New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-08
THE LOCAL SITUATION.

Neither the office Of County Clerk nor Of Regis
ter Is political in character And 1t hardly need
be said that the judicial Offices to be elected In
November for which there has been so much
pulling and hauling during the last week. ought
TO be. and in fact are, non-polcal. The
scramble for them has not been an inspiring
spectacle for good citizens Of any party There
has been so much talk Of late about what the
several organizations engaged In negotiating
terms Of union were entitled TO in the division
of Offices on the ticket; about what would satisfy
Mr.. Lautcrbach; what would concae the
Goo Coos: what would placatc the rate Often
dorfer: what would be agreeable 10 the Grace
Democracy. and all that sort Of thing al in
fnitum. that II would seem TO the casual OBJ
server as if there were no principle at stake al
all but that the whole hullabaloo OF the fall
campaign was over "A division OF offices among
influential persons who hold great masses OF
voters I'm the hollow Of their hands, 10 be turned
over at the polls in lunches and professions Just
as the influential persons willed. No DOUBT inc
influential persons do control great many
votes. but there arc. after all. several thousand
citizens in the background who care great
deal more for actual good government and hon
cst administration than they do for Influential
leaders or individual candidates.
These citizens do not care so much whether
,he candidate for Register Is Republican OF
either faction. n Grace Democrat. Goo Zoo, Il
CARGO or what not. so long as they are sure ne Is
an honest man who will clear out of the Regis
ter's office the ex-prizehghters, eX-saloonkeeperS
ex-bartenders, and all the sinecures. hangers
on and incompctents who are there drawing
pay for either doing nothing. or. what Is worse
making a mudde Of the records by attempting
10 do something for which they are utterly I'M
fit What honest citizens want is candidate
for Register who will clean out the ONCE; ana
they don't care what organization or faction
he belongs TO so he be man whom they can
tr,lst TO do IT, They want a man for County
Clerk. too. who will not use the office ana Its
patronage in the interest Of the Tammany gang
whom the people threw ont OF the other offices
last wear And they want for Judges men OF
bioh character. who are learned In the law, up
RIGHT and honest in whose judicial Importantly
ond fairness the whole community has CONN
dence So they have these essential quaillica-
tions no question will he raised 10y honest cltl-
vops the average voters who are finally 10 pass
Judgment upon the work Of politicians and con-
vontions as TO which one Of the allied Anti
Tommony organizations they represent.
The main thing Is to get for the work to be
done men competent to do it; men whose char-
acter Is so high and whose integrity Is SO uh-
questioned that no honest citizen VIII ask 10
what organization they belong or hesitate 10
| give them cordial and hearty support, no matter
what their political affiliations. We are very far
| from saving or thinking that the influential per
| sons-the I4auterbachs and Ottendorfers, ana me
| leaders Of Grace Democrats Goo Coos ana
Garoos-have not kept in view ms their ultimate
| purpose the selection of fit and competent men
for all the places which they seem to assume IL
TO be their special and exclusive function TO NIL
Still. II must be said that the din they have been
| raising over the apportionment Of places on the
| ticket among the various allied organizations
| has aroused the suspicion in many minds that
| their anxiety to provide positions for their i'm
! mediate followers Is considerably In excess of
| their zeal for the cause Of good government and
municipal reform, which Is, after all, the OBJ
| lectve Of the present campaign. The union OF
| al the clements opposed TO the rule of Tam
many. which now seems assured as the result
OF last nights conventions. is Of far greater i'm
| portance than the nomination Of any individual
| candidate, or the recognition Of the numerical
| sunerjorty or the ascendancy for any other
reason Of any one Of the parties to the alliance.