New-York tribune., 1897-12-31
WILLIAM l.. STRONG.

Ills Is lUc IdSt vi w imam 49, 'N'N"c ="
service as Mayor Tonight he will 90 out OF
Office, and with his retirement the old New-Iork
will cease TO be- Tammany. hungry. blatant
and aggressive. will monopolize attention. But
Mayor Strong will no. return to private life I'M
attended by the gratitude and respect OF those
OF his fellow citizens whose gratitude and re-
spect would naturally be desired by an honor
able man. For three years he has administered
the government of this city under unprecedent
edy difficult conditions in such way as 10
make NewYork rank higher in the scale or
civilization and to cause intelligent people the
world over 10 look upon any threat 10 undo his
good work as n menace OF barbarisln lie mas
so raised the standards Of municipal admins
tration that n relapse to the worst OF the old
abuses which he corrected cannot safely he per-
mltted by his successor.
Mayor Strong entered the City Hall TO face
great expectations and much sneering. II may
he said that he was the victim Of both. lmpos-
sjble demands were made upon him. High
minded enthusiasts expected him 10 change the
whole outward aspect Of the city and transform
its whole inward human nature. He was TO
start vast improvements while decreasing taxes,
make ideal appointments without angerng ad-
vocates Of bad men. give perfect government
without interfering with the business or those
who had prolted by an imperfect one Then
his every action was watched by enemies quick
at falschood. sharp at abuse. clever AT rldlcule.
Such weapons would have been harmless
against a Gilroy. even II those who used them
had been anything but his friends. but they
were undeniably effective on people who were
not like Tammany men. thick-and-thin support
crs Of a party. but sensitive observers or public
affairs. critical Of the officers they had selected
10 administer the government OF their high
ideals.
OF course no administration could measure
up TO utopan dreams. and it suffered some
what from the disappointment Of the dreamers.
Nobody will pretend-probably least Of all the
Mayor himself-that mistakes. and serious mis-
takes have not been made. There have been
| unfortunate appointments and mistaken coun-
sci has sometimes prevailed. But nobody who
recalls New-York as he took H. and sees 1t as
he leaves It, can truthfully deny that its public
service and its physical condition have greatly
| improved. 1t Is n cleaner, more decent. more
| orderly town than Il was before, n town In
which life is better worth living for the average
man and woman. 1t may be conceded that
Mayor Strong was less successful in the politics
i
he should have been at disadvantage in deal
| ing with men who had n lifelong training in the
tricks Of the game and were playing to block
reforms speaks more to the credit OF his mo-
| tives than 10 the discredit Of his acts. The
machine politicians did not mean that he should
| carry out the pledges he made for himself and
they made for him. Perhaps his greatest mis-
take was in trying at first to satisfy them. lie
| could not please them without betraying the
city, and their implacabe hatred testiiies 10 his
faithful service. Platt and Croker and their
common organ are united in their opinion of
! him. But the coarse abuse such enemies have
brought him has only led decent people to love
| him for the enemies he has made.
The outgoing administration has suffered the
too frequent fate Of those elected to carry out
reforms. Reforms interfere with selfish inter
ests and stir opposition that tends to bring the
| old rulers back to power But Mayor Srong's
work so far overcame this as 10 arouse 10000
voters 70 demand the continuance and the am
pliNcation Of the administrative policy for which
ne stood and hut for the stubborn scnshncss Of
one man they would have had their wish
| Mayor Strong's non partisan policy was the plat
form Of the Republican party, against which
| factious machine rcbelled. He carried 1t out
! faithfully. In spite Of their warfare. and he gave
practical proof that under it the metropolis
| could he better governed than It ever had been
when made n pawn in the game Of partlsans
That is no small thing for public officer to
have done and he will be held in no little honor
on account Of it hereafter