The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-01


it has been SO long expected and partly be-
cause the democratic supporters Of Mayor
Wickham do not think this o favorable time
Tor expressing dissatisfaction with the Cover
! nor. He is just now too powerful and popu-
| lar to be openly opposed, even though he re-
pudiates as an officer the platform which he
\ accepted as candidate. Governor Tilden's
! attitude on the subject Of home rule is
| signal exempliication Of the hollowness and in
sincerity Of party platforms and electioneering
| cries. Home rule was merely "a good enough
Morgan until after election" and the Cover
nor contemptuously kicks down the ladder by
| which he climbed to power. AS he does not
+ believe in home rule as understood by the
party that elected him he would have acted
a more candid and manly part if he had per-
mitted his views on this point to be known
previous to his nomination and election. At
any rate, it would have been fair to Mayor
Wickham, who accepted the home rule
platform in simplicity and good faith,
! for Mr.. Tilden to have frankly told him, pre-
vious to the Inauguration Of both, that he re-
garded home rule as an electioneering hum
bug and have saved the Mayor from express
ing the ardent home rule sentiments which
pervaded his first Message. IF the Governor
did not feel bound to do this from motives Of
personal friendship to Mr. Wickham he might
have given the warning an act Of party
prudence. Why did he permit the Mayor to
commit himself so strongly to the principle Of
home rule when a few words of friendly eau
ton might have spared Mr.. Wickham an
pleasant personal humiliation, and have saved
the democratic party from an internal feud
which, though smothered for the moment by
the engrossing canal question, will keep for
future use?
In the Syracuse platform, which Mr. Tilden
bound himself to adhere to by his acceptanceof
the Syracuse nomination, the home rule princi-
pie was not asserted in vague general terms,
but explicitly applied TO municipal affairs.
We quote the very terms of the declaration,
which derive an additional emphasis from
slight confusion Of thought in relation 10
localizing federal powers. That oversight
showed how much the attention Of the drawer
of the resolution was concentrated on local
home rule, in relation to which the platform
evinced the clearness and accuracy Of a mind
so bent on accomplishing one great result
that it was careless Of minor points. This is
the language of the Syracuse platform -
ssHome rule-To limit and localize most jeal-
ously the few powers intrusted TO public
wants, municipal State and federal; no cen
traLization." The oversight Of localizing
federal powers, which is q manifest absurdity,
shows how intently and almost exclusively
the mind of the drawer of the platform was
concentrated on municipal self-government,
in respect to which his idea Of jealous local.
zation was clear and consistent He had ex-
ceIlent reasons for directing attention to that
point 1t has been the clamor Of the city
democrats for fifteen or eighteen years that
the city is governed from Albany, and when
the Syracuse platform asserted an intention
to "locallze most jealousy the powers of
municipal government everybody understood
it as having reference to New York city-the
only municipality in the State which has
ever had occasion to complain that its rights
Of local self-government were improperly
abridged The Syracuse platform, therefore,
pledged the democratic party OF the State
to s.localize most jealously' the municipal
government Of this city, and Mr.. Tilden, i'll
accepting his nomination on such piatforn,
was supposed to have bound his personal
honor to do all in his power to release the
city Of New York from its long subjugation
to Albany authority. After accepting a NOM
nation with this implied pledge his opposi-
ton to home rule exposes him TO charge Of
insincere dealing with the democracy Of the
State, whose platform he adopted by accept
ing their nomination, and of inconsiderate
aud unfriendly treatment Of the demo-
cratic Mayor of this city, whom he
permitted to send strong home
| rule Message to the Common Council,
when the courteous frankness which ought to
prevail among party officials elected at the
same time might have saved the Mayor from
the modification Of asserting the principles Of
a platform which the Governor had decided
to trample IN the dust When the Governor
decided in his own mind to fling home rule
into the rubbish heap he owed it to the Mayor
to give him some intimation OF his change Of
base and his rejection Of the platform on
which they we're both elected.
The newspaper organs Of the democracy
have been almost as unfaithful to the Mayor
as Governor Tilden himself Previous to the
election ''home rule was a constant topic Of
the democratic organs. 1t was hourished in
haring head lines; i was the topic Of vehe-
rnent editorials: It unceasingly reappeared in
perpetual repubEcations and eulogies Of the
Syracuse platform; and the phrase ahome
rule" was Haunted in the eyes Of their read
ers until It became IS familiar as household
words. But after the Governor repu-
dated the principle Of home rule il
his annual Message the overlooking
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