The New York herald., 1878-10-31
Tn. Rival Candidate. Tor mayor.

ernment-views which are in the main
sound and judicious. Mr.. Cooper, his COM
petitor, has also favored the public with his
views on the same range OF questions in his
letter accepting the nomination of the motley
republican O'Brien Waterbury McCool-
Haskin Bixby- Hart anti-Tammany coali-
ton. One of Mr. Cooper's organs also ven-
lures to predict his specific acts as Mayor In
the event of his election, and, among others,
itplainly hints at the removal of Comptroller
Kelly by the conjoint authority of Mr..
Cooper as Mayor and Governor Robinson as
his sponsor and indorser. We do not
know whether Mr.. Cooper has been cor
rectly represented in this intimation
of his intentions, but the natural
presumption is that his only democratic
supporter in the press of theeity does not
misrepresent him. Assuming that no in
justice has been done to Mr.. Cooper by his
mouthpiece, what does his intention to re-
move Mr. Kelly from the Comptrollership
prove? Plainly that the charge made
few days since by the HERALD
is more than justified by the facts
of the situation. The opinion which
we expressed was that the so-called reform
movement. represented by combine
tion of all the anti-Tammany elements. is
a hollow and deceitful sham I; that it is not
a movement for the good of the city, but
coalition for the overthrow of John Kelly,
because Mr.. Kelly is the most formidable
enemy of Governor Tilden, whose devoted
adherents have secured the nomination of
Edward Cooper, q man pledged to restore
Mr.. Green to the Finance Department by
the removal Of Comptroller Kelly for
reasons merely political. and to perform
any other servile acts as Mayor which
would promote the interests and favor the
ambition of Mr.. Tilden and Governor
Robinson.
The attitude of the HERALD toward Tam
many Hall and the one-man power is too.
we'll known to require restatement here.
We have steadily evinced our willingness
to join in any sincere movement-not in
sham movement-for restoring the munich
pal government to the control of the peo-
pie. It has been. our constant desire that
movement for this great end should
be honestly placed before the public
stripped of all false pretences, deceptive
concealments and electioneering lodges.
The HERALD has not opposed Mr.. Kelly on
merely personal grounds; it has made no
war on him in his official capacity as Comp
troller; it has never arraigned him before
the public as o successor Of Tweed for per-
petuating the corrupt practices Of the old
Ring. We have always respected Mr.. Kelly's
private character and have been careful to
discriminate, not only between the man and
the politician, but between the public officer
and the politician. While doing him full
justice in his private and official relations
we have found many occasions for criticising
and condemning his management MS o
political leader and the autocrat of Tam
many Hall. He is very positive character,
and, like most men Of that stamp, he has
strong personal prejudices, which he some-
times indulges with reckless disregard Of
in the case Of Recorder Hackett, when the
position taken by the HERALD and its con-
temporaries taught Mr.. Kelly lesson which
he is not likely to forget.
The HERALD cares nothing for men except
so far as they represent principles or
public measures which we deem important.
We credit the anti-Tammany combination
with good intentions at the outset, but it
has degenerated into o ''still hunt" for
breaking down Mr.. Kelly, in order to
build up another one-man power in
the person Of Mr.. Tilden, in utter
disregard of the interests and welfare
of the city. This combination may succeed,
rs other combinations have succeeded be-
FORE But the HERALD will discharge its
duty in placing before the public the real
issues involved in the contest No one shall
have any reason to complain that we have
suppressed anything which the public is
entitled to know or have failed to tell the
whole truth. 1t will be inferred from what
we have now said that we have no enthu-
siasm for either ticket.
But this comparative indifference may
give place to o stronger feeling if threat
made by one of the organs of the coalition
expresses the real intention of Mr.. Cooper
and his hackers. If the coalition candidate
had avowed this purpose in his letter of ac-
ceptance his assent to the nomination might
as we'll have been refusal, for the people
of the city would never think of elccting
him after such q declaration. What is
given out by the only democratic news
paper that supports Mr.. Cooper is, that if
no is elected he and Governor Robinson
will exercise the power with which they
are jointly clothed by law and remove
Comptroller Kelly from Office. We had
heard this intimation before in iyrespon-
sible quarters, and perhaps the democratic
newspaper which publicly makes the threat
is equally irresponsible. But since 1t has
been uttered in this scmi-ofiicial why Mr..
Cooper, or some one authorized to speak for
him ia honnd To disclaim IL nnless ha il