New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-04
WoRD TO MAYOR GRANT.

Few men take public Office with the deID-
oro+o np,nose 70 be dishonest selfish or shift
less. or indeed TO be guided by any hshonor-
able motive whatsoever. Some OF the "oisV
officials in our history confidently expected 10
serve the people faithfully, and eventuaiy 10
retire 70 private life with the applause ana
good wishes of their fellow-citizens ana SO
cu,iously constructed is the human nina thao
nrobably most of these have never Subsequent
" discovered precisely why they were exc
Grated and have continued to have good
oninion of themselves mingled with sense
of having been unfairly dealt with, misunder-
stood and slandered. The man who has been
bred in Democratic politics in this Guy ana mas
at last reached one of the goals OF his am
hilton, is peculiarly in danger OF suifenns the
nenalties of this self-deception. Inc chances
are that he began with wrong conception u
nublic service He obtained foothold by
making himself useful in small ways to those
in power; by contributing, perhaps his little
rnnnel of influence to the broad stream on
which some local magnate was serenely sail
ing. without caring to ask questions or eA-
pecting to receive Acknowledgements lie De-
comes interested in district strategy and con-
tention and learns to think that politics Is IN
INGENIOUS busting sort of game which prom
;ses moro fun than any other with which he Is
acquainted. Possessing the requisite QUALITIES
he slowly ACQUIRES perfect knowledge OF all
the fine points and gradually comes to be re-
garded as a skilful player and very desirable
mariner. But this knowledge and repute have
been accumulated little by little. There mas
been no sudden revelation to startle him into
the consciousness that he has been engaged all
along in rather dsreputable pastlme, thai
there have been good many misdeas and more
or less cheating. that several Of the tricks have
been unfairly won, and that the stakes Tor
which he is playing are not, as he vaguely
imagines them to be, opportunities TO serve inc
people, but personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ana inc
good things of life. And, finally when he has
possessed himself of the rewards of his skill
and walks triumphantly into public Office no
is incapacitated for understanding what his
success ought to mean.
We are sure that Mayor Grant intends to
make his term Of Office conspicuous for nom
esty and fidelity. He is genial and popular
but he is likewise alert and energetic, and no
believes that he is equal to the task Of with
standing unworthy temptations, discarding dis
reputable agencies, and making the govern
ment of this great city pure and efficient We
hope that he estimates his opportunities at their
full value and does not eXaggerate his own
capacity to employ them for the pubic well
fare. But in all kindness, and with more con-
fdence than we ordinarily feel in the eXemplarS
of Democratic ring rule, we warn him that nc
is in danger Of sharing the fate that has be-
fallen many of his predecessors. Thus far IN
his career advantages of fortune and connec-
tion have saved him from the decentralization
which generally oyertakeS those who are COM
PEELED to make living out of Newly ork pol
itics. For this everybody is grateful, and
doubtless no one more grateful than himself
But he will be, for this reason, all the moro
cupable if he acts on the superstition tnat 10 IL
any part Of his duty TO make living for others.
MAYOR Grant will make another serious mis-
take if he takes it for granted that the enor-
nous vote which elected him is a fair indlca-
ton of contentment on the part Of those whose
good opinion he values with the condition to
which Democratic rule has reduced this me-
tropos. Let well enough alone' is not the
mood in which the decent people Of Newly ork
contemplate his accession to the Mayoralty.
They would be rejoiced to see revolution, but
not expecting that, the more radi al the refor-
nation the better they will like it. He Will
blunder egregOusly if he thinks that he can
add to his reputation by letting the bosses use
him as fgure-head. When good citizens are
looking for the Mayor of New-York they want
to find him in the Mayors Office not at the
end of an underground wire leading thither.
They liked nothing about Mr.. Hewitt so much
as the abundant evidence that he was his own
master, and nothing about him so little as the
occasional indications that he had abdicated
in favor of some one else.
| We have no wish or intention TO preach to
Mayor Grant but we do most earnestly desire
to see him giving this city a clean wholesome,
Independent and fearless administration. I'm
hampered by legislative bonds and snares, he
may 90 this if he will and it is not easy to
conceive greater service than he now has the
power to render nor richer reward of praise
and honor than the people are eager to 5estow.
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