responsibility
anu illus Ieuuer SOOo belectlOuS Oh neaOS OF
departments more probable. There is some
force in this argument but the objection
arises that, where the uncontrolled power of
appointment rests with one officer, tombna-
ton Of the existing heads of departments with
all their enormous patronage and means,
might at any time render certain the success
of candidate who might be ready to make
bargain with them for their retention in
Office. Thus, the chance success of dishon,c"
est Mayor for single term might lay the
foundation for q long continuance of corrupt
rule too powerful to be easily broken up
This danger would be greatly lessened if the