New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-25
Az ALDERuAN,S MYSTERY.

An ALDERMAN'S MYSTERY.
Mystery succeeds mystery in politics. The
questions. "What is he going to do2" who
did ~ and "Wbat did he do it for 7" follow
each other in rapid succession. and around
each halo of mystery is thrown that plques
curiosity and Initiates the public sense HUI
man nature enjoys the mysterious, and takes
great delight in turning over between thuIno
and finger the things it does not understand;
and nothing more delights it than to tWldhlo
over the motives OF men in any great or I'M
usual transaction. Hence men Of large self-con-
seriousness. whose chief comfort in the
world is sitting under the public's digit
finger and listening to the flattcring
"There he is,n "Thats he" fall natur
ally TO doing unusual things that attract no.
tce and excite inquiry IA to the motive
To provoke comment and be the centre oi
some mystery, however small, exhiarates
them beyond measure. To obtain this gratlfi-
cation the egotist does not shrink from en-
gaging in transactions of such character
that the imputation Of mean and base
motives must necessarily follow Like the
brutal and bloody-mindcd egotist now
on show at Washington, they must be
talked abOut-mVst somehow get III the
focus under the public eye; and it does
not SO much matter how they get there or
what is said about them, so they hold atten-
ton and are the subject of some kind of COM
mcnt or curiosity.
Now it does not often happen to local poll
tician, an Alderman say, to become the centre
of great mystery, to pique public curiosity
and set the town agOg over what he IS gong
to do, or, it being done, over his motives, and
why he did it. The opportunities for being
greatly and impressivelS mysterious belong for
the most part to Presidents and Cabinet oili-
GERS and Senators, who sometimes set the
tongue of the world wagging by unexpected
designations. There is seldom any mys-
terry about what the average Alderman
will do if ne gets n chance, and less
often any mystery about his motive after
he has gone and done it. 1t has hap
| pcnrd. however, 10 our esteemed icllOw-citzcn
! and fellow Republican, Alderman Waite, to
bounce suddenly and imprcssyely into the
public eve rs the centre OF a great mystery
aud the holder of a large and important secret.
| He has succeeded in doing something which
nobody understands, and which some people
! believe he does not fully comprehend
| himself In the confirmation Of Mayor
| Grace's nominations for Police Justices
the other day, without any motive that
can now bc discerned, he voted contrary to
| his own apparent interests the wishes ana
advice Of his friends and the evident policy
of his party. As 4 result he has succeeded IN
getting himself very much talked about, and
| that in no very complimentary fashion.
| Il will be thought that his position and
| character forbid any entertainment of the
suspicion that he was influenced by mere
pecuniary considerations or that he was in
nurnccd by any of the grosscr forms of corrupt
approach.
And herein consists the mystery in which
his action is wrapped, the secret of which
seems known to no one but himself. II he
can derive any comfort from the feeling that
he holds "A secret which great many people
are wondering about. and that his motives
are the subject of public discussion, he is no
doubt happy Even his most intimate per
sonaI and political friends can divine no rca-
aon for his singular action. II is part
Of the gossip of the clubs and political circles
that he has the promise OF COmmissioncrship
or some other appointment in the Mayors
gift; that there has been IN arrangement con-
corning clcrkships in some Of the departments
and in a general way that there has been a
"tradcr in which Alderman Waite has
taken il upon himself to represent the
| Repubican party for the purpose OF
securing to the party some great and
important advantage. There seems to be no
question, however, upon one point; to WIT
| that when the great secret comes to he dis
| closed and the mystery solved, it will turn ont
| that Alderman Waite has been either too
sharp or too siy-in plain words, either knaye
or fool. And the general Judgment we feel
compelled to say, compliments his honesty at
the expense of his Intelligence. We do not
know how long he proposes to keep mp the
mystery. We sincerely hope it will not he
solved by the disclosure OF any arrangement
or "tradc,n by which ho or any friend OF his
shall profit. On his own account, we shall re-
ioire TO find that he has only been foolish
That he can outlivc. If il turns out differently
il will be permanent damage to him; an
incradicable stain upon his character. The
only thing upon which we can congratulate
him now is the notoriety he has so suddenly
acquired.
II is said that he answers inqnirng friends
who ply him with questions, that he has good
reasons for his action and that some time they
will appear, to the satisfaction of his personal
and poitica friends We can only say that
to fine mind of n DISTINGUISHED person it would
seem TO be wisdom on his part to hasten
forward that "s0me time if he hopes to save
ANYTHING OF his good name.
| unu IN NEAR ITTTU pOIVG my