The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-05

or two months, if necessary, and the city
which has lived thus long under the
present state of affairs will not be seriously
injured if no change should sooner take place
1t is important that every provision of the
new charter should be carefully, scfutinized
and rescrutinized, SO that we may no longer
live under law which no two public officers
interpret alike The spoils will eventually be
oil gathered into the republican net, and the
new 'ring' will succeed to absolute power
but the very certainty of such result removes
the necessity for scrambling haste. Let the
charter be good one and the people will be
quite contented that the republicans, who are
responsible as a party for the future govern
ment of the metropolis, shall fill the Offices
with their own political friends, provided the
appointees have the requisite qualifications of
capacity and integrity. But the people will
not be willing that for the sake of hastily
clutching the spoils the republican party
should drive through the Legislature a slovenly
law which would require Legislative tinkering
and judicial Interpretation for years to come
We are glad to learn that the rumors of q
conflict between the Governor and the Legis-
lature have no foundation, and that the two
branches Of the State government, the execu-
tive and legislative are in harmony. The
democratic antecedents of Governor Dix may
have given coloring to the report, which, no
doubt, owes its origin to those who would be-
glad to break the solid republican strength in
the Legislature for their own purposes. But
very little reflection will serve to show its I'M
reliability. Governor Dix stands in very
Havemeyer. The former was the nominee of
the straight Republican Convention for the
Office Of Governor Of the State, and accepted the
nomination at the hands of that political party
alone The latter was the choice Of the repub-
licans and the reform party, and was put for
ward in the campaign as the representative
of the people at large and not of a political
organization. The issue made in the State
was different from that made in the city. In
the State the administration republicans
fought against the combination of democrats
and liberals and made the issue directly
party one In the city there was a
pretence at independence, and it was de-
clared that no political considerations should
enter into the canvass for municipal Offices.
While Mayor Havemeyer may have perfect
right to avow himself democrat to counsel
with Mr.. Tilden, John Kelly and Comptroller
Green and to abuse the republicans who
refuse to place absolute power in his hands,
Governor Dix owes fealty to the republican
organization, to which alone he owes his
present position. Indeed, the issue in the
State was made against an amalgamation of
democracy and republicanism, and the result
was the election Of over two-thirds of the
straight republican members Of Assembly and
the overthrow of such powerful politicians as
ex-Speakers Littlejohn and Alvord. Governor
Dix will therefore doubtless feel himself
bound in honor to approve such constitu-
tional measures as the republican party in the
State Legislature may think proper to adopt
even though they may not be in strict con-
formity with his personal views
and wishes. In his assault upon
the republicans mayor Havemeyer is
not likely to win over the Governor
to his side, and the fight he makes will there
fore be confined to the city. His letter, while
q good democratic campaign document, will
not be likely to alter the temper fthe repub-
lican Legislature, and will, in all probability,
hasten the passage of the new charter This
is the more likely, inasmuch as it is well known
that coup is contemplated by the democratic
managers, who are now endeavoring to obtain
the resignation of all the city ofioe-holders of
their own party in order that Mayor Have
meyer may fill their places with members of
the Committee of Seventy, and thus render the
removal of heads of departments under the
new charter the more irritating to those ''re-
formers" Meanwhile the people are expected
to look on patiently while the ofice-seekers
are thus playing their respective games. No
wonder that our citizens should grow weary
of this farce and demand at the hands of the
Legislature charter framed for the efficient
government of the city, not for any Mayor,
party, committee, clique or faction.