The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-31
THE NEW YORK CHARTER.
The Fight I'm the State
Legislature.
The Custom House Leaders and the
Weed and Morgan interests.
Democratic Monkeys and Re-
publican Cats.
How the Democracy Hopes to Pull
Chestnnts Out of the Fire.
Republican City Officers TO Be
Retained in the Charter.
Governor Dix in Favor Of Their
Retention.
A CUNNING ALDERMANIC RUSE.
Look Out for Secret Meeting
Of the Boards.
THE CHARTER A PURELY PARTY QUESTION
Will the Republicans Throw
Away Party Power?
Governor Dix in Favor OF Their
Retention.
A CUNNING ALDERMANIC RUSE.
Look Out for q Secret Meeting
Of the Boards.
THE CHARTER A PURELY PARTY QUESTION
Will the Republicans Throw
Away Party Power?
ALBANY, March %, 1873.


ALBANY, March %, 1873.
The CHARTER MIDDLE CONTINUED.
The New York city charter has again been che
prominent feature IN legislation during the past
week, although the work of the parties interested
has been done mainly in caucus meetings and hotel
parors and not inside the chambers Of the Capitol.
We have had large representation of the leaders
Of the several cliques and factions with us since
Tuesday last, and they only took their flight from
the city yesterday after the two houses had adj
jOurned over until Monday evening 1t is scarcely
necessary to mention the names OF these indie
fatgable patriots, TOR they are already familiar to
the readers Of the HERALD The administration
republicans or, as they are familiarity called the
''Custom House ring" have been present in full
force, Including ex United states Collector Of Gus
toms Thomas Murphy, United States Commissioner
Davenport, United States District Attorney Bliss,
ex-United States Assessor Webster and their
regular allies and followers The Weed and Nor
gan interest has also been properly represented,
and while these two factions have been skilfuy
playing their cards against each other for the odd
trick, the old and new Tammany elements the last
relics Of the Tweed regime still holding on to the
Commissions of Police Fire, Emigration, &C., and
she organization Of the regenerated democracy
under Green, Tilden and Kelly, have been
tunity to steal the pool.
HOW THE SEVERAL PARTY INTERESTS STAND
While great deal Is written about the scramble
over your city charter few persons take the pains
to examine or to explain Understandings the
exact position Of the several interests involved in
the proposed legislation. When the charter elec-
ton took place In New York last November the
union OF the republican and ''reform' parties and
the nomination Of the ex-chairman OF the Commit
tee Of Seventy for the ONCE Of Mayor created the
impression that the city Offices would be partitioned
among the faithful adherents OF republicanism and
the distinguished patriots OF that famous commit
tee. But as soon as it was ascertained that the
republicans had elected their whole State ticket
BY large majority, and that they had control of
both houses of the Legislature by ever tw0-third
vote, IL Immediately became evident to the admin
istrston republican leaders that by taking posses
sion Of the enormous patronage Of the New York
city government they could break down forever the
Old Overshadowing democratic majorities in the
city and insure the vete OF the Empire state for
the republican party all future occasions. They
appealed to Mayor Havemeyer to cooperate with
them in this partisan work; but the Mayor, al
though o refOrmer was true to his democratic
principles, and was, moreover, bent upon advanc-
ing the ambitious views of some Of his associates
on the Committee of Seventy. Having taken
counsel with Messrs. Green, Tilden and Kelly, he
refused to lend himself to the republican scheme,
boldly declared his intention to make independent
selections for city officers and claimed the right
to exercise the power OF appointment himself as
Chief Executive Of the city.
WHERE THE DEMOCRATIC INTEREST COMES IN.
The plain, straightforward course of the new
Mayer at once suggested to the democracy the
idea OF holding on to the power which, under their
Waterloo defeat in the election, they had made
up their minds to relinqulsh. Under the present
city government they retain possession OF the
lions share OF the municipal spois. They have,
first, the ComptrOller's Office, with Andrew ii.
Green at its head with the two Storrs, Lawrence,
Sackett and almost the entire star of Dick Con-
molly under him. At the head Of the several
bureaus in the Finance Department they have
sterling democrats-Thomas Dunlap, an energetic
and untiring Tammany politician and an old Con-
molly officer, in the Bureau of City Revenue; Gen.
eral Mcmahon, a useful and leading democrat, in
the Bureau OF the Collection of Taxes; A. s. Cady,
q Connolly appointee, in the Bureau of Arrears; A.
T. Earle, an independent democrat in the Audit
ing Bureau; Morris Miller, an uncompromising dem
Ocrat and q relative OF Governor Seymour in the
Bureau Of Arrears Of Personal Taxes and +. Devoe,
. Connolly democrat in the Bureau OF Markets.
they have next the Police Department with Bos-
worth and Barr, democrats. and B. +. Manerre
Greeley republican, forming the majority Of the
RVosu oSoAusJ Oue IepuDnCdu deuTy cmltn. 1ney
have Nicholson and Frear, prominent Tammany
democrats, and others, in the Department OF Public
Charitles and Correction. They have Hickman,
ment They have Macgregor in the Department Of
Buildings, besides holding control OF the Health
Department, the Street Cleaning and other i'm
p0rtant Bureaus.
TIE OBJECT OF THE DEMOCRATS TO PREVENT THE
PASSAGE OF ANY CHARTER.
Now. It can readily be understood that II the
democrats could prevent legislation this session
they would WIN great party triumph, and hence
the avtdity with which they seized upon the first
indication OF Q breach between the new Mayer and
the republican organization to intrigue for its
widening and to prevent compromise or recon.
course, be impossible for the Mayor to change any
OF these democratic departments and bureaus II he
desired TO do SO, and the democracy would, there
fore, be well on after defeat as they would have
been had they carried the election ana made
Abraham X. Lawrence Mayor for 1t would have |
move Van Mort Delafied Smith, Stebbins and Henry |
Smith ~ II weud be for Mayor Havemeyer, |
without legislative action, to remove Green and |
Nm democratic heads OF bureaus, and the demo- |
cratic commissioners Of Police, Fire, Charities and
Correction. DC. The democrats and Greeley re- |
aHd IN the press to fan the flames kndled by Have
meyers early letters, and to make the fight a |
pOaItr0nCe between the Mayor and the republicans.
PROMISES OF BOMBS TO THE SENATE
The Senate offered the best field for operations. |
II was the Senste Of 1s72-the senate that had de-
feated pro rata for Vanderbilt and Archer, that
had trembsed before Tweed and that had done its
part towards making the legislation OF last Winter
= scandal and reproach to the state This
Senate had tasted the sweets Of struggling ONCE
n New York doing battle for the retention of |
Power esopgh the defeat Of LEGISLATION.