The Meetings Last Evening

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THE MEETINGS LAST EVENING.

The two meetings which we report to day—the Water Meeting and the Republican Convention—have both an evident relation to the Spring election. The first was an utter and ridiculous fizzle. With every possible publicity given to it—with the prestige of Ald. Backhouse's report to back it¹—the generally credited opinion that the meeting was intended solely to influence the charter election prevented it from obtaining in any single feature the appearance of a genuine popular demonstration.

The fact is, the majority of the people view the water and sewerage bills as we do—that the principle may be doubtful, but the expediency of removing these great pecuniary responsibilities beyond the control of politics is unquestionable; and it is better to have these bills amended, so as to guard against extravagance and impose a wholesome check on the Water Board, than to crusade against the bills altogether and thus tend to throw the water and sewerage expenditures into the hands of the dominant political party.

We take it for granted, therefore, that the anti-Water Board movement will not be worth much as a card in the election. It will not damage the opposition candidate—particularly as Mr. Cross,² who heads the ticket, is totally disconnected with the Water Commission, by advocacy or otherwise.³

And this brings us to the second meeting and the nominations which it made. Understanding that Mr. Cross was not a candidate, we had expected to see Alderman Scholes nominated;⁴ but we have no doubt that Mr. Cross is as strong and unexceptionable a candidate as could have been nominated. His whole career both in local and State matters, has been such as to inspire a confidence in his ability, his intelligence and his integrity, which will make itself strongly felt at the polls. And the renomination of the Auditor and Comptroller will call out the "silent vote" of economists, tax payers and non-politicians, which generally carries the day in this county, on whichever side it arrays itself.

The Democrats will have to unite in deed as well as in name, and put their best men forward, if they hope to win. In an exclusively local contest, fitness rather than party preferences will regulate the votes of a great body of the electors; and the Democrats must put up as good a ticket as the Republican one, or they will be beaten badly.

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