Year: 1872

Uur CIsy Government Under tho New
M Ring-Thc Chances or Reform.


The election of Mr.. Havemeyer as Mayor of
the city Of New York does not seem to be
productive Of that harmony and good feeling
which ought to prevail in the hour Of triumph
among those who profess to have been his
especial champions, and who claim his sue
cess as the vindication of honest municipal
government. Mr. Havemeyer, it will be
remembered, was the nominee of the regular
republicans and was claimed by them as their
party candidate But he Wac also endorsed
by the Committee of Seventy, of which he
was the head, and which, although only
side show of the republican circus had the
presumption to set up as an Independent
concern, and now ventures to claim an interest
in the Mayor elect The republican politi-
clans Immediately after the election, through
their English-edited organ in this city, took
especial pains to herald the election of Mr..
Havemeyer as a republican party victory,
and announced that the new Mayor,
backed as he would be by a republican"
Legislature, would be able to rid New
York of the few democrats yet remain
ing in the city government; to turn the
democratic incumbents out of the Tax
Commission, the Board of Charities and
Correction, the Fire Department. the Dock
Commission and all other city Offices and to
fill their places with republicans. This was
not to be the extent of the partisan revolu-
ton. All Irishmen, as national democrats
were to be expelled from Office, and New York
was to be o "native American city in the fu-
ture, instead of s'second Dublin" To be sure
the British hatred Of everything Irish cropped
out in this latter pronunciamento; but the
English-edited organ only spoke the sentiment
that everything anti-republican must go over
board after Mr.. Havemeyer's installation,
through the aid of the republican Legislature.
The German reform paper, edited by men,
Der Of the Committee of Seventy, Mr.. Often
dorfer, who is democrat, Sachem of Tam
many Hall and an original supporter of
Mr.. Havemeyer, repudiates this inter-
probation of the Mayoralty election,
and donounces the promised attempt to
ell the city Offices with republicans"
through means Of amendments to the charter.
Thereupon the Engish-edited organ raps the
German over the knuckles and hints, in effect,
that if he grumble about the distribution Of
the patronage he can be permitted to share
the fate in reserve for his Hish-born fellow
citizens.


Tha y,oovN1a obo11t triad IF fh1c srafO
humbug, and can now afford to look at the
situation in its true light. The Committee of
Seventy was very useful and praiseworthy
element in the political hodge-podge SO long
as it was contented to fly at the tail of the
republican kite to which it in reality belonged;
but as soon as it endeavored to set up for
itself, as in the case of it's refusal to endorse
Mr. Opdyke for the Assembly, the members
became set of arrogant blockheads in the
estimation Of oil good republicans. If it now
attempts to interfere with the manipulation OF
the city departments it will meet the fate il
encountered last Winter at Albany and make
an ignominious failure. The alterations to be
sought in the city charter will be in the
interest Of the republican party, and
not Of any body of mixed or of
doubtful political sentiments. We are not
prepared to condemn this partisan action un-
til we see what sort of public officers it will
give us. There are as good men and as bad
men to be found in the republican party as
out Of it, and if the republican Ring now in
control of large share of the municipal
g III ~ Co. CtoA
spoils will give us honest, efficient and enter
prising heads Of departments we do not see
why they should not be permitted to monopo-
lie the city Offices just as completely as they
we're once monopolized by the Tammany Ring.
OF course the people are not to be cajoled into
the belief that any more honorable and efficient
officers than the present Dock Commissioners,
or than some of the present Fire Commission
ers and Commissioners of Charities and Cor
rection, can be found in the republican


ranks but they will not care straw
| if the present officials shall be thrown


overheard, one and all, provided that the


successors are honest and competent men ant


that the change will serve to harmonize tn,


various departments Of the city governmen


and enable them to work well together. AL


the people ask is that the changes may b.
made without any Pecksniffian professions o.


reform y that Mr.. Thomas Murphy and his
new Ring will just take the city Offices, if they
can get them, and say nothing about it, and
that they will place in the municipal depart


ments as good men as they can well afford to Sc


lect for the several offices. In their contemplated


sweep they may not find such facile work a.


they now suppose. Last year they had {
republican Legislature, g ,9 and j., j. is is n9tori


GUS that it could at any moment b.


bought up by the highest bidder. This yea


they may discover thet the republican repre-


sentatives are still in the market, and tina


where department of the city governmen
chooses to fpht against n chanVe ana na