Year: 1872

Now that the Presidential candidates are
fairly in the field, and the entries for the great
national race in November are finally closed, our
citizens can afford to devote some attention to
their local affairs and to examine the pro-
grammes the politicians are preparing for
them in the charter election. The unanimous
adoption of Horace Greeley by the democrats,
who generally have majorities varying from
thirty to sixty thousand in this city, is believed
by the political prophets to be likely to draw
out q very full democratic vote, and this, it is
thought, added to the strength of the liberal
republicans, will be sufficient to carry New
York for the whole democratic ticket by
something like eighty or ninety thousand
majority. But our local politics have recently
been much disturbed, and it would not be sur
prising if the people should decide to vote one
way on Presidential candidates and another
way on local candidates, and thus disappoint
the calculations of the politicians. The late
corrupt Legislature failed TO make any altera-
ton in the present city charter, and under
the law as it now exists the national,
State and municipal elections occur on the
same day. 1t is feared by some that this pro-
vision is calculated to prove injurious to our
local interests, inasmuch as-First, the people
may be too much engrossed in the important
national contest to pay much heed to our city
affairs, and next ON opportunity may be
afforded to unprincipled men to trade and
dicker between the several tickets. We can
see no reason, however, why intelligent citi-
zens, who have the good of the metropolis at
heart, should not be capable of deciding on
the same day whether Grant as we are or
Greeley as we ought to be is the most desirable
person to fill the Office Of President Of the
United States for the next four years, and
whether this party's candidate for Mayor or
that partys candidate is the most likely to
prove advantageous to the city of New York as
its Chief Magistrate. At all events. we are
called upon to choose national, State and
municipal governments on the 9Th day of next


November, the anniversary Of Guy Fawkes


famous plot to blow up the British Parliament


and hence it becomes the duty of intelligent


citizens to examine and decide for themselves
as to the qualifications of the aspirants
for the several positions, all of which have


their own important bearing on the prosperity


and happiness of the Commonwealth.


The Presidential candidates, as we have
said, are already known, and the people will
have ample time to discuss their respective
merits if they have not already made up their
minds on that point. The politicians are now


busying themselves about the State and char
ter nominations, and several supposable as
pirants for the latter have left the city to
avoid the unpleasant complications likely to
arise in the preliminary stages of the cam
paign, during season Of political disorgani-
zation ; some going to Europe and others to
watering places, whence they expect
to return about September, with rein
vigorated constitutions, non-committal rec
ords, clean hands and sharp appetites to
commence the work laid out for them by their
friends. The Office of Mayor Of New York is,
OF course, sought after with avidity by some,
and it is very desirable that it should be well.
filed at this time. The next Legislature, it is
to be hoped, will be of different character from
the last ; at least it can scarcely be so reck-
lessly and shamelessly dishonest Hence we
may expect that it will so amend our present |
city charter as to secure US stronger and |
more responsible government than we now
have, and to remedy the last of the evils of
misrule. If this should be done it would be |
highly important that the work of change
and reform should be performed
under the superintendent Of COM
petent and honest city executive, and
of one fully alive to the great future
that lies before the metropolis of the Union,
and to the wisdom Of preparing for it by
system OF broad and liberal enterprise. We
should have a Mayor next year who appre-
ciates the necessity of steam viaduct railroads
running through the whole length of the island
into Westchester county, along both rivers,
opening up a heathful and beautiful locality
as homes for our citizens within half an hours
ride of the Battery. We should have Mayor
who understands the vast benefit to be con-
ferred on commerce and the impetus to be
given to the business and wealth of the city by
an energetic prosecution of the magnificent
plans Of tAs present pesk Commissioner,
~'" ''"- e..--o1 tau to make New 49gk
the greatest port in the civilized
world. There should be as fixed o determine
ton on the part of the electors of New York to
drive out parsimony and false economy from the
administration of our municipal affairs next
year as to exclude dishonesty and corruption.
The honest men who, for niggardly desire to
appear to save few dollars in the annual ex-
penses of the government, rob the merchants,
shippers, traders, mechanics, storekeepers and
laborers of the city by blocking the wheels of
progress and discouraging healthful and remu-
nerative public improvements are as harmful
to the interests of the people as are the rogues
who misappropriate and steal the public


MI. L L.. -;..llo -oof