TAMMANY REPENTANT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 13948, 3 January 1906, Page 6

TAMMANY REPENTANT.

New York in these days is enjoying the novel experience of being governed by a Tammany mayor, in whoso administration efficiency is more pronounced than corruption. Mr G. B. M’Clollan was nominated by Tammany Hall when ho first sought the mayoralty, and when he was elected the world looked for a return of the days of hopeless municipal corruption. But if Tamitfany expected at last to have the. spoils of the great city at its mercy it was bitterly disappointed. Mr M’Clellan revealed himself as honest, courageous and callable, and though the Tammany system inevitably operated in the distribution of offices the Mayor was by no means content to be surrounded by inefficicnts. Again and again be-discharged unfit Democrats and filled their places with suitable men, without regard to political colour, and so it came about that when his term of offico was at an end he enjoyed the confidence of the citizens generally. Tammany itself lias altered since the resignation of Mr Croker, and its methods have been very materially reformed, so that it has tolerated the personal integrity and energy of its The office-seekers have been given an opportunity of showing their fitness, but those who proved unfit have been cast out into the cold world. Tammany stood once for all that was evil and corrupt in municipal administration, but with Mr M’Clellan at the head of New York it bids fair to acquire a new and improved reputation. At any rate the young administrator has broken all the traditions of the old Tammany. The policemen are no longer in league with the saloons, the gambling - hells and the houses of illfame, and blackmail is not levied systematically on every business in the city. These evil things may be done, but if so tney are done secretly. The Mayor is doing his best to secure a clean administration, and ho is succeeding. Mi; Seth Low was elected in his day as a reformer, but the Reform Committee was in too great a hurry, and its methods were unnecessarily abrupt and tactless. Air M’Clellan has gone to work more slowly and more tactfully, and is winning high praise even from his opponents. Whether Tammany can stand the strain imposed upon it remains to bo seen, but it appears from the cable message we publish this morning that Mr M’Clellau will have absolutely nothing to do with the bad old ways. The position is not without its humourous clement, and Nov/ York, at least, has reason to be ple'ased.