The Portland daily press., 1876-01-25

Mayor Wickham is generally credited with
having prompted the policy of his late appoin-
tee, Gen. Porter, establishing scale of wages
regulated by the hours at labor, and limiting
the number employed to the necessities of the
work to be done. That this belief is well
founded, is proposition confirmed by the sig
nifcant circumstance that he was decorated
with the censure" of the mob in Tammany
Hall on his first appearance there after the late
election. They saluted him with Kisses. That
splenetic ebullition was greater compliment
to him than any torrent of applause with which
ne was ever hailed. 1t was an unconscious
certificate that he had kept faith with the peo-
pie, defended the rights of his constituents and
fulfilled his trust with manliness and honor His
fidelity TO principle may impair his chances of
political advancement but it will enhance his
claim to the respect and confidence of the
thinking and intelligent portion of his fellow
citizens. Power is very dearly purchased at
the expense of selfrespect.
That the Mayor re-nominated Gen. Porter is
evidence enough that he approved of his views
on the labor question. That he subsequently
withdrew his name interpret as indicating
disinclination to subject the nominee to the
modification of being rejected-as he certainly
would have been-and perhaps to an unwi,-
lingness to come to an open rupture with the
Board of Aldermen.
should not be at all surprised IL the ialder
men had ''caught Tartar in the man they
have since confirmed. Allan Campbell was
formerly President of the Harlem Railway,
and is now President of one of the coal COM
panies of New York and Maryland. He has
the reputation and appearance of great firm
ness OF character and a strong will. If he
does the public business as he has that of the
corporations he has had the direction of, there
will be bitter disappointment and rage in the
legislative chamber of the city hall. If the
city fathers cannot get their shenchmen quar-.
tered upon the exchequer they will refuse to
enact the measures necessary for the prosecu-
ton of the public works. This retaliatory
course will occasion dead lock, and the opera
tiops of the department will be practically
suspended. Then popular impatienee will vent
itself upon the Commissioner-and he will
prove himself exceptionally resoute if he
stands the pressure. Our great misfortune Is
that If an official infexibly adheres to the line
OF duty there are very few sources from which
he can expect to derive commendation or sup
port. On the contrary, his conduct is almost
certain to be misrepresented and his motives
impeached There is nothing whatever in that
tickle and caprcious sentiment which we call
public opinion to encourage well doing in the
service Of the municipality. The man who
proposes to maintain position of answering
ronfituda fha
proval of his own conscience, for he will get
no other reward
1t is because of this extremely low tone of
civic morality that New York is so much be-
hind all other communities in the practice of
self government There is strong temptation
to persons holding trusts to abuse them, in the
impunity with which it can be done. If we
had vigilant and incorruptible press to act as
sharp and impartial censor upon every
form of official derelicton, we should soon wit
ness change for the better. But really there
is no such thing as intelligent criticism upon
our local rulers. The papers very often in
du.ge in vehement attacks against some es
pecial feature of administration, but they do il
in such wild, incoherent way, that it pro-
duces no effect They make so many palpable
mistakes of fact every time that it is clear
to the most superficial reader that they know
scarcely anything about the subject they are
discussing. The truth is they pay SO little at
tention to city affairs that they are not well
enough informed in regard to them to entitle
their structures to any very serious considera-
ton. And besides that, so many of them have
degenerated into mere sewers for idle gossip
and unsavory scandals-devoting great deal
of space to topics wholly frivolous and not
always decent that their influence as conserv-
ators Of public virtue has been literally frittered
away. YARMOUTH.