New-York tribune., 1873-05-14
STANDING ON THEIR DIGNITY.

Having made up their minds that '"o
"Mayor ought to send in his nomlha'ions
promptly. in order that the Board nigh'
"haye time TO inform themselves Win re,a-
"tion TO the fitness of the nominees, tno
Aldermen proceeded on Monday to adjourn
for a week, so that the Mayor could no. eo".
in his nominations until the last day ano"cu
by the law. This charming display ol W"
sistency is called sustaining the dignity VI
"tbe Board.n and many of the members arc
very frank in declaring that they ought 10 DO
consulted obout the nominations, and that the
Mayor commits gross breach OF duty "hoH
he proposes q name without asking 'hei, "u
vice about it beforehand. These gehlicino"
seem to have read the new Charter Vo voiJ
little nurpose There is no line nor worn III
that instrument which gives them even py
implication the slightest concern IN the nolni-
nation of municipal officers. The great lght III
the Legislature was tor the purpose ol hcopi"s
that function out of their hands, and IL resuieeu
in the defeat of the Ring which was suppoSeu
to represent them. The appointing power was
settled in such way as distinctly to e&cluue
the Aldermen from any share in the distripu-
tion of places under tho City Government
and this was done for the reason that ONCE
holding was to be divorced from poii'lcai
patronage, and the administration OF munlci-
nal affairs made matter purely OF Dusiness'
The proposal that the Aldermen and Assist
ant Aldermen, through their presidents, should
be associated with the Mayor in the selection
Of public functionaries was voted down, be-
cause such an arrangement would make the
~ IL ,1GrN "
for tho benefit of tho people. lee tnc
Aldermen, or faction of them, are no"
insisting upon the power which tne
Legislature deliberately refused to give
them, and walking off in mgh duugeoh
because the Mayor does not violate the pro-
visions of the Charter by "showlng them'
consideration in the matter OF appoint
ments-or, in other words, sharing with them
a power which the law requires him to keep
to himself. The privilege of confirmation Is
entirely distinct from the power TO nominate.
The duty of selecting the heads of executive
departments is intrusted exclusively to the
chief executive, partly in order that response
bility may be concentrated, partly in order to
prevent party bargains and schemes for using
the municipal machinery for partisan pur-
poses. The Aldermen were required to con-
firm the Mayors selections; I; but this provision
gave them no right to initiate the selections;
they were only to act as a check upon Iash
or improper choice.
We have little doubt that some at least OF
the majority will see how untenable Is the
position they have assumed, and will conclude
to follow the good old rule of minding ones
own brsness If they can find reasonable
objections to any of the long list of nominees
which the Mayor must now send them IN
single day, it will of course be their duty to
vote against them, and the Mayors best
friends will applaud them for doing so But
a factious opposition, on pretense that TINS OF
that Alderman has not been Consulted" that
this or that political Ring has not received
proper consideration, that this or that mans
friends have not been cared for, will arouse a
public indignation which no politician can
afford to provoke. 1t would have been much
better if the Aldermen had taken up the nom
nations gradually, and given to each of them
a careful consideration. If they insist upon
having them all at once, it can only be for
partisan reasons, that they may bargain the
better for their personal advantage. But II
we Judge the Mayors character rightly, this
device will do them no good. Mayor Have
MEYER will not be cOerced into making noml-
nations that he does not approve. Ii he pro-
nose good names, ard the Aldermen, by re-
fusing to accept them, retain the present
officials in power, we shall know whom to
hold responsible.