The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-21

they will dare TO suffer their records TO remain
as Yesterdays vote has loft them.
The city Chartcr-The Politicians In
Comic Role.
The State Assembly was busy yesterday with
the New York city charter, and preceding the
debate in the House our citizens were favored
with another letter from Mayor Havemeyer,
and another long dissertation on municipal
government from the untiring place-hunters
of the Committee of Seventy. At Albany the
debate-if the stuff that comes to us from the
State Capitol can be dignifed by that title
was mainly confined to the democrats, whose
eloquence was principally devoted to defence
of the Board of Assistant Aldermen now about
to retire to private life. But in all cases-with
Mayor, democrats and committee-the burden
of the song is the same, 'Let US have a nom
partisan government. The spectacle is GER
tainly comical one Each political Mr.. Mer
ryman, as he turns summersault into the
municipal rings shouts out the old cry, 'Here
A democratic Assemblyman, who never voted
against his party in his life, thinks
it very wrong that the city Offices
should be filled wholly with repub-
leans Or wholly with democrats. Mayor
Havemeyer reiterates for the twentieth time
that if the offices are not distributed by him
self in non-partisan fashion the city must go
to the dogs. John Wheeler, who believes that
good man ought to be at the head of the
Department of Public Works, and believes
that he is good man, insists that the city
government must be non-partisan. So do his
associates on the Committee of Seventy, and
so do Green, Tilden, Tom Dunlap and all the
other lights of the reformed democracy.
Well, let us see how they propose to secure
non-partisanship in the municipal government
of the metropolis First, by retaining the
Board of Assistant Aldermen, a body dis
tinguished for its non-partisan character.
Next by giving all the appointments under
th5 government absolutely to the Mayor Of
course in exercising this power Mayor Have
meyer would himself be strictly non-partisan.
He would bestow half the offices, no doubt,
upon q political party led by men who plot all
day to cheat the people and gamble all night
to cheat each other. But can he reckon on
similar disinterested action on the part Of
future Executives2 Suppose Fernando Wood
should be again elected Mayor of New York,
does any one believe that he would exer-
else the supreme power Of appointment
in q strictly ''non-partisan" spirit-that he
would not prefer his own political friends for
Office to any other persons2 Suppose Hugh
Gardner, Thomas Murphy, John l. Daven-
port or George Bliss, Jr, should, in the course
of events, be chosen to the Chief Magistracy
of the city, does any one believe that they
would be ''non- partisan" in their appoint
ments? The ''non- partisan pretence is as
much fraud now as it was when it was set
up during the campaign by the republicans,
who are at present engaged in securing the
spoils of victory, and Messrs. Havemeyer,
Green, Tilden, John Cochrane Rufus Andrews,
John Wheeler, Tom Dunlap and their friends
know it to be fraud when they utter the cry.
Their object is to get hold of the city patron
age through the Mayor, just as the object of
the republicans is to get hold of the city pat
ronage through the Board of Aldermen.
So far as the spoils are concerned, it is
matter of very little interest to the people of
New York what party may secure them. There
are good and bad men in both political organ
nations, and if the republican Board of Alder
men will give us honest, competent and
vigorous officers as heads of departments, our
citizens will be satisfied. Many of our most
responsible and reputable business men belong
to the republican party, and hence there will
be no lack Of material for desirable selections
There may however, be room for improve
ment in some of the provisions of the charter
as reported by the committee and it would be
well for the Mayor and the Committee of
Seventy 10 devote their attention to these de-
tails, instead Of making n useless effort to
secure few city offices. We are not sure that
the number of Aldermen might not be in
creased to the advantage Of the city, say from
fifteen 10 twenty-two-and provision inserted
requiring that one should be taken from each
ward. and required 10 be a resident thereof
This change would satisfy many who are now
opposed 10 the mode Of appointment proposed
by the charter These are matters for the
majority Of the Legislature TO consider seri-
ously and maturely, for while the people are
fully satisfied that the non-partisan cry is
fiaui and humbug. they nevertheless expect
the dominant party TO give them good,
honest charter. that will secure q fair repre-
sentation 10 the voters Of the city. and they
win hold the republicans to accouptabiliiv q; =,
they fail TO doS9.
spais-Ths Policy OF the Republic.
In many essential particulars Spain is doing