The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-17


nothing will be remembered Of the war but
the valor and devotion it inspired on both
sides, and when North and South will vie
with each other in doing honor to the patriot
ism and valor Of Reynolds and jackson,
Meade and Lee.
New York Politics and Politicians-
Tho Troubles OF Reform.
Although it is yet too early to form an intel
llgent idea of what the fall campaign will
bring forth, we give elsewhere in the HERALD
to-day such gossip as is current among our
local politicians. The democratic aspirants
are likely to be numerous this year, in view Of
the prevailing belief in o revival on that
side of the fence, and we find many of the
veteran ofRce-seekers already pushing their
long neglected claims with o vigor worthy of
more youthful adventurous But New York
politicians are seldom very sagacious, and so
far as the State is concerned it is likely that
the opponent of Governor Dix, who is almost
certain to be again the republican candidate,
will be taken from some other locality than
the metropolis The question Of the most
immediate interest to our own citizens will be
the selection of municipal officers. It seems
singular that after less than two years trial of
reform there should be such univer-
ton in the city government. But the
reformers who took charge Of the mu-
nicipal affairs of New York on the overthrow
of the old Tammany politicians and from
whose disinterested efforts in the cause of
honest government such beneficial results
were anticipated, have not been without their
share of trouble. Their first difficulties were
experienced in framing q charter which
should give them all they wanted and secure
them against cheating among themselves.
The question was how to arrange the distri-
button Of the city offices SO that the Com
mittee of Seventy should not get the better of
the outside reformers so that the Mayor and
his old democratic friends should not cheat
the republicans and SO that the Custom
House republicans should not crowd out their
ant-Custom House brethren. The Legisla-
ture of 1873 was divided into cliques, one en-
joying patronage under Comptroller Green,
one under Commissioner Van Mort, one under
pecting favors from the new Mayor and
another looking to profitable trade
with the Aldermen. These varied interests
gave rise to variety of schemes for q
solution of the important question of how to
divide up the spoils among the victors It
uncontrolled authority to distribute the Offices,
but the Custom House republicans would not
hear of this arbitrary power" policy They
could not trust the Mayor. 1t was next pro-
posed that the Aldermen should make nomi-
nations for Office and the Mayor should have
the power to appoint or reject the nominees,
but this did not suit the republicans. They
could not trust the Aldermen. It was sug-
gested to give the city patronage into the
hands Of the Mayor, the President of the Board
of Aldermen and the President OF the Board
of Taxes and Assessments but there were
difficulties Of legal character in the way,
and, BESIDES the two Presidents were Custom
House republicans and did not satisfy any
others. The next plan was to make the
Mayor and the Presidents of the two
Aldermanic bodies the appointing power !;
but this did not answer, because,
although the Aldermanic heads were
republican, they might have been changed
three minutes before the signing Of the law.
Eventually the nomination Of city officers was
given to the Mayor and the confirming power
to the Aldermen, and three republicans and
one democrat, heads of departments, were
kept in Office by special provision in the
charter. All this time there was no thought
of what the people of New York desired or
what might be beneficial to the interests of
the city. II was simply scramble for the
spoils among men embarrassed by the diff
Guilty of guarding against cheating among
themselves.
After all the trouble, anxiety and trickery
it had caused the charter was not q success.
The Mayor did not live up to his bargains
and the Aldermen set up in business for them
selves. Before the new law had been in oper-
alton two months the Custom House re-
publicans were denouncing the Mayor as
corruptionist and an imbecile, and
the Mayor was returning the compliment by
branding the republican leaders as gamblers
and cheats. When the session of the Legisla-
ture Of 1874 commenced, with large repub-
lican majority, new bargain was made be-
tween the Mayor and the republican leaders,
| the result Of which was the nomination of Gus
tom House republicans to important city offices
then vacant, the passage of law depriving
the Aldermen of the power of confirmation in
the filling Of vacancies and giving the uncon-
trolled appointment to the Mayor, and the
suppression Of all unpleasant investigations in
regard TO the management of municipal de-
partments. After the adjournment of the
Legislature, however, there was q renewal of