Year: 1872

Future Government OF the City
The White Elephant or the Repub-


Iican Party.


The Committee of Seventy has determined
not to abandon its organization, but to re-
main in existence as an auxiliary of the Moyor
elect in his efforts to secure an efficient,
honest, nom partisan government for the city
of New York. Following out its original
object of placing good men in Office, the Com
mittee has already, with unexampled generos-
ity, given up some of its most valuable men,
bers to the public service and transferred them
from private life to places of profit and
patronage. II has supplied the State with an
Attorney General, the Courts with several
Judges, the city with Comptroller, Com
missioner of Public Parks and Mayor, be-
sides number of less important officials, and
it is no doubt prepared to yield yet more Of
its number to the public necessities Indeed
there is no reason to suspect that any indi-
vidual on the Committee would hesitate
to serve the public, for q fair consider
alton, in any position in which patriotism,
honesty and intelligence are desirable quali6-
cations and wo have no doubt that the people
Of New York may be afforded the privilege
next year of voting for some of the famous
committeeman for Sheriff, County Clerk and
all other positions that may then be in the
political market, just as this year they en-
joyed the opportunity of voting for its chair
man for Mayor of the city and for several of
his associates for less important Offices. But in
declaring itself still living body the Commit
tee has in view o work prior to the labor
Of the next Fall election. That work is
to help its ex-President, tho Mayor elect, in
the reorganization Of the municipal govern
ment on a strictly non-partisan basis, and to
this end it is prepared to supply us with new
Commissioner of Public Works in the person
Of Mr. John Wheeler, one of its most efficient
and active members, and with full Boards Of
Police Commissioners, Health Commissioners
municipal system. Such disinterestedness
speaks well for the honesty Of the Committee
and will no doubt be fully appreciated by the
citizens of New York.


There appears, however, to be one difficulty
in the way. The State Legislature is republic
can by very decided majority, and as the
politicians Of that organization insist that they
have elected all the successful candidates
President, Governor and Mayor-they put
forward claim to o monopoly of the spoils,
and will look to the representatives at Albany
to back them up in their demand. Their or
gans have already foreshadowed contem-
plated attempt on their part to force upon the
oCsc c1Akr 80 %ho al
by which individuals were accustomed to be
drilled into obedience to the behests of the
leaders Of party, and were forced under the
party lash to yield their own convictions to
the will Of the majority Of their political asso-
ciates seldom honestly expressed. If they
succeed in this they hope to shape legislation
at Albany next Winter in such manner as to
give them entire control of the city govern
ment in oil its important departments, and
to build up q new republican Ring
as powerful, if not as unscrupulous, as
that famous Tammany Ring which
they have recently succeeded in destroying
The Mayor elect, who threatens now to be q
white elephant on their hands, will be ignored
in this political family arrangement, and it is





be stumbling block in the way of partisan
municipal government, may be disposed of in
! a summary manner. The city Offices hold out
prospect of patronage and power not to be
overlooked, and with ex-Surveyor Cornell in
the Speakers chair Of the Assembly and
Lieutenant Governor Robinson presiding over
the Senate, while James Wood and Tweed hold
-. ill., -. IL IL zc
success scheme for seizing upon every de-
partment Of the city government and render
ing the Mayor nullity certainly do not ap-
pear to be entirely hopeless. Indeed, the new
Ring count with confidence upon victory, and
have already broken ground in the campaign
by agitating the inconsistency Of plurality
ofice-holding under a reform government,
with the view of ousting Mr.. Green from the
Comptrollership and leaving him in possession
of the Park Commssionership, which he still
holds in addition to the former Office.


It is evident that these intrigues Of the poll
ticians are not to be suffered to succeed
without vigorous opposition on the part Of
Mayor Havemeyer. That gentleman, in re-
signing the Craftsmanship of the Committee of
Seventy, has taken occasion to advise
the Committee not to disband, but to lend
him its active cooperation in the difficult task
of securing harmonious and well balanced
city government wholly Independent of party
politics. In his letter the Mayor elect recog-
nizes the public opinion which the Committee
represents as the basis of his election and,
hence, gives in his adhesion to the cause of
reform instead of to the republican party.
In this action he evinces proper sense of the
popular sentiment, and wisely follows in the
footsteps OF General Grant. The latter has
already given unmistakable evidence of
| his intention To cut loose from fha