New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-20
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II is the common lot Of public men to dis
app0int those who elect them 10 Office. 1t is
esDecjally the case with Democratic Mayors Oi
the CITY of New York. The reason for this
il obvious. Democratic Mayors in this city arc
elected by coalitions Of factions and cOmbma-
tons of interests upon some general under
standing that the patronage of the Office shall
be fairly distributed among the repros nta-
tiyes of the several "Lalls' and wings
that compose the alliance. 1t daWns upon
the new Mayor Immediately after his election
is secure, if he had not suspected 1t
earlier, that no division of the spOlls can
be made which VIII give entire satisfac
ton. for the simple reason thIt there
are more Democrats than Offices. There are
not enough places to go round And even II
there were, it would be impossible to please
everybody. Persons who now grumbe because
they get no place, would grumble then because
they did not get better ones. The lot Ct
New-York Mayor is not a happy one. He
cannot expect to please everybody. lie can
only endeavOr to please as many and dispease
as few as possible
Mayor Edison, however, seemed nj first to have
reversed this natural order, and at the OPEN
ing of his official career TO have striyen to
please the few and displease the many. That,
at any rate, was the result, if it was not the
Undetermined purpose of his action. The
universal chorus OF condemnation that went
up from political friends and foes alike upon
the announcement Of his first appointments
was almost without precedent. And the news
papcrs which supported his candidacy were
foremost and lOudest in their censure. Against
all this he had one mans favorable opinion
at least-one mans applause. That man was
Mr.. John Kelly. 1t follows, of course, that,
having Mr. Kclly's good will, Tammany Hall
received his nominations with an approving
tap of its large foot upon the sandcd floor.
But it was no boisterous demonstration it was
only slow winking of bOOt-heels with u great
suggestivcness of reserved power. Mr.. EdsOns
first nominations were not greeted with en-
thusiasm even in Tammany Hall. He had
given serious offence to most decent Democrats
who supported him, had alienated the better
element of the County Democracy, and had
Disguised the majority of citizens who are in
terested in municipal politics only to the ex-
tent that they desire good government and
honest administration. SO much to Mayor
Edson's debit side. TO the credit side, Mr..
John Kelly and through Mr.. Kelly the quail
fed favor and subdued applause of Tammany
Hall.
This was the condition of Mayor Edson's
political ledger at the end of his first ten days
of active business. To the average political
accountant casting his eye over it with the pre-
cision Of the mathematician and the cold i'm
partial judgment Of the philosopher, it was not
particularly celebrating balance sheet. Even
to the interested eye of the Mayor himself the
column of assets must have seemed a trihe brief
and attenuated when compared with the fat fig
ures Of liabilities incurred People began then to
remember that just prior 10 the nomination Of
Mr.. Franklin Edison for Mayor, Mr.. Kelly,
standing in front of that august band OF pa
triots which calls Tammany Hall its home and
Mr.. Kelly its "Boss," recited in q single
pregnant sentence, Tammany aphorism, the
essential qualifcations-nay qualification, for
there was but one-to be demanded for tho
Office Of Chief Magistrate of this great city.
eve want man, said he, "who will know
who is who" Not, mark you, what is what,
In the measures, the principles, the pol