Year: 1876

we shall still have a city. New York IS ike
Wordsworth's brook, ''for men may come and
men may 60, but it runs on forever to the
great satisfaction of the politicians who live
on it, and whose interest is enlivened by the
fact that their share of the city plunder
amounts this year, rs we showed the other
day, to the handsome sum OF three and
half millions; which is as though our
city officers possessed a fortune of fifty mill
ions and had it safely invested at seven per
cent. They are very lucky set of fellows, and
we have not in this estimate reckoned their fat
pckings, though we do not forget that city
politicians resemble the thrifty Scotch ships
carpenter, who remarked that ''it was ma
for the muckle swages he shipped, but for
the wee things he could pick up about the
decks"


We do not need to stir up the interest in
city affairs of the professional politicians of
both or MI the parties. They are wide awake.
But there are good many people in New
York who pay taxes, besides those who re-
ceive them. The taxpayers, who include all
except the tax consumers, take, on the
whole, less interest in New York than the
city deserves ut their hands. The late Sena-
tor Clayton of Delaware never cast vote
without asking what Delaware would say.
1t is to be wished that the voters Of New
York were as faithful to their municipality.
What they will do next Tuesday week is to
vote away, in city salaries and perquisites
alone, the interest on a capital of fifty mill
IONS That is for servants wages only, so
to speak as for household expenses, waste
and pickings, we leave these items to those
who can use very lively imagination in
patient scrutiny of the city expenditures.


Let us, therefore, reverse the example of
General Arthur and his fellow republican
managers, who seem to be interested mainly
in the Presidential election. Let us look at
the city prospects. Tammany has nomi-
mated an entire ticket. The democratic can
didate for Mayor, Mr.. Smith Ely, is, on the
whole, good man; he is incorruptibly
honest, as Mr.. Tweed could certify; he
knows the wants of the city; he is promi-
nent merchant and will have influence
among his class. In fact, his nomination
lucky stroke for the democrats It
remains to be seen whom the republicans
will put up. They are very slow about it;
they go about somewhat like Diogenes look
ing for an honest man, and we trust they
will find one The independent voter is
never SO happy as when he can make his
choice between two men equally capable
and honest. If the republicans will take
our advice they will not rest until they have
discovered in their party even better can
didate for Mayor than Mr.. Ely. That is the
way to spike the democratic guns. This is
reform year, and the independent voter has
got up on high fence, where he has o clear
view Of the situation, and he means to come
down for the best man. He likes Mr. Ely,
but he waits to see what the republican
mountain SO long in labor may produce.
Hence we advise General Arthur and his fell
low managers, Messrs. Darling Morgan,
Bliss. Opdyke, Sharpe, Davenport and Muir
ply, to put up for Mayor conspicuously
better man than Mr.. Ely. They have an ex-
cellent opportunity here for covering them
selves with glory. Their candidate may not
be elected-it is not safe to bet On anybody
in these days-but, at any rate he will be a
credit to the gentlemen who discover him
and nominate him. 1t will show that their
intentions are strictly honorable and pa
triotic.


Then, aside from the democratic nomina-
ton, there is Mr.. Green, who may bs said to
be perpetual candidate for Mayor-a can
didate nobly independent Of party conven-
tions; the Green candidate, as it were. It
will be great success for the republican
managers if they can carry off some of Mr.
Green's delegations To lead off the blind
men, to coax away from him the contractors,
to seduce the organ grinders from their first
love, by nominating candidate not only
better than Mr.. Ely, but better also than
Mr. Green-this would be stroke of genius
which the HERALD, highly as it esteems Mr.
Green, could not help but applaud. For, as
the organ of the independent voters, our
platform is ''may the best man win;" and if
better man than Mr.. Green should be dis
covered by the republicans we should say
he deserved at least part of Mr.. Green's
vote. The whole Of it he could not expect
to get Mr. Green will take care of that.
He is also voter.


If we seem to urge the republicans to the
most vigorous and unceasing exertions to-
ward the discovery Of a supereminently
capable and honest man for their candidate
this is because we remember, what they ap-
pear to forget, that on the city vote the State
result may possibly depend; and on the
ctato yofa the Presidential ,.lecfion updo,bt
edly turns. Messrs. Murphy, Darling, Arthur
and Bliss seem sometimes to forget this.
Their devotion to Mr. Hayes is.so engross-
ing that it is necessary to remind them of
details Election day comes next Tuesday
week. They ought now to be printing their