The New York herald., 1876-11-02
NEW YORK HERALD THURSDAY
The M.yoralty-Ths Two Candidates.

Tho Mayoralty-The Two Candidates.
1t is a melancholy refection-for Mr.
Green, we mean-that there are but two
candidates for the Mayoralty of New York.
II he had only taken the HERAIDs advice,
and kept up an unintermitting flow of inde-
pendent delegations there is no telling
what might have happened. As matters
have gone Mr.. Green's great opportunity is
adjourned but not adjourned without day.
On the contrary, two years from now we
shall expect him to emerge like phoenix,
and, brushing off the ashes, call for the sur
viving contractors and blind men to lead in
new charge.
Meantime we have to content ourselves
with two candidates, Messrs. Ely and Dix.
OF Mr.. Ely we have already given an opin-
ion. 1t was fortunate hit for the demo-
Gratis to nominate him. He is in every
way q capable man for the place.
An old citizen, an old and respected mer-
chant, aman long and intelligently interested
in city affairs, with experience in their
administration in time when few city
the trials and temptations of the Tweed
regime. We have right to expect Of Mr. Ely
good and capable administration of the
city's affairs.
AS for the republican candidate, General
Dix, he is respectable old gentleman, who
seems to us to have been over-persuaded by
zeal for his party, and by the long and con-
frmed habit of holding Office, into step
which we are persuaded he will regret. Cen
eral Dix has been Adjutant General of this
State, Secretary of State of New York,
member of the State Assembly, Senator of
the United States, Postmaster Of New York,
Secretary of the Treasury, Naval Officer at
this port, Minister to France and Governor
of New York. He has held Offices 80 high
and responsible, and has arrived at
such an age, that he might well have
claimed exemption from the parade and
struggle of partisan politics. We do not
undervalue the importance of the Office of
Mayor of New York; on the contrary, we
hold it to be one of the most important and
honorable in the country. The HERALD has
not failed of its duty as metropolitan jour
nal in demanding that the fttest and most
capable men only should be put in nomina-
ton for this place. Nor do we forget that
other eminent public men have accepted
places lower than they had long held. Madi-
son became justice of the peace after he
had been President; John Quincy Adams
served in the House of Representatives after
he left the White House; Mr.. Horatio Sey-
mour was roadmaster after he had been Gov
ernor. But these and other eminent citi-
zens took these places by the unanimous
desire of their neighbors They did not
seek them as partisans, nor consent to enter
into the heat and fuss of political cam
paign to get them. There comes time in
the life of public man when it is unseemly
for him to be a partisan. He has served his
country in various positions, he feels that
he has done his duty, and though he may
have been partisan in his earlier and hot
ter days he now retires and looks on If
then the unanimous voice of his fellow citi-
zens calls him out from repose to any place,
high or humble, he may accepts but he would
rightly shrink from taking a merely partisan
nomination, and think it STOPPING from his
Just eminence to seek that at the hands of a
faction which he would feel could come fitly
to him only as the gift of all his fellows.
1t is not immodest, we trust, in us to say
that if the democrats are to-day in q good
position in regard to the Mayoralty this is
because they took the advice Of the HERALD
to nominate o first class man for the place
and to unite in his support. Only good
nomination could produce harmony in their
ranks. What they see to-day-the with
drawal of all opposition by Mr.. O'Brien and
others to Mr.. Ely-they could not have
hoped Tor had they nominated fourth or
second rate man. We offered equally sound
advice to the republicans, but, alasl they
would not take it.