Year: 1876

Governor Tnden and Charter Reform.


The course of Governor Tilden in obstruct-
ing reform of the city government tends to
undermine confidence in his official fdel-
ity He has persistently aimed to postpone
action on this important subject since the
day that he was sworn in, and it is now gen.
orally believed that he has entered into
bargain by which he has bartered the well
fare of the city and his own declared princi-
pies for a political equivalent. Senator
Woodin, Chairman of the Committee on
Cities, recently said to one of our correspond
ents:-"There is no getting over the fact
that q combination to beat new charter and
spring election has been made How strong
it is l cannot say 1t is said Governor Tilden
is in it, of which there can hardly be any
reasonable doubt. 1t is true he is pledged
to spring election, but what can he do if he
has deliberately entered into bargain with
certain parties in New York to throw his in
fuence against it in the hope of being paid
back an equivalent?"


The bargain here alluded to would seem
to have been prompted rather by the wishes
of Governor Tilden and his views of personal
advantage than by the interests of the Gus
tom House republicans, who are the other
party to the arrangement. AT any rate his
motives are more obvious and Ineligible
than theirs He expects to be the dem
ocratic candidate for the Presidency, and
whether he can carry his own State in the
election depends upon the vote of this city.
Although he long ago put himself on record
as a strong advocate of changing our NUM-
cipal election to the spring, he deprecates
spring election this year because it would
weaken him in the fall if he should then be
running for the Presidency. He hopes to
increase his vote in this city by the influence
of popular candidate for Mayor, whom he
will be permitted to select, as he selected
the democratic ticket at Syracuse, if he should
be surrounded with the halo of a national nom
ination. He is recreant to his own published
convictions on the subject of a spring cleo
ton because they interfere with his ambi-
tious hopes. While this is the ultimate
motive of his policy of obstruction there is
nearer one. In the spirit of Mrs Glass
famous receipt for cooking rabbit-"first
catch your rabbit"-Governor Tildens pri-
mary aim is to control the Democratic Con-
vention of this State for choosing delegates.
He can expect no success in the National
Convention unless backed and supported by
q unanimous democratic delegation from
New York. He knows that he cannot secure
a Tilden delegation without the jealous sup
port of Tammany Hall. 1t was John Kelly
who manipulated the State Convention that
nominated him for Governor, and he needs
the same vigorous and skilful hand in the
approaching Convention for choosing dele
gates. Mr.. Kelly and Tammany do not want
a new charter and a spring election, and
Governor Tilden yields his convictions lest
he should lose their indispensable support.


Governor Tilden had artfully laid his plans
for obstructing and postponing charter re-
form before he anticipated the election of a
thwarted every movement in this direction,
although confessing the necessity of
thorough change. Toward the close of the
session he asked authority to appoint COM
mittee to examine the subject and prepare a
plan. Having thus got clear of the question
in that Legislature he neglected to appoint
the commission until the next Legislature
was about to assemble, thus making it i'm
possible for their report to be presented and
acted upon this year, and furnishing him
self with an excuse for carrying the
subject over to still another Legisla-
ture, when he hopes to be relieved
from the embarrassment by translation
to another sphere This procrastinating
policy would have worked smoothly enough
if Governor Tilden had not been disappointed
by the election of republican Legisla-
ture. He then found himself in danger Of
having a new charter presented to him for
his approval, which he could not sign with
out estranging Tammany Hall, nor veto
without belying and contradicting his well
known views This put him in dilemma
out of which there was no escape but by
bargain with his political opponents This
bargain has been made with the Custom
House Senator Woodin being an outsider,
he and the rural republicans do not take
kindly to it.


Mr.. Jay and the World.