New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-08
FEN UORDS TO THE MAYOR.

Mr.. Mayor. Kindly step ont of the turmoil
of your private office to the comparative seciu
sion Of the City Hall steps. The Tribune desires
word or two with you in private
Without intending to express absolute ana I'M
reserved approval Of everything you have done
and said since you took office and with the I'M
derstanding that what is said now is not TO De
taken as committing il TO blind and unqucsion-
ing support Of your administration in future
The Tribune wishes to tell you In all frankncss
that in its judgment. the overwhelming major
ity of the voters Of this city, including thousands
who did not vote for you. believe you are doing
uncommonly well You have not satisfied every
body in everything. You did not expect to, ana
nobody supposed you would If YOU have made
mistakes YOU have done only what everybody
does who does anything or is anybody. and what
Won said at the outset YOU We're liable to do
The pcope who elected you had no Illusions
about YOU They never for a moment supposed
Won had wings Nor did those who voted
against YOU think you had horns and hoofS
They took you for plain business man, Of
homely cOmmonscnse. who said what he meant
and meant what he said; firm without obstinacy,
conciliatory and courteous without weakness,
who kent faith without wriggling. met all sorts
of honest fOkS on the lcNel anu Nol' Ho Inns
You have not disappointed them. ON the whole
they Ike you and your way Of doing things
The Tribune congratulateS you. That was an
uncommOnly good compound word with which
YOU answered the suggestion before election tiiat
YOU should call on a scf-constitutcd Republican
Boss and make terms with him. Seellndahl-
fust" Not exactly the word which clergy
man would recommend in repelling temptation
or exercising the evil one. but good one quite
unambiguous and every letter Of it coming from
the mouth of an earnest man weighing AZ least
n pound You did well. Mr.. Mayor. in saying 1t
before election practical politician would
have said something quite different before cleo
ton and said that after the election was over
and it had ceased TO be risky. II was whole
platform in itself; the shortest ana most direct,
pointed and comprehensive ever built IL n"
qurcd courage 10 say II. but 1t has required
greater courage and a stcadfaStneSs or purpose
and determined will much more admirable thah
the quality of courage to live up TO H. ms
YOU have done under greater pressure than was
ever brought to bear upon any public officer
similarly situated. You have been battered ana
abused coaxed and threatened, approached by
all possible methods Of direction and indirec-
ton. and under il all maintained an even tenn
per and equal mind without being swcrved
hairs breadth from the path Of duty which you
had marked out for yourself
Mr. Mayor. keep ii up. Outside the whirl ana
buzz of your daily surroundings the solicitations
of self-scekcrs the grumbling Of the disappont-
ed and the confused counses of volunteer adj
viscrs the vast majority Of the citys voters are
watching you and taking comfort in YOU. Your
answer to all approaches from Albany looking
to the arrangement of terms and conditions
upon which such legislation as you desire should
be enacted was straight, buSincSslike, honest.
When YOU said YOU would not put yourself in
the attitude Of asking favOrs in the line OF lcgiS
laiion because the Legislature knew better than
YOU could tell them what legislation the people
who elected YOU desired for the purpose of cf-
feeling municipal reform; that the responsibility
belonged to the Legislature and not to you and
that it was your sole function 10 enforce such
laws as in It's wisdom II should pass, you cut TO
the marrow Of the whole matter. No Mayor
within the memory Of the present generation
has done so much to dignity the Office well
as TO define its functions and clear limitations,
as YOU have by this simple clcan-cut PROPOSE
| ton. You are absolutely right Mr. Mayor. The
1J4 900 voters who put you where you are did
not elect the Governor or the Legislature to dis
charge your duties or divide responsibility wit,
| YOU they have n right to expect from the Gov
crnor and the Legislature sympathy and support
| for your administration, and the enactment Of
such laws as will aid you in carrying the OK
pressed wishes Of the people into effect. They
do expect this to be dOne-done too, in the full
| ilment Of distinct pledges and not in pursuance
| OF any trade, bargain or dckcr.
| Keep on, Mr.. Mayor. The people are with
you.