The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-01-07
A city Election in the spring.

city Election I'm the Spring.
We conclude this morning the publication
of the long series of interviews which we
have been laying before our readers from day
to day with members of the present Legis-
lature on the expediency of separating the
municipal from the general election. These
interviews have been so uniform in their
tenor that they lack the interest of variety ;
but they possess the higher interest of a
pretty unanimous expression of opinion IN
favor of an important reform by those who
have the official power to accomplish It,
There is no reason to doubt that it can easily
be carried through the Legislature, and
the Governor would stultify himself if he
should interpose his veto.
The declarations of opinion by Senators
and Assemblymen are so many that we can
only allude to some of the most prominent
Senator Robertson, who may be regarded as
the foremost man in the Senate by his abili-
ties, character and by his election to the po-
sition of President, pro tenn, of that body
gives it as his opinion that ''the choosing of
municipal officers in large cities should be
entirely separated from State and national
elections" A valuable part of the interview
with this distinguished Senator is his opin-
ion that the change may be carried over the
Governors veto, if he should contradict his
record and veto such a bill Senator
Robertson says, ''the Governor may have
changed his mind y but, as the republicans
have a majority of eight in the Senate, and
some of the democratic Senators are known
to favor the change, he thinks such bill
might be passed over the veto. Of the demo-
Gratis in that body several are committed to q
spring election, and it would be great NOR
tification to the Governor if, besides renounc-
ing his well known opinions, he should
make an abortive veto.
Another gentleman whose opinion on this
subject is entitled to great weight is General
Hustled, who has just been elected Speaker
of the Assembly. He is the ablest, most in
fuential and most popular member of the
lower branch Of the Legislature Mr.. Hustled
said to our correspondent :-"According to
present impressions / am decidedly in favor
of the proposition to separate the two cleo
l.
prominent republican leaders in the Legisla-
ture are in perfect accord with the majority
of the members. With such a strong body
of sentiment in favor Of spring elections we
do not see how this important reform is to
be successfully resisted, unless by the veto
of the Governor. But if Governor Tilden
should veto SO salutary measure, to which
he stands pledged by his record, such an act
of demagogism would seal his political fate.
The proposed change is recommended on
solid public grounds which appeal to both
political parties. But, besides considerations
of intrinsic justice, the republicans of the
Legislature will look to its party effect,
which would, in the long run, be favorable
to them. They are strong in the rural dis
tricts but weak in this ty If it were not
for the heavy democratic majorities in
the city of New York the republican
party could maintain its ascendancy in this
State almost without struggle. Now
there is nothing which would have so power
full tendency to diminish the democratic
majority of the city as the separation of the
charter election from the State election. In
State election, unaided by the city patron
age, the democratic majority of this metrop-
oils would be diminished by at least twenty
thousand. The republican Legislature will
be blind to the interests of their party if
they leave the city patronage as a make
weight in the democratic scale in the State
elections.