The New York herald., 1875-12-19
The Spring elections.

1
fore we press it earnestly upon the atten-
tion Of the Legislature soon to assemble
at Albany We trust that it will be con-
sidered without regard to politics. There
are no political issues involved in it, because
the city of New York, when well governed, is
never 50 from political point of view.
New York should be managed as economi-
cally as merchant manages his business. We
should regard also the general comfort of the
inhabitants. We should ever remember that
this is the metropolis of the American con-
tinent, and to be worthy of the Republic
| Politics have no business with these
considerations, but with finance and tarln
and reconstruction and public improve
ments, questions that must be decided by
the State and the general government. 1t Is
not whether Mayor or Comptroller or the
Common Council are right or wrong on finan-
cial points, but whether they are earnest,
courageous, of executive capacity, and with
that large and prudent ambition which sees
that tho way to make New York a great
city is not simply to limit the expenses
of government but to keep constantly in
view the fact that it is a growing city; that it
is now among the largest in the world; that
! it is the metropolis of this continent that
it should be worthy of the commercial,
social and industrial renown of the Repub-
! lie.
Now, it is impossible for our municipal
politics to be separated from national politics
ifthe election takes place in the city and State
on the same day. Let US suppose the Presi-
Dental canvass, with its party machinery
and the country burning with the
fury of tremendous canvass. 1t would
be quite impossible for any city reform party
in such a time to elect candidates especially
opposed to the far-reaching organizations
which control the canvass for the Presidency.
So long as we allow the canvass to take place
on the same day in both city and State we
| intertwine the two isms so closely that
thieves and practical politicians and those
who control the canvass through the ma
chinery of the primary elections and stuffed
ballot boxes and debasing associations like
the dark lantern, Know Nothing, Tammany
Hall and the Custom House republican ring,
have it in their power to vitiate the will of
the people and to elect bad men. 1t is to
avoid this, to secure an economical and en-
terprising government, and to'strike blow
at the Tammany influence, that we urge this
change.
So far as the convenience Of the peo-
pie is concerned this change would be
an advantage. The autumn is the time for
the farmers to vote. Then their crops are
garnered. The summers work is done.
They have time for thought, for conversa-
ton, for the exchange of political views,
for reading the newspapers and attending
public meetings. 1t is their season of rest.
In the city it is different. The autumn with US
is generally time of great business activity.
We have little spring ripple, but it soon
dies away before the coming of the dead
summer. In autumn we have the rising
tides of the years business, the Christmas
| holidays creeping on and the increase of
business inseparable from that season.
Election day in the autumn can only be
observed by the merchants and those who
are engaged in commercial affairs at per-
sonal sacrifice. Therefore our elections are
neglected by the classes most concerned with
the real interest Of the city. Taxpayers are
almost forbidden to take part by the fact
| that they only can do so at an injury to
their business. Now, this can be reformed
by transfer of the election dny from the
fall to the spring. If the Legislature, for
/ the convenience of the agricultural COM
| munity, arranges an election in tho autumn,
why should it not, for the convenience of
city community, give rs the municipal
election in the spring This change is
| justified also BY the opinions of the wisest
men in both parties, by the general sentiment
of the republican party as represented in the
action of the Union League few years ago,
as well as by that Of the democratic party,
as indicated by the positive opinions OF Gov
ernor Tilden.
| Let the Legislature, therefore, pass an act
without delay giving US the municipal
elections in the spring. This will be the
beginning Of reform. Then let it strike
at Tammany Hall. Let it abolish the dark
lantern, Know Nothing lodge on Fourteenth
street, which, by an old secret organization,
is enabled to stife the will of the demo-
cratic masses of New York and to give
power to one dynasty Of bosses after another
like Kelly and Tweed. So long as our
politics are at the mercy of an organization
like Tammany Hall, 50 long as an inside
circle of ''Sachems" have power to dictate
to the masses OF the party, we shall have
no good government as a city. We shall
have Tweed again as We had him few years
ago, because the machinery by which Tweed
came into power, and the men who enabled
him to gain it, and those who surrounded
him in the fulness Of his strength, still live
in Tammany. They follow the banner Of
Kelly with the devotion they showed to
Tweed The way to strike down this in
fuence is for the people to have these cleo
! IL. -. ~ lixvht F.1f