The New York herald., 1874-12-21
Andrew II. Green.

The question OF most immediate interest to
the popular mind in connection with the adj
vent to Office Of the new Mayor is whether he
place, abuse his trust and obstruct the smooth
and easy movement Of the municipal govern
ment. This uncomfortable, conceited, prag-
matical and pugnacious officer has made him
self odious by his insolent manners his inter-
meddling with things outside of his own de-
partment, his deceptive public statements. his
malignant jealousy of every city officer who
will not bow to his superciiious dictation, his
incessant litigation, in which the courts con-
stantly decide against him, and which serves
no other purpose than to crafty his igno-
BILE spite in vexing and annoying peo-
pie who have legal claims against the
city, his throwing himself and all the
power Of his Office across the path
of needed improvements his permitting
an enormous increase Of the municipal
debt with nothing to show for it. BY an OBJ
structive and vexatious administration, o.
which these abuses are specimens, Mr.. Green
has made himself the most detested officer
that ever held high place in the city govern
ment The new administration, under Mayor
Wickham, cannot be popular if it retains this
man at the head of the Finance Department
nor is there any act by which it could excite
SO much hope and confidence as by his imme-
diate removal.
We discredit the current rumors that Green
has made up his quarrel with John Kelly and
secured his influence to retain him in Office.
This rumor is too improbable for belief Mr..
Kelly is o man Of sense and sagacity, who
knows that Green is too heavy load for any
city administration to carry. He has every
motive for wishing the administration Of
Mayor Wic1ham to be successful, Mr.. Wick
ham having been his especial favorite
as q candidate, and his own reputation being
staked on the popularity of the incoming city
government If Green had powerful body
OF supporters among the people, it might be
expedient to conciliate him but nobody
knows better than Mr.. Kelly that Green, once
out of Office, would be utterly impotent in
the politics Of the city. TO make an alliance
with him would be as absurd as to
tie a living body to q putrd corpse.
Mr.. Kelly is not only man of sagacity
but Of temper and spirit, and it is incon-
ceivable that he should stretch forth his
hand to drag up this sinking Comptroller,
who was the prompter and inspirer of the
late Mayor in his fierce assaults on the Tam
many chief The community has formed a
mistaken estimate of John Kelly's manhood,
e.L- = L
make Green . political associate after
the part he acted with the late Mayor
in trying to blacken his reputation and destroy
his political standing. Such an alliance is
Incredible Why should Mr.. Kelly fasten
this milestone to the neck Of the new city ad-
ministration, for whose personnel he is SO
largely responsible, and whose success is
necessary for the maintenance of his own
popularity?
We do not doubt at all that Green has been
trying to gain MI. Kely's protection. 1t is
| quite in keeping with the littleness Of his char
acter that he should now bend before the mar
whom he so lately united with the late Mayo,
to destroy. Mr.. Green's former close rela
tons with the Governor elect is the probable
foundation of his absurd hopes. But this is Q
vain reliance Mr. Tilden understands Green's
unftness for his present position, and he ii
more likely to be influenced by Mr.. Kelly thar
to influence him in a matter relating to mu.
nicipal affairs. Mr.. Tilden is under deer
obligations to Mr.. Kelly for his splendid sue
cess in the late political canvass, and it would
be an ungracious and ungrateful return fol
his zeal and fidelity to insist on his reconcilia.
ton with man who made cowardly masked
attacks upon him through his control of the
! late Mayor Mr.. Tilden has too much in
sight not to perceive that in such ster
the political blundar would be as great as the
personal ingratitude. Mr.. Kelly has q vast
body of attached supporters in the demo
cratic party who will stand by him in ever,
emergency. Mr.. Green has no influence al
ALL except through the Office he abuses. Or
public and political grounds Mr.. Tilden has
every motive to acquiesce in the removal
of Green, and on personal grounds
he is bound to Mr.. Kelly by alto
gether stronger ties than to Mr.. Green
one being recent benefactor and the othe,
only former protfgf. We have only te
credit Mayor Wickham with an honorable
ambition to make his administration accepta
BILE to the city to encourage the universal
hope of his prompt removal of Comp
troller Green. The idea that Mr.. Kelly
will dissuade him from this necessary
step is preposterous, and if Governo,
/ Tilden does not sanction the removal when
it has been made, and the grounds Of il
laid before him, o heavy cloud will gathe,
over his official career at its beginning
which will grow constantly thicker and darke,
with further experience of the Comptroller
unsqualled faculty for making enemies.