Year: 1872




volved in the approaching municipal election,
and to discuss in our columns freely and
impartially the qualifications of the several
persons indicated by popular sentiment or
canvassed in political circles as probable candi-
dates for the position of Chief Magistrate Of
the metropolis. In pursuing this course We
were simply discharging what we conceive to
be the duty of an Independent journal, to
which the people have right to look for cor
rect information and honest and fearless
opinions. Untrammelled by party ties, we
have been enabled to take an unprejudiced
view Of the whole field and to discuss the
various strategic movements without prejudice
or passion; to approve wherever we found
good nominations foreshadowed; to condemn
whenever bad men threatened to loom up into
prominence. It was natural that personal and
partisan organs should regard the municipal
Offices only as a portion of the coveted spoils Of
November, or should seek to use them as bats to
aid in securing the richer prize Of the Presi-
dency through bargains, trades and combina-
tions 1t is not surprising, therefore, that
while we were thus fairly discussing the issues
we should have seen on the one side the regu-
lar republicans dickering for an open or secret
support of Mayor in exchange for votes for
Grant and Dix, or insisting that municipal
reform means only reform that will aid the
administration party, and on the other side
the regenerated Tammany democracy beating
about for a respectable candidate only among
the supporters of Greeley and Herman.
Neither is it astonishing that the so-called
Reform Association, represented by portion
of the old Committee Of Seventy, should have
been found coquetting with their first love-
the republican party-to secure the Mayoralty
for themselves. With one and all municipal
reform has been subservient to political and
personal considerations and if fair nomina-
tions have been made all round it has rather
been in the hope of thereby helping forward
their several schemes than in pure regard for
efficient and honest local government If,
however, the people can be hoodwinked into
the belief that either one Of the candidates is
the only orthodox representative of reform,
the object of the supporters Of the fortunate
nominee will have been achieved.


Having thoroughly discussed the merits
of the prominent candidates, awakened
the public mind to the importance Of
the election, and defeated the conspiracy
to crowd the nominations into the last hours
of the canvass, SO as to leave no time for
an examination of their character or Of the
means by which they might be brought about,
we have been contented to let the political wire
workers manoeuvre squabble and confer, and
to await the completion of the tickets before
taking further share in the contest. In this
we also claim to have discharged the duty of o
journal independent Of political parties-de-
pendent only upon the people and pre-
pared always to do battle for their interests
The time for argument had passed; the hour
of action had arrived. The HERALD had
argued the cause in behalf of its clients-the
people-and it remained for the political and
other organizations which take upon them
selves the business of placing candidates in
the field to show how far they were prepared
to be guided by our advice and to study the
interests of the city in their selections. So far
as individuals or parties are concerned we have
been Indifferent as to who the candidates might
be or from what source they might
coma We are neither in the
position of the republican politicians,
who persist in regarding every opponent as
corruptionist, felon or fool nor Of the
Schurzes, Trumbulls and Summers, who set
themselves up as the censors Of the political
world and arrogate to themselves the right to
dictate to the rest of mankind who shall and
who shall not be their rulers. If we have en-
deavored to direct popular sentiment and to
guide the public judgment on the Mayoralty
question or in other matters, we have done SO
for the public good, and not in the further
ance of any political or selfish ends. If we
have felt little faith in the sincerity of few
blatant and self -gloriAed reformers, it has been
because we have seen that their object was to
turn reform to their own advantage and to
humbug the people into the belief that their
action was honest and disinterested. We
have, nevertheless been prepared to support
good men for all our local ofices-for Mayor,
Judges, Aldermen, Assemblymen and other
positions-whether they might come from
Tammany, from the regular republican organ
ization, from Apollo Hall, from the remnant
Of the Committee of Seventy or from any
other source. All that we have insisted upon
has been that the Chief Magistrate of New
York shall be a citizen, not only of strict
integrity and personal honesty, but of
broad, liberal views, capable of / appre-.
ciating the future destiny of the
metropolis, vigorous in action, free from petty
spites and jealousies, firm in purpose, and
willing to assume, the responsibility of ruling
in reality as well as in name, of subordinating
the several departments to their proper head,
and Of pushing forward those great works of
improvement upon which the progress Of the
city and the prosperity Of all its inhabitants so
materially depend