The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
CITY POLITICS IN 1897.
CONDITIONS UNDER WHOM TEE
PARIIEs WILL RALLK.

NAlS AAAAAt =
cans Hopeful -smniier ORGANIZATIONS
Reror,n's senmy and Vanishing Front.
The New York City and County offices TO be
filled at the election In November, 1897, are
those: Mayor, County Clerk, Register, District
Attorney, Comptroller, Sheriff, President of
tho Board Of Aldermen. two Supreme Court
Judges. four Coroners, Commissioner Of Street
improvements in the annexed district, a Civil
Judge In the Tenth district, a Board of Alder
raen, aud thirty-hve members of Assembly.
This 10 q larger number Of officers than has
been voted for by the citizens of New York ut
any preceding election for more than half q CEN
fury. The long list Is subject to this subdivis-
ion: The offices which are constitutional"
ind with which the Legislature has nothing to
do, and the statutory Offices, created by acts of
the Legislature and not protected by the Con-
stltution. which the Legislature has power TO
abolish. reorganlze, consolidate, subdivide, or
make appointive. In the latter category are the
places of Mayor OF New York, Comptroller.
Commissioner of Street improvements, Presi-
dent Of the Board Of Aldermen. and district
Aldermen. All tho other places are "con-
stitutional," aud will be filled by the
votes OF the citizens Irrespective Of
this action Of the Legislature or any policy
which 1t may adopt. Tho tenure. maintenance,
or abolition of tho other or statutory p" offices
10 QeDenuout Cnlou upoh a " poos-
ponement of tho Greater New York project
but in any event candidates for tho vacancies
arising in these offices will be voted for, the
only question being whether the citizens will
vote for Mayor, Comptroller. and other officials
under the Limitations OF New York as hereto
fore established, or as citizens of the Greater
New York, including not only the residents of
the present city, but also the people of Brook
lyn. Staten Island. Long Island City, Newtown,
Flushing. and that portion of the town
of Hampstead. in Queens county, which
Is westerly of o straight line drawn from q
point In Flushing to Shelter Island"
The Greater New York Commission appointed
by Gov. Morton TO devise q plan In the form of
q charter for the Greater New York has until
Feb. /, 1897, to make its final report TO the
Legislature, which may adopt, amend. or en-
tirely reject this report. II 1t is adopted sub
stantially as offered, the Greater New York
project will, as its many advocates confidently
hope. go through; II its acceptance is opposed
or resisted then, as the opponents of the Greater
New York project believe, the matter will be
either postponed for another year or adopted in
such u form that the present political divisions
Of the territory included In tho Greater New
York will not be affected.
Irrespective of the Greater New York matter,
however, the municipal election Of 1897 will DO
Of supreme political Importance. and, moreover.
the Power Of Removal bill giving q Mayor the
right to make summary changes in the heads OF
departments during the first six months of his
term is still in force. unrepealed. and there is no
denial of the fact among Republicans that
should the Greater New York project go through
the Legislature, there will be o like provision for
the benent Of the Mayor to be elected In 1897.
II it does not 60 through, the Mayor of New
York will still have the right OF removing
within the first six months of his term all of tho
Commissioners appointed By Mayor Strong
without the formally or necessity of charges to
be approved by the Governor.
The municipal election of 1897 in New York
Will be waRed under peculiar and unprecedented
conditions in national and State politics. At
the recent election. for the first time since the
establishment of the Republican party in 1856,
the Republican electoral ticket triumphed in
New York city by q majority, under the official
returns, exceeding 100000; and at the same
election. also for the first time in the history of
New York. the Republican candidate for Gov
ernor carried the city. and in the election for
the single county office the Republican majority
over the Tanmany nominee was $500, or q little
more than the Republican lead on tho Governor
ship. Before. the Republican party In this city
had always been the party of the mino rity, and
its leaders had tax en- a hostile majority as a mat
ter of curse. Hitherto they had labored in ma
tionai ghts simply to reduce that majority to
the lowest point possible, with out hoping to
overcome 1t. Accordingly the Republican lead
ers usually made outside alliances and fusions
with q view to deplete the Democratic forces and
hus turn the scale against Tammany II all.
The voting population of New York had been
put by general agreement Of politicians of all
parties ut about 25O. 0o0-150.000 Democratic,
of which two-thirds were TammAny. and 1O0,-
900 Republican, the sc. 900 miscellaneous Dem
ocrats, including the memberso of the various
intermittent outside organizations, and a can
siderable number of independent, unattached
Democrats who sometimes. as in 1890 and 1892,
voted for the Tammany Mayoralty candidate,
and sometimes. as in 1894, voted against him.
In q triangular fight between Tammany Hall.
the Republicans. and the outside ele-
ments of Democratic opposition to Tammany
the Tammany candidates have usually won
because Of superior discipline and efficiency OF
organization, and because there are many Re-
publicans who vote with their party only in
national or State elections. and either do not
vote or vote the Tammany ticket in other years
A fusion between the Republicans and the anti.
Tammany Democrats has been unsuccessful
except in isolated instances. on account of the
reluctance of some Republicans to support Dem
Gratis and of some Democratic opponents of Tam.
many to support Republicans. This year. how.
ever. all this has been changed by the important
and overshadowing national battle under which
sound-money Democrats and Republicans stood
shoulder TO shoulder and earned q splen'
did triumph here and elsewhere. II that
alliance continues, as there are many
present indications that 1t will. II the honest
money Democrats. alienated from Tammany
Hall by its support of Bryan and its defence OF
Organism. participate with the Republicans In
the nomination and support of . municipal
ticket, with q Republican candidate for Mayor
~ ita haad and n EOund- money Democrat
probably. for Comptroller. the chief obstacle.
to II union between tho Republican party AND
its most impressive and influential allies will
for the first time. be brushed away. A tickoI
of this sort can be made up without friction Oh
difficulty and with a very good chance of suo
cess, tho Republican leaders think, for. 1t II
agreed, there will be no moro mongrel, Mug
wump fusions, II the Republicans can help It.
In the opinion OF many politicians opposed u
Hall since its support OF Bryan ant
Organism. the conference Of honest-monsy
oullaI h. Trapcia NJ Grptt a.. IN.