The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-20

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which are disgrace and danger to the city.
The First Movement In the Local
Political Campaign : Preparing Ssr
the Fall.
Towards the close of the Legislative session
and before the dosdays set in the local poll
ticians are certain to display a spasmodic
vitality and to commence the work Of pipelay-
ing for such nominations as they may covet
in the fall election. To be sure. their plot
tings and counter-plottings frequently fail to
produce the anticipated results. In the old
times the Offices used to be distributed by the
Tammany leaders on the democratic side
some time during the summer ''on the beach
at Long Branch" while the republican slate
would be made up later in the season on the
second floor of the Custom House, and the
rank and file Of the party would have very
little to say on the subject in either case.
Nowadays handful of prominent demo-
cratic leaders of the new school meet together
in more modest manner in private parlor
to select the candidates of reformed Tam
many, while the opposition ticket is matter
of negotiation and dicker between the Custom
House and the independent friends of honest
government and division Of the spoils. OF
course the sentiments of the people who do
the voting are of no more consequence to the
leaders now than they were when Tweed and
his court held revel in the City Hall.
But despite the certainty that in the end the
nominations will be made for the people in
stead Of by the people, the several political
Barkises who are willing to serve the public
are already busily ct work endeavoring to Gre
ate an outside pressure in support Of their
claims. The difficulty at the present moment
appears to be to discover what the fall combi-
nations will be and on which side persons
are likely to be found. The success
of Tammany last year, united with the
evident decay of the republican strength the
disgraceful failure Of so-called municipal
REFORM" as represented in the present in
efficient city government, and the inhar-
moniousness Of the regning officials, which
threatens to paralyze the political power of
the departments, all seem to promise demo-
cratic victory in the Mayoralty contest and
probably in the State. Nevertheless, there is
an evident restlessness under the arbitrary
rule which IN axes the Tammany Of to-day
yet closer corporation that it was when the
'big chief" sat in the light of the wigwam
fire, and as party ties now hang but loosely on
mems shoulders it is uncertain at what mo-
ment they may be cast aside. The democratic
leaders, however, affect unbounded confidence
in the result basing their hopes on the sup
posed desire of all who have stood outside the
fold since the commencement of the old
ssring" troubles to return to full communion
in the party.
The main point Of interest seems to turn
upon the question as to where Mayor Have
meyer and his friends in the city government
will be found in the next contest. The Police
Commission possesses great power in an cleo
ton under existing laws but as the Board is
now divided, with the experience of last year
probable that any material partisan use could
be made Of this power even if the disposition
should exist Outside the Police Commission
the influence of the departments under their
generally inefficient heads is not likely to be
felt one way or the other. Mayor Havemeyer
has shown great capacity in selecting heads Of
departments who are but little known and
carry but little weight Tho Department of
Public Works will do service on the republi-
can side; but with this exception no depart
ment under the Mayor will exercise as much
influence as corner grocery over the result
at the polls. While both parties are playing
with the venerable Mayor for their own pur-
poses, the probability is that he will be
laughed at by both and suffered to 60 wher-
ever he may please after the nominations are
made. 1t is premature now to discuss the
probable character of the nominations All
that appears tolerably certain is that straight
party nominations will be made for the next
charter campaign, and that the political
imposition known as municipal reform"
will finally disappear.