New-York tribune., 1873-02-12
AN IMPORTANT CONTEST.

An IMPORTANT CONTEST.
The New-York programme was carried out
last night to the letter, in Albany. 1t was
understood yesterday in this city that Messrs.
Davenport and Bliss proposed to make what
they called a concession to the Mayor, and
have the Committee on Cities decide in favor
of appointments by the Aldermen, to be APP
proved by the Mayor. just this Is the
" compromise which the Committee did,
last night, agree upon. MIR. Havemeyer
has been enormously reported as favor
ing such a plan, when in reality 1t is
more obnoxious than any other measure sug-
gested, and is as clearly in the Ring interest
as the original provision. When 1t ls remem-
bered that the new Charter abolishes the AS
sistant Aldermen altogether, and that the Ring
in the Board of Aldermen is already consoli-
dated, it will be seen that the Mayor, under
this arrangement, would have an opportunity
to confirm only the Ring appontees. lie
would be practically powerless while directly
responsible.
Mayor Havemeyer does well, IN this emer
gency, to call renewed attention to the posi-
ton which he occupied before the election and
the attitude of the CustOm-h0use party when
seeking power. He maintains the position he
then held, and right stOutly, too. The atti-
tude of the party in power, however, Is
changed; and whereas it was then all for
Reform. it is now nothing if not partisan.
Can it afford to abandon the position
which it assumed before electionf To do so
openly,-and the passage of this Charter as
now contemplated would be accepted as such
abandonment,-wOuld make Tammany invinci-
BILE at the next election by combining with it
Apollo Hall and all the Reform organizations,
and would destroy the power of the Gus
tOm-hOuse in municipal contests. The party
can give us much needed good government
here if it will, and thereby strengthen and re-
form itself If it prefers not to do this, it will
certainly destroy itself.
Our people must not lose sight of the fact
that the pending Charter for this city Is the
act by which the new Ring is to be consoli-
dated-without which, in fact, 1t can never be
complete. There can be no Ring-absolute
and irrespOnsible-w without the passage OF the
obnoxious features which abolish some and
restrict the powers of others of the immediate
representatives of the people. Compelled to
take Mr.. Havemeyer as a candidate for Mayor
to secure success, the new Ring, being unable
corrupty to control him, is now forced to rob
him of all power in order to complete its grip
upon the city. 1t finds that which helped
it to power now preventing it from the mis-
use it contemplated from the first. 1t is III
order that it may be unrestrained in the exer-
else of this power, obtained under false pre-
lenses of reform, that the main features of
the Charter abolishing the Board of Assistant
Aldermen and depriving the Mayor of the
nominating power are insisted upon by the
" permanent lObbymen' of the Custom-house
who represent Mr.. Murphy and dictate to the
majority of the Legislature.
1t were better there should be no revision
of the Charter at all than that the men placed
in office by the Reform vote should be driven
from their places and Mayor fresh from the
people and from every party should be de-
prved of all authority. Under the present
condition of affairs and the existing Charter
there is little probability of a Ring. One
might as well try to combine water and oil with
out lye as harmonic Messrs. Van Mort, Green,
Stebbins, and Havemeyer after the manner of
the old com bination of Tweed, Connolly, Sweeny,
and Hall. The present officials by their very lack
OF harmony, are CnecRb upon eacn OInerj anu
while there may be some disadvantages arising
from the litigatons which the pres
ent dsagreements seem to originate, this
divided quartette is far preferable to
the old combination, or to any new one we
can conceive dictated by Mr.. Thomas Murphy
or his men. TO accept new Charter which
leaves Ring of Aldermen to put Ring in
control of the Parks, Public Works, and Treas
ury, is to abandon present security for the
certainty of plunder more or less extensive.
For the only protection then would be the
vigilance and sagacity of the Mayor; and
while these might save us from the forged war
rants in which the old set indulged, they could
not protect US against fraudulent contracts.
Mr.. Havemeyer's position in opposition to
this Charter is the position of every true Re-
former; there is no certain safety except in
the defeat of the measure which he and they
AFTER INVESTIGATION, HHATi