Year: 1871

ness. curious and novel sight viii probably
be presented at the polls; for we arc
promised that our men of substance and


responsibility. who as rule have seldom taken


the trouble TO vote At all, are not only to dis


charge their duty as citizens to-day, but are to


remain on guard to aid ia the detection of


fraud and to insure fair voting and honest


counting. Should this promise be fulfilled,


superfine broadcloth and clean linen will take


the place of fustian and filth, and smooth,


well-shaved faces will be seen in the localities


usually rich in stubbed boards and fattened


noses Whatever may be the result of the


election this will Of itself be partial triumph


of reform, for it will indicate that the better


class of citizens are at last aroused to sense


of their responsibility and are prepared to


take part in the redemption of the government
from the hands of the political sharpers who
| are doing their best on both sides of the party


fence to bring discredit, if not failure, upon
republican institutions.


The end is now 80 near that it is idle to


bring forth. The general impression seems
to be that the democratic State ticket will be


successful. This arises, first, from the fact


that in the State at large the people have more
confidence in the democracy as the honest
opponents of Tammany usurpstion and cor
| ruption than in the republicans, who have so
| frequently proved themselves the purchasable


tools Of the New York ''Ring," and next from
the well-known detection of the Fenton-
Greeley faction, who will gladly accom-
plish the defeat Of the republican
State candidates, the nominees of Pres


ident Grants ofice-holders, if they find
themselves able to do 80 without detection.
The anti-Tammany movement In this city in
reality helps the democratic State ticket, mas


much as it brings out large democratic vote,
all of which will support the candidates of the
party for State Offices But the majority on


either side is likely to be small and the
friends of Grant, who desire his denomination,


will exert themselves to the utmost to secure
for him the strength which their triumph in
New York now would give him in the Repub-
lican National Convention of next year.


In this city the party Of reform ought to
have gone into the election to-day with sue
cess assured to them without peradventure.
If the result be in doubt it is owing to the
aud incompetency of those who have
put themselves forward as the managers of |
the movement against official corruption. The
disclosures that have been made in regard to
the municipal frauds should have destroyed
any party identified with them directly
or indirectly, or upholding the men by |
whom they have been perpetrated. When
it was seen that on one side Tam
many was determined to brave public SEN
timent by putting forth as its candidates the
worst Of the corruptionists, while on the
other side there was an irreconcilable quarrel |
among the thieves and certainty Of serious |
division at the polls, tho party Of reform
ought to have appealed to all honest citizens
to support thoroughly pure aud reputable
ticket from end to end and to have gone
into the fight with clean hands. Instead of
pursuing this policy the Committee of Seventy
suffered themselves to be led by the nose BY
all sorts of political cliqucs and individual
adventurers and became involved 10 an inde-
cent scramble for nominations, between Gus
tom House republicans and Greeley republi-
cans, O'Brien democrats and Ledwith demo-
Gratis, until in the end ticket was put


forth only partially united against


the corruptionists, and disgraced by


the presence Of some Of the most notorious


names in the annals of city rufianism


and crime. The defeat of the anti ti-Tammany


candidates to-day, if they should be defea ted,


would be attributable wholly to the ignorance


of political management displayed by the Com
mittee of Seventy, and to their inability to
cope with the sharp operators who have sue
ceeded in making use of them as tools. II
has been correctly said by Charles O'Conor
that in the reformation Of the State Legisla-
ture lies the main hope Of publication of
our municipal government; yet what can
be thought of the honesty Of reform move
ment which supports cx-Sheriff O'Brien for
the Senate of the State, or of the political
saeacity Of the managers who put O'Donovan
Rossa in nomination against such disgracefnl
and unscrupulous candidate as Tweed9 The
effect of such blundering incompetency and
poor judgment is seen to-day even before
the election. The probability appears to
favor the success of Jenny OBrien,
while the general impression is that the
remainder of the reform ticket will have
much more severe struggle to undergo.


Fortunately the result of the contest in New
York, whatever it may be, cannot change the
inevitable action of the next Legislature. The
democracy of the State stands pledged to .
definite line Of policy which will give us new
charter for the city and an election for new
set Of municipal officers next spring. The
republicans, who have been heretofore easily
bought up by Tammany, and who failed
70 denounce the notorious Legislative corrup-