El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-18
NEW YORK letter.

Ter nc PIOpOSCu OhuOi 9AOuhu
RaiIroad-prize-Fi Fight Law Made
to Fit-IndeCent Hero Worship
The Columbia Going Abroad.
Special Correspondence OF the HERALD.
NEW YORK, Nov. 1.-The most de-
plorable result of last weeks election
in this city is the discredit into which
it throws independent political move
ments against the common enemy,
Tammany. The result makes it pos
sible for Tammany to deride it's oppo-
nents; 1t enatles the republicans to say
that they are weakened instead OF
strengthened by allying themselves
with the Independents, and it moves
the Independents to wrath to be obliged
to admit that after they had
everything their own way they
we're able to make only
q poor showing on account of the luke
warmness of the regular republicans
toward the fusion ticket. But the re-
suit does not mean that there is not an
anti-Tammsny majority in this city.
The number of voters who failed TO
register, and the number who regis
tered and then failed to vote, is more
than double the Tsmmsny plurality.
The Independents cannot get out this
vote, although Seaator Platt speaks of
the fusion fizzle as "wster that has
passed over the dam, leaving the dam
in good condition for next year"
The anti-Platt press is loudly an
nouncing the downfall of Lemuel E.
Quigg, the manager OF the recent re-
publican campaign. 1t is said that
the senator will drop his county chair
man at the earliest opportunity, and
that the first announcements of Quigg's
fall from favor will come when the
New York delegates-at-large to the
next national convention are announc-
ed. Gov. Roosevelt, Senator
Depew and Senator Platt are
| already announced as delegates,
and Quigg was to have been the fourth.
If he is now dropped. it will be one of
the worst examples of "gross ingrati-
tude" ever known in American poll
tics. Quigg has done ell the work and
taken all the kicks, deserved and I'M
deserved, and now his reward, it is
probable, will be political oblivion
through no fault of his, except, per-
haps, that he has served his boss bet
ter than he has served the people.
| The Greater New York charter has
now been on trial for two years and it
has developed q number of very serious
faults. The next legislature will I'M
dertake the task of remedy ing these
weak points. The Mazet committee
will recommend q, score or more of
amendments, q number of which, it
must be said, will be dictated by de-
sire to ''get back Ct Tammany, :" rathe
than by q genuine desire to improve
on the governmental machinery
of the oity. The term of he
mayor will probably be cut
from. four to two years, and
the mayor is likely to be vested with
unlimited power of removal through
out his term; the present Limitation OF
the power of removal has resulted in
no advantage and has merely enabled
the mayor to explain many acts of NAL
administration by saying that he has
no control over his subordinates. 1t is
probable, too, that the municipal coun-
Gil will be. abolished and the powers
of the board of aldermen increased.
The people last Tuesday removed
one obstacle to the building of the un-
derground railroad by adopting the
constitutional amendment separating
the county from city debts. Saturday
the appellate court removed another Oh
stacle by reducing the bond required
of tho contractor for the tunnel from
s14. 0OO, 900 to $5,OO0,OOO While the
tlghtness of the money market makes
it difficult to secure even . S5, 00O. 600
bond, yet there Is . good prospect that
q responsible bidder will come forward.
"Should no bidder be obtainsble,'
said Comptroller Coler, II
should be in favor of
Tho city taking the enterprise in
hand and building the road by days
labor" This may yet be the outcome
of the struggle for rapid transit in this
city. Comptroller Coler is the most
populor official that New York has had
in . responsible office for long time:
if he led the way, one of the greatest
undertakings ever assumed by q NUM-
cipality would no doubt be successful
| ly carried out.
The street cleaning Department. 10