Year: 1872

Tho Municipal Elcction-The Future
| Power I'm New York.


The result of last Tuesdays election not
only completes the revolution commenced o
year ago in the government of New York city,
but renders it almost certain that the political
complexion of the metropolis will undergo an
entire change, and that for the next ten years
the large majorities heretofore rolled up for
the democracy will be transferred to the re-
publican side. It is true that Mr. Havemeyer
has been chosen Mayor by small plurality,
and that the united democratic vote is some
thirty thousand above the republican vote in
poll of only about one hundred and thirty-fve
thousand But the enormous power of the
citypatronage was divided in the recent contest;
some of the municipal departments being on
one side, some on the other and some taking
no active part in the struggle. There were
also jealousies, suspicious and rival interests
among the city officials which prevented any
of those powerful combinations by means Of
which the Tammany leaders made themselves
for so many years invincible. All this will
soon be changed. The republicans now hold
possession Of every important Office in the
city government, and have the means of OBJ
tanning supreme control Of every depart
ment not already in satisfactory hands,
They will soon be armed with the very weap-
ons so effectively used by the former demo-
cratic managers, and there is no reason to
suppose that they will not handle them with a
skill fully equal to that displayed by their pred
ecessors in power. 1t is popular error to
suppose that New York is necessarily demo-
cratic city on account Of her large foreign
| population. Experience shows that the emil
grant who remains in city is apt to attach
himself to the party in power. He necessa-
rily falls first into their hands. He finds all
the authorities with whom he is brought into
contact politically Of the same way of think
ing, and his self-interest or the natural dispo-
sition to be on the strongest side generally
controls his decision In his choice of party
association. The patronage of the pickaxe
and spade is powerful political propagandist


What is known as the dangerous element" in
q metropolis also sets toward the party that
holds possession Of the government and wields
the power of the police and the Courts The
republican politicians and their organs have
been accustomed for political effect to charge
the New York democracy with the fellow
ship of all the notoriously bad char
acters Of the city, and every carica-
turist on the same side has adopted the
stale idea Of portraying Tammany democrats
with cropped hair, low brows, broken noses
and vicious mouths but it is well known that
these gentry are invariably to be found on the
side best able to pay for their services in pri-
maries and at the polls. In Philadelphia, for
example, which, comparatively with her size,
is more ruf6anly city than New York, the
bulk of the disreputable characters are hangers
on Of the republican organization, because the
republicans are there in power. There is,
therefore, every reason to believe that the
''foreign element and the dangerous ele-
ment' and the GLOVER classes in this city,
all Of which we have been taught to regard as
the bulwarks Of the New York democracy, will
turn bodily over to the republicans as soon as
all the city patronage is concentrated in the
hands Of the latter, and will give the new re-
publican municipal Ring as powerful sup
port as they have heretofore given to the old
democratic municipal Ring. -,-..s:>


Certainly no party has ssef before been Is
completely master Of the situation in the
metropolis as is the republican reform party
to-day. It's power is enormous beyond prece-
dent, and must soon swallow up the few crumbs
that yet remain to the routed democracy.
Already it has Mr.. Havemeyer for Mayor, Mr..
Green in the Finance Department. Colonel
Stebbins in the Department Of. Public Parks,
Franz Sigel in the Registers Office, Mr. Van
Mort in the Department Of Public Works,
Judges Davies and Barrett on the Supreme
Court bench, Judge Sutherland in the General
Sessions, Judge Van Voorst in the Superior
Court and Mr. Phelps in the District Attor-
ney's Office, in possession of all the pigeon
holed indictments and with his fingers thus
on the throats Of the principal ward politi-
clans and electioneering bullies all over the
city. Above all this they have the State Legis-
lature, Senate and Assembly and the Governor,
and thus hold the key to the possession Of
every other city department, big and little.
The Legislature will not be as it was
last Winter, for the republican major
ity is now solid administration major
ity, without. sorehead or dissatisfied
politicien IN its ranks. The new Presidential
term commences on the 4th of next March,
about the time the Legislative session is draw
ing to close, and party loyalty will be
virtue zealously displayed by the representa-
tives at Albany. Their first business will be to
re-elect United States Senator Roscoe Conkling,
whose gallant services in the campaign against
the artful intrigues Of his republican asso-
ciate contributed 80 largely to the splendid
victory in the Empire State, and who will 30
back to Washington covered with honor and
glory. Their next business will be to SO