The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-10

Free governments can be successfully con
Quoted only through the agency OF responsible
political parties whose vigilance in detecting
exposing and taking advantage Of each other
mistakes or malversation is the most eficien
check upon bad administration. The fear o.
losing power is the best guarantee against it,
abuse. A journal like the HERALD, which hat
no motive but the public good, watches party
movements with interest because it believes
the public welfare is promoted by able party
management on both sides. A great part
of the scandalous abuses which have grown
up In the republican administration is owing
to the feebleness Of the democratic opposition.
If the democratic party had been more able
and formidable a salutary fear OF it's success
would have saved the republicans from their
worst blunders and have been great advan-
tage to the country. We are therefore willing
to see the democracy become strong enough
to check the party in power, and should ap-
prehend no great danger from its gaining pos
session of the government If it should come
into power, the republican organization would
remain strong enough to put the victors on
their best behavior. If the democratic party
should carry the State of New York this year,
such result would be more valuable in its
reformatory effect on the administration than
in the promise of good government by demo-
cratic ascendancy.
We are, therefore, willing to give the demo-
cratic party Of this State such advice as would
elevate it to the rank of powerful national
opposition. We take no side Is partisans;
but in assisting each party to see its advan-
tages and play its game with skill we shall
eminent, since the country cannot but gain
by able party management on both sides. As
we have already recently shown, the politics
of this city are the main pivot of the politics
of the State. The democrats cannot carry
the State unless they give reasonable
guarantee Of good government in this
city. In our municipal affairs they have
great opportunity which we should be
sincerely sorry to see them squander. The
government Of this city fairly belongs to them,
because q large majority OF our city voters
belong to the democratic party. The sense Of
party fealty is much looser here than in the
rural districts, and it was greatly weakened
during the progress of the so-called reform"
movement. But the scandalous result Of that
experiment has prepared the public for
the re-establishment Of party lines.
The community look with distrust
and disdain on superlative professions Of
honesty played of as means Of entrapping
votes. They do not believe that honesty is
the exclusive possession of any noisy clique
who make it the cloak Of ambition. As
people who are perfectly free from disease
never think of their health, so men of perfect
integrity are not apt to be uncomfortably con-
scious of it and to parade it as a distinction.
It is not we'll bred people who put on airs and
practise attitudes, but parrenns who do not
feel assured of their position. Thoroughly
honest men regard honesty as so natural and
easy thing that they never think of asserting
their title to it and ostentatiously wearing it
as badge. It is satire on this community
which would be insulting if it were not SO
utterly grotesque for men like Green and
Havemeyer to assert superiority over the
great mass of our upright business men and
trade on their assumed honesty, as if we had
not thousands of citizens in both political
parties who are at least their equals in this
respect without making any fuss about it.
Plain people are disguised with such self-right-
eous assumptions, especially since they have
had an opportunity to see what use these
boastful moral prudes make of political
power. The people prefer men who love
honesty for itself and not for it's dowery who
quietly practise it in their daily avocations,
instead of making loud professions of it as
an electoneering bait. Our citizens are
heartily sick of these tricksters, who make
political merchandise of respectable virtue
and abuse the Offices which they contrive to
reach by this convenient stepping-stone
Never was this community more disposed to
see party lines again strictly drawn, and the
successful party held responsible for good
administration, than it is at present. after
the provoking experience of the last three
years The democrats of the city have,
therefore, great opportunity. if they will
stop their factious chickering's and improve it.
If they make wise and popular nomination
for Mayor they viii thereby strengthen their
State ticket more than they can by any other
means. If they will nominate William B.
Duncan or John X. Hackett they will easily
elect Mayor in whom citizens of both par
ties will have confidence, and at the same
time largely increase the vote Of their candi-
date for Governor. The Mayoralty will be
the centre Of political interest in this populous
city, which contains SO large proportion of
the voting citizens of the State. During the
ascendancy of the Tammany Ring and since
its fall we have suffered so much from mis-
government that the Mayoralty will be the
paramount question in the politics of this
island. good candidate Tor Mayor will buoy
up the State ticket, but no candidate for Gov