The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-05-19
New YORK, MAY IS, 1874.

anu one, even from the most nOpeIui Poih' VI
view. Measuring what we are by what we
have been, the situation is not so doletul; Dut |
measuring what we are by what we ought 10
be, the case is not stimulating to local pride
or mental cheerfulness. - i
We have cause for thankfulness that the
bandi it'll which stole with mathematical pre-
cision and shared the spoils by infinitely ac-
curate division-which subsidized the news
papers, corrupted legislatures, bought and sold
judges, tempered with the ballot and gave inn
punity to crime, has been scattered and rem
dered incapable of further mischief. But the
elements which composed that confederated
mass of sin, are apparently nfusing themselves
insidiously but surely into new organizations,
whose existence is perpetual menace to the
peace, the thrift and the honor of the city.
Perhaps it was too much to expect that rev.
olution which overthrow dynasty should
work such publication in official conduct as to
make malfeasance thereafter exceptional II
not impossible. But great expectations are
always formed of new rulers-so great that
they are seldom realized,
If we had been keeping strict profit and loss
account of the results of the change effected in
1871, we should have found substantial gain,
pecuniary and moral. But the benefit has
fallen so far short of what it might have been,
and what was promised, that the general feel
ing is one of disappointment, and the spirit
which made the reform successful, has grown
languid and apathetic. lau5
The browning misfortune of the revolution
lists was in having chosen an imbece leader.
Havemeyer is not dishonest man in the sense
of taking or helping othels to take the peoples
money He doesn't sign away millions with
out an inquiry, as his predecessor did. He has,
after bis fashion, sense of responsibility to
the tax payers, and would no doubt be glad to
promote their interests But he has no knowl-
edge of men, or means He is wilful, con
ceited and impracticable. He mistakes surli-
ness for dignity, and bad manners for indie
pendence. Such a man naturally gathers
around him friends and advisers who practice
upon and profit by his weaknesses. By artful
fattery, by affected Difference, by constant
adulation they nourlsh his vanity, and ply him
with assurances that he IS a marvel of admin
'strative wisdom. And all the while they are
simply using him for the consummation of
their own projects. .f
And yet it took great deal to destroy tie
popular faith in this poor piece of clay. He
had no inconsiderable reputation to fritter
away. 1t is not year since the journals of all
creeds united in one common demand, that the
Aldermen should confirm any and every NOM
ination he saw fit to make without delay and
practically without scrutiny. But his SUISSE
quent proceedings have been so unfathomably
absurd-hs selection of candidates for official
positions, when they were not shockingly i'm
proper, have so often indicated feebleuess of
judgment-he did so much to ALLEVIATE from
himself popular confidence and popular respect,
with such manifest aimlessness of political
purpose or personal advantage, that the con-
tempt into which he has fallen by the betrayal
of his pledges is largely tempered with ridi-
Guile of his childish eccentricities. Ordinarily,
when man turns his back the professions
by which he secured a candidacy and the party
whose votes elected him, he may be supposed
to have been melted to such fragrant perfdy
by some overwhelming motive of ambition or
selfshness. No doubt he is often-indeed al
most always-hopelessly mistaken as to the
chances of gain, by such tergiversations Dis
honesty in politics, be it ever so carefully dis
guised, is after all as transparent as it is de-
spicable. Trcksters generally come to grief. If
we review the history of our own country from
the beginning of the century we shall find that
among all the wrecks that the vicissitudes of
public life have scattered along the shores of
time, the most forlorn and desolate are the
vestiges of leaders who have been trusted by,
and proved false to the great parties of the pc
riod during which they rose and fell. This has
been noticeably true of all grades of selfseekers,
from petty Legislators to Presidential aspirants-
of all degrees of capacity from the humblest
smatterer of his native tongue, to the seductive
orator and accomplished journalist,
Nevertheless, men seldom incur the
shame of a traitors brand, unless allured to it
by powerful temptation. 1t is neither COM
Portable, nor an ornamental appendage. But
this incomprehensble Mayor of ours seems to
be an exception to all rules-a departure from
all precedents. His lnfidelity to the cause
of reform has been as objectless as it has been
conspicuous. Beyond conferrlng few valua-
BILE places upon individuals belonging to his
little set, who were apparently all the more
strongly entrenched in his good will. for the
reason that they had scarcely any other friends,
his Mayoralty has been an utter negation and
palpable failure. He has completely alena-
ted every one of his supporters without concil-
iating a single opponent. Good citizens re-
gard him with excessive Indignation, bad, with
insolent deris;on. He has rendered abortive
that forceful campaign against corruption
commenced by the Times, and prosecuted by
the people, which was signalized by great
victory in 1871, and eliminated in his own &C
cession to the chies magstracy in 1872. Every
ndyraal zad al that Tina tba from 1ap
portance of making a judcious choice for the
principal Office of the corporation. The SUBJ
ject was debated earnestly and anxiously in
all circles months beforehand. BY one of
those grievous mischances which sometimes
imperis great cause in the moment when it
seems most invinclble, Havemeyer was pitch
ed upon as the standard bearer 1t would be
ungracious now to inquire on whom the blame
of this un:oward selection rests, since no good
could come of it. Suffice it tc say that the men
who did most to accomplish it, feel the keen
est sense of modification about the irreparable
blunder of which they have ever since been
acutely conscious.
And yet if there was the least faith to be put |
in plghted obligations they had right to en- |
terrain perfect sense of safety. Indeed, if |
there was any occasion for msgivIng, it was be. |
cause there was such redundancy of protesta-
ton against the municipal bandtti ON the lips |
of their vouDle nominee.
But the error was none the less vital because
it was pardonable. If in that critical moment
the conventions had given us Schultz or Steb-
bins-in short MAN, instead of garrulous old |
woman-we should have had, long before this
time, frugally governed, clearly, orderly, |
peaceful, happy city. A good Mayor was the |
supreme want of that eventful hour. 1t was |
the turning point in the great battle for refor-
nation. The opportunity was lost, the Re- |
form columns were broken and scattered and
the metropolis of America falls back again in
to her old condition of pitiabe helplessness,
her tax payers bearing intolerable burdens, and
her treasury preyed upon by political adven-
tuners, rendered less apprehensve of interfer-
ence from future uprisings of the people, by
the utter collapse of the last one. /