The New York herald., 1875-11-19
The Spring Elections.

The fact that Governor Tilden is found to
be in favor of the changing of the election
for Mayor and municipal officers from
autumn to spring will give strength to our
suggestion that there should be an act pro-
viding for this at the earliest possible time
There are many reasons for such an act.
Public policy dictates that there should be
no connection between elections for munich
pal officers and elections for Governor and
President The party questions upon
which the people throughout the country
divide have no place in the discussion of
the proper men to manage the affairs of our
city. 1t is not democrats or republi-
cans that we want in the government
of New York, but honest business men,
who will control this city as our great
merchants control their business affairs
Mayor Wickham was ostracised by the vote
at the last election, not alone by the people
of New York, but by his own party. 1t only
remains, therefore, for the Legislature to
carry out the will of the people by passing
law changing the elections from autumn to
spring. This is necessary to secure US
proper municipal off GERS. 1t is mistake to
burden the canvass for judges and Mayor
and reconstruction, which are national, not
sectional. There is no possible resemblance
between the two forms of the suffrage. This
is Governor Tilden's idea, and we have no
doubt he would heartily cooperate with the
Legislature in the enactment of some
measure changing the elections to the
spring.
This done we should have good candidates.
We should nominate positive, independent,
representative men, who would be friends of
the people, and not the bosom friends of
some particular leader, like John Kelly or
Thomas Murphy. We would indicate as
proper men from whom to select candidate
John Agnew or John K Hackett, our fear
less Recorder, who showed his personal
strength in the last canvass when he tri-
umphed over all opposition Or we might
select Charles A. Dana, the editor of the Sun,
who has had experience in politics and in
Office, and who declined the nomination for
Mayor during the last canvass. Mr.. Dana
would, no doubt, make war upon
PUBIC .peculatOrS IN ONCE as vigorously
as he makes it in the columns
Of his journal. He certainly would
command the support of the independent
press of the city. The nomination of Henry
G. Stebbins, President of the Park Commits
sion, one OF our high-minded public spirited
citizens, would also meet the approval of all
classes Or we might take Andrew II. Green,
the present Comptroller Mr.. Green, as the
readers of the HERALD may imagine, is not
an ideal politician There are many things
about his administration which have given
rise TO criticism. But no one has ever
criticised his honesty, and it may
be that his faults as Comptroller are
faults inseparable from harassing irri-
tating position, which would pass away in the
more independent Office of Chief Magistrate
of the city.
Any Of these men would make suitable
candidate for Mayor, and as the people by
their voice at the recent election have pro-
nounced upon Mr.. Wickham and declared
him not fit for the place, it only remains for
the Legislature to pass law changing the
elections and for the people to give them
selves Chief Magistrate who will redeem
the promises which Mr. Wickham made in so
lavish a manner when he entered upon the
duties of the ofice-promises which were
only made to be destroyed.