The New York herald., 1878-09-14
THE MAYORAL1Y MIDDLE.
A New Element in the Great
Civic Problem.
IS JOHN KELLY A CANDIDATE
Opinions of Nelson J. Tappan, Mayor
Ely and Mr. Conoven

Ely and Mr. Conoyen
Tho Mayoraiy mystery gets deeper daily. Old can
ddates drop from public view, come up and
they in turn fade out OF sight Yesterdays surprise
was tho possible candidacy Of John Kelly himself,
and from the earnes,nsss with which some OF MS
hsnchmen advanced arguments his favor one
might be tempted TO believe that the dark horse was
at length disclosed The changes 10 the last days
are great. Mr.. Grace, for instance, is NO longer
spoken Of ana yet AZ time the friends Of Nelson
J. Tappan, who had from the first been regarded as
Tammany's choice, were loud In Mr.. Graces praise,
and tho Marine Bank. iu which both Tappan and
Grace directors, considered backer Of the
latter MI Bonner, is known, declined in letter
TO the HERALD, and now Mr.. Tappan follows his ex-
ample. ttr
Yesterday the Chamberlain found busy In his
oAice-ths room whore, in other days, Comptroller
Connolly received his iniimates and canvassed war;
rants with the iate James Watson, his auditor In
reply to a question put BY tho HERALD re-
porter Mr.. Tappan SAID --"There never u
limo when Now York needed first class man
In the Mayors chair much now. Il would. be
impossible TO exaggcrate overostimate the impor-
tancs of the present canvass. We need not only q
live man and an honest man, bat n good business
mon ae we'll Our streets ara IN terrible condition.
aud they must be cared for" fT
.tArc you a oandidate?n
ssNo SIR. For long time my political friends have
urged me to be candidate for the nomination. but
am not As Mr.. Bonner wrote TO the HERALD, tor
perronal reasons the race. IL IS dstaste-
iuI to my family ana won't 20 IN l a poll
tican. was bred merchant AS Chamberlain
am IN the iine OF my taste and trainng'
"Cau the HERALD announces your retiracy ?"
NILSSON ). TAPPAN NOT CANDIDATE.
"rhs HERALD can say mat am not candidate, and
that would not take the II were offered
swnat DO you think OF the list as published ?"
s'Thcy are all good men Mr COnovcrisa pracsca
go-ahoad business man. and would mako excellent
Mayor Mr. shepherd Knapp rs very strong, very
strong indeed"
I'll Mr. Kelly would accept he wodid be elected
aud New Yo.k would have Mayor worthy Of the
place"
MAYOR ELY SPEAKS.
reporter also called on Mayor Ety. who stood near
humber Of newsSoys 1s pcning a. hole
ssW hat news, - no responded. fa1 ntr.
ssThat Mr.. Kelly Is in the ield for Mayor"
"Oh, see nere, am not TO be interviewed. Tho
herald s welcome to all know, but il is abso-
lutey necessary that should know something FIRST -
.sBut surely you interested in your successor; !;
Il might DO yourself, fol. Instance"
omc,siiy know nothing that is not known TO overv.
body. beicvo literally that there Is nothing decided
yst. Tho Kaleidoscope changes day by day. Look at
Grace. for instance. Where ID he And yet only q
little wniie ago be was hoad Of the hcap"
.sBut this very important election is II not ?'
"Yes but alone because there certain
mum ucipal appointments to be made. Ihoy affect the
ip.iity aons but for another reason, national
"wna. is tnat9r
"Why tins On the result OF the fight In this city
In November depends the next Presidency Of the
s.i don't ,hiux ssem TO see It,"
"NoP Well, look. II Tammany Rall the regular
ton where is Mr. r,iasnf He Of course. win oppose
Mr.. Kelly and Tammany Hail. If they win In spite
MS n
IN the pit. Ho IN forever removed from the Presi-
dental arena"
care you u candidatef"
al decline TO be interviewed on that point just yet
The complexion OF the times is dark n.
There is time enough yet 10 decide that and other
"Oi tho others nsmed what do you thiuk-Mr
Conover, Tor instauccY"
| "Mr Conover acted very handsomely 10 tho matter
OF the Park Presidency, and he Is unquestonabiy te
be taken care OF, but whether here or there is un
determined. He is very excellent man ana good
business man. have thought possibly tho Intention
| was 10 mako rappan Mayor. His Office as Chamber
office, he would have the appointment of his own
| successor"
"But do you"
Now, SOC here some other time I'l be glad to talk
q, length with the HERALD, bot reasons that are
| good TO me must decline TO talk now"
I ABOUT Mr. KELLY
can right Have you Thought Of the possibility o.
Mr. Keliy's being candidatcY"
"rhc Importance Of this election in national pom
| OF view is very great. Mr. Kelly would make
\ collent Mayor n elected l believe Mr.. TiiGen II
waking up to the importance OF tho cam paign, anc
before Il Is there viii be some lively music II
! any event New York will be tho ga.ner Tor she vii
| secure a chief magistrate worthy Of tho position
Como In again later on and Will tell you what
| TEE HUMoRs OF THE CAMPAIGN
| Prominent among tho chronic asplrants to ONCE,
man OF Means shrewdness and considerable local In
| fuenee IS Mr.. jacob Cohen, whose brave 1gnt OF
few years 10 still remembered by the 'ieaders
Jacob looking at the mud Nassau street yoster
| day afternoon, when HERALD reporter caught hi
shadow on tho pave. ian, Mr.. Cohen you're just th
man. Can you tell the HERALD who Is to be the mex
aMayor, Oh, wait; just watt"
| "Next to yourself, Tor Instance, who is tho bes
! man, Conover, Tappan or Kelly"
| swell, l can't say about Kelly. He VIII make
| good Mayor II no can be elected"
| sWouid Governor Tiden oppose himf"
| "what II no did2 Pooh See here; whom a maj
has a pcsutuui wiic that everybody likes all nj
favor. but lot him 20 back on her-.usn her on, s,
that anybody call and not bo held TO account-n
ono will take tho trouble even TO bow 70 her."
; "Well, what's that got 70 do with itY"
awhy, Who cares Tor Tildcn now. Lot him oppose
John Kelly, II candidate viii be very strong ana
| elected he'll mako nrss rate Mayor"
PARK Commissioner Conover laughed al the ide
that Mr. Kelly cared to DC Mayor "And yet, sud he
'swherc could you ind betterY He understand
| Now York from Yonkcrs and West Farms to tn
Battery. He has her finances at his fingers ends
Ho has bSen Comptroller 80 long that be know
| jS ALL We would all work hard for Mr.. Kelly
but don't run away with the idca that he Is anxou
TO be Mayor. AS Comptroller he literally controls
| the money Cncst alter u Is the ueslucratunl
That being carefully watcncd the rcst Is apt TO DO
| K.n
A crowd was gathered about tho Comptroller
Office Mt four O'Clock yesterday afternoon. They
all nxious to him, and their cards were duly lai
upon his ,abo, but ho was "busy" and, like the ma
IN the Bible begged 10 DO excused
The rammany conorts are In trouble.
II John Kelly really desires 10 be a Mayoraty can
ddate the prepared TO transfer their allie
| glance IRON Conovcr, SchclI, Tappan and Knapp
not they are all at sea again. Whatever the solutio
| CT The problem, the fact now appears that q ne,
| element Is added In tho person OF AR. Kelly.
|
| COMPTROLLER KELLY'S LETTER