The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-29
New York, Sunday, April 80. ls49.
The Common Council and their COnsti-
tnents.


tuents.
The conduct of the outgoing Common Council |
has been for the last six months very generally and
freely discussed and commented upon by the press.
In the course of those discussions doubtless many
unfounded charges have been made, trivial errors
have been ferreted out and magnfed, to serve
party purposes, or to crafty private malice; the
sins of commission and omission have been brought
against them in a thousand shapes; and it is even
sought to make them accountable for the malfca-
sance of their predecessors in office for the last
twenty years BY these means, much oboquy and
censure have been heaped upon them, both col
lectvely and individually, and the contempt and
hatred of the public excited in an unusual degree
against them; but little calm reflection upon the
state of parties in this city-upon the motives and
objects of those through whose means the Common
Council is elected-we mean, of course, the poll
tcians-and the influences these persons after
wards bring to bear on that body, in the exercise
of its official duties, would teach us that the pre-
sent incumbents ought not to be made the scape-
GOAT of vicious SYSTEM which has been In opera
ton for fifty years, and In the framing OF which
thew had no part to performs That they have acted
badly, no one will deny-spentmoney enough to sup
mort king, and kept the streets in filthy condi-
II
also made for the harrassing position in which they
are placed, and the conflicting interests they have to
deal with, and their want of all moral courage. On
the one side, the people naturally and innocently
enough expect their representatives, the moment
thew take Office and enter upon the discharge OF
their duties, turn reformers-o reform this, that,
and the other abuse-abuses that have been accu-
mulat,ng for twenty or thirty years, and have so
incorporated themselves into the system OF our city
government that nothing short OF the destruction
of the system itself could eradicate them While, |
on the other side, the politicians who elected them
TO Office and whose interests always clash with |
that of the public, insist that their wants and |
wishes only should be attended to, that the city
fathers, in attempting to steer clear OF Charybds,
are wrecked on Sylla.
LISA well attested fact-one that has been fully
proved by experience-that men ale not sent t
either board of the city council, TO correct o. re-
form abuses, but to create, to foster, and extend
them For quarter of a century, at least, cor
ruption and taxation have gone on hand in hand in
this city, until every department of its government
has been brought into such state of inextrlcable
confusion that if Smith and Say were to come out
of their graves and give the benefit of their skill
and knowledge in finance and political economy,
we could not hope, in the next quarter of a century,
that the city government could be put even into
toerable order. Is it fair, then, to calumnac the
present Common Council for the crimes and mis-
deeds of others, with which they haa no partcipa-
ton or connection or is it reasonable to expect
that they would set about reforming such accu-
mutation of abuses? (waiving the question for the
present whether they could do so not If they |
were so disposed) Not at all why should they |
they gave pledge to do it, nor any pledge of
the kind asked from them. They were elected to
office upon the terms as their predecessors-to
provide places and procure jobs for their needy con-
stituents.
Let any man who wishes to make himself ac-
ouaInted with the exact position in which the AL
dermen are placed in regard TO the constituency of
this city, 20 to the City Hall, at eight o'clock in the
morning and stay there until eight o'clock at night
let him take note of the number of persons that
pass in and out during those hours, inqulring for
Alderman and Alderman b, and for the chair
man of this, that and the other committee. Let
him mark the bowling and scraping, the cringlng
and fawning, and anxiety and determination, de-
picted IN the countenance of each of them and then
ask himself can an Alderman, if he were pure as
snow before il reaches the ground, Withstand the
opportunities and influence of those persons! If he
be an impartial observer and man of penetration,
he must at once see that the poor alderman has a
difficult card to play particularly if he is looking to
q re-elecuon-as is most always the case.
We know very worthy man, who represented |
certain ward down town for three years. and he |
assured us, that such was the corrupt state of the
politicians of that ward, that no consideration |
would induce him to represent 1t again He
moreover added-and he had good opportunity |
of knowing the act-that the politicians of five ont
of every six of the wards in the city were equally
corrupt. He solemnly declared TO u.s. that from |
sunrise to sunset and from sunset 10 midnight his
house was besieged with people looking for oiiicea
and Jobs nay that the very knocker OF his door
was bstered from the continual humping at IT,
All remonstrance was in vain no denial would be
taken They would follow him from room to room,
and in the end turn to and abuse him in good set
terms tell him plainly they voted for hun. and |
sent him to the Board of Aldermen 10 provide for
them, but at the next election they would tusn the
tables on him for his iGgrattude. AT last, worried
and sickened by their efirontery and corruption
I" shut-shut the door good John, fatigucd he said
Tie up the knocker say I'm sck-l'm dead
The dog-star RACES nay its past doubt
Hell or bedlam Is let out
Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand
They crave, recite and madden round the land
What walls can guard me, or what shades can hide?
They pierce my thckcts through my house they glide
BY land, by water, they renew the charge
They stop the chariot and they board the bnrre |
No place is sacred, not the church is free
4 en- Sunday shines sabbath day to mer"
Could there be a more accurate, graphic, and
truthful description of an office beggar, and his
victim, than is given in the above quotation Not
only the actions but the expression Of the coun-
Lenance is portrayed and brought out in full relic