Year: 1872

ROUGH RULE.


Nothing except objectionable supineness can
now prevent some amelioratioD of our munich
pal politics. The great majority of those who
supported Mr.. Havemeyer and OF those VINO
voted for Mr.. Lawrence are heartily IN taVor
of an honest and efficient administration OF
public affairs. The successful candidate Ior
Mayor no less than his principal competitor
is distinguished for his integrity and his puDlc
spirit. SO far IA we know, the greater
norton of the Municipal Legislature Is
composed of men of good reputation
and standing. An overwhelming DrepOnder-
ance both of numbers and OF weight ana IN
nuence, is thus clearly shown to be IN favor
of good government in New Ork. Inns ls
no apathetic or platonic regard, but active
and aggressive enough to lead men INTO pri-
maries and up to the polls to testify the faith
that is in them. The men who are now to be
placed at The head of our city affairs have,
therefore, an unlimited fund of support and
cooperation to draw upon in the interest OF
the public good.


1t is, therefore, not too much to hope that
the time has now come when serious ana
persistent effort may be made to take not
only the government of the city but the man
agement of its politics out OF the hands OF
the violent and disorderlY men who have so
long controlled them. Neither party has
ever had monopoly of them. Both Or
CARNATIONS have been in the habit of employ
ing, as matter of course, men known
to be dsorderly rufians, whose services were
valuable precisely on account of their low asso-
cations and dissolute lives. As was natural,
the cleverer and more enterprlsing spirits among
them wnre not satisfied with the nero wages
of their work, but demanded and received
after n while, recognition and oihce az price
of their adhesion. Some of them became AlGr-
men. some gained even the higher ministerial
posts in the city and county governments. The
corner grocery was the recognized political
headquarters. Such predestined gallows-fruit
rs Reddy the Blacksmith exerted more
political influence than any banker or
merchant in New-York. They could break
every law in the statute book at their
own eccentric will, they could divert their
leisure with an occasional murder or burglary,
and all without seattle. Their help was TOO
efficient in the detail political work OF their
districts to allow the law to interfere With
their usefulness.


If 1t had not Deeu that the minds OF our
citizens were 80 occupied with the pending
elections that no room was left for other i'm
pressions, two recent performances of this
class of politicians would have attracted more
salutsry attention. The Clerk of the Board
of Assistant Aldermen tramped almost to
death an unfortunate woman in a house of
shame, and yet his services were considered
so important that his release was effected so
that he could assist his patron in the city
election. The assassination of DOnohue by
John ScanEcll was another sharp voice of
warning out Of the darkness in which our
politics are brewed for us. The original
quarrel, the shooting of Florence Scannell in
q chance-medley in DOnOhue's bar-rOOm, arose
from the mutual suspicious of two gangs
of rival repeaters. john Scanncl felt that
his reputation as a fighting man and Ward
"Striker" was in danger unless he made good
his boast of killing DOnohue. He lay in wait
for his victim in the place where he was sure
of finding any ono of that class-amOng the
dyed mustacles and the concave faces which
are always gathered together wheEe political
"poolsr are sold. The betting was only in
terrupted for the moment by the murder, and
when the habtues of the place knew that the
row was aIOuJ pOllIlcb lney DetIeu Wltu
alacrity on ScannelPs acquittal


There is no necessity that this city should
give itself up TO such rulers. Last year the
power of Tweed, which seemed impregnably
based upon his employment of just such in
struments, was broken forever by the revolt
of the decent people. BY % compromise which
we disapproved at tho time, and about which
we have now no reason to change our minds.
the reformers accepted the aid of a politician
who had Withdrawn his forces from the main
Tweed body. and sent him to the Senate.
EmbOdened by this, he attempted this year to
elect himself Mayor by the tactics on which the
fallen power had been accustomed to rely; and
although he made most energetic and des-
perate fight, and although the strength of the
reformers was unfortunately almost equally
divided, he could not even profit by that
division to elect himself. He was absolutely
distanced in the race, though nearly all the
"strikers" were for him. 1t rests with tho
present city government during their present
term, to render 1t impossible that we should
ever revert to the rule Of the rough and his
employer 1t has been proved in two success
sive years that the men of good will are in
the majority in this city. We hope that it will
be made easier in future for them to control
their own affairs.


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