New-York tribune., 1901-04-11
At HIS BEST

A. year or ago Mayor Van Wyck was dis
tinctiy understood by visitor to the City Hall
TO say that he was sick of his job. So far
we know he has never repeated that melan
choly announcement. and perhaps he never
made il. STILL the general impression has been
that he was not complaining of the charter
provision which rendered him ineligible to sue
ceed himself on the first of next January. but
would cheerfully retire. especially if an ar
rangement had been made in the mean time for
his retirement 10 the bench of the Supreme
Court. The revised charter, which is at pres
ent far from reposing in his hands, cuts down the
Mayors term TO two years and permits of his
reelection. and ii might be contended that Mr..
Van Wyck would thereby be enabled TO take
another nomination this year If anybody
thought IL worth while 10 advance such prop
osition. But of this there is unhappily sign
visible in any quarter. Undoubtedly be reckons
the first year of the century as the last year of
his Chief Magistracy, and means to get as much
of his peculiar kind of fun out of it as crcum-
stances will allow.
Of late the municipal situation has not been
particularly favorable to the exercise of his
special talents and propensities. and he has
probably felt that he was having rather slow
time. But suddenly a bssful opportunity
rived and il was at once perceived that disuse
seen him in better form than he has displayed
since last Friday evening. when the charter re-
vision delivered into his keeping and put
at his mercy for the period of fifteen days. He
did not have 10 go through laborious
process of getting up steam, but nstantaneousy
developed at least hundred and fifty pounds
TO the square inch with constantly increasing
pressure If it was anybody else we should say
that an extra safety valve was al Indispensable
necessity. but the Mayor is used TO exploding
end there is no occasion for alarm. On the
trary, IL Is delicious amid the depressing infu
eDces of an unmannerly spring to bask In the
heat and light of such a tropical vocabulary as
his honor liberated at yesterdays meeting of
the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. The
public pleasure moreover, is greatly enhanced
by observation of his own keen enjoyment. If
he were sacrificing himself for the general bene
fit the spectacle Of such unSelfishness. though
ennoblng. would be pathetic: but as things are
there is no dra awback 10 the exhilaration of feel
ing which he difuses through the community.
And the best of it is that he has seven full
days more in which TO maintain and presum-
ably improve upon the conditions which he has
created
Yesterday Mr.. William II. Baldwin ir.. of
the Long Island Railroad. and. incidentally.
of the Committee of Fifteen. the instru-
ment that he chiefly employed for the benefit
Of the public, and II would be difficult 10 think
offhand of anything which he left unsaid about
that gentleman. But there is universal conf
dence in the Mayors linguistic resources and
every reason 10 suppose that he will not only
rise TO the oral requirements of each successive
day with perfect facility, but have words
enough left a week hence for absolute
masterpiece in the way Of a veto message. The
only painful reflection which the current per
formance suggests is that the next election is
ONLY seven months off. How can we spare Van
Wyck: 1t is reported from Albany that no
further changes in the charter likely to be
made; but it seems if benevolent legisat-
ure might tuck i'm just one more amendment
and let us keep our Incompatible Mayor for the
rest of his natural life