The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-27
to infiict infinite mischief :

~ .n..Os 'un.'e ..s''e' Without control We
- ln Srcadway railroad
:, ~ff I'VE of it. Some contend that
=. % lay Town rails is unconstitutional
c.ners hold me contrary The legal question
ID 70 oe settled by the judicial tribunals of the
cou' try; the advantage or disadvantage of the
Dad is one that concerns the whole citizens, and
for and against which much may be said Let
the citizens decide that point in the event Of the
judiciary giving judgment against the injunc-
ton.
If the road is opposed to the interests Of the
citizens, such power Of public opinion can be
brought to bear against it as will defeat it
beyond all question. The grant, if it were
contaminated tomorrow, and the rails laid
down. is not irrevocable, like "the laws of the
Medes and Persians, that alter not" The COM
| pany make the road at their peril, and the very
next Common Council, if the citizens are dis
satisfied with it, can and will break it up; or if
the company are deriving too much profit from
the speculation, the city government can take
| il into its own hands, or they can SO re-
duce the fare as to produce an equivalent to the
people, whose trustees they are.
But, say the Senate, where is the guarantee
that you will have better Common Council
next time, than the present? We answcr-that
is the business Of the people; they can have a
better Common Council if they want it. fit is
not their own fault, they can elect just such
men as will do what is right. If they do not,
then they have themselves to blame, and they
alone are the sufferers. There is ample
need of reform There has been reckless
waste and lavish expenditure for years. But
the publication must be effected in New York,
and not at Albany. We want to purify
ourselves. The Legislature cannot do it by
special legislation, even if it had the right
to interfere The only way in which the
Legislature can give any assistance is by
letting the people help themselves. and by
amending the charter. giving the citizens addi-
tional checks over corruption. Something that
will strike at the root of the matter is what is
wanted. and not a bungling interference in de-
tails.
The primary elections are the source Of
the evil. Let them be purified How? There
are two ways in which that contamination may
be effected. In the first place, let the judicial
be separated from the legislative power in the
Board Of Aldermen. Let no Alderman be
magistrate Here is the vital point. The row.
dies agree to nominate and elect the men that
will discharge them when arrested by the po-
lice, or in case that is not done the men who
are sitting on the bench at the Court OF SEES
sious will infict a mere nominal punishment
Take away the inducement from the rowdies,
and they will not take the trouble of electing
these corrupt men, There is second remedy,
which, as an auxiliary to this would be very
effectual, and that is, not to have the Assistant
Aldermen elected from the same wards as the
Aldermen, and by the same votes. As that
Board is now constituted, it is no check what
ever upon the Aldermen. But if the As
sistants were elected by districts, consisting
Of two OF three wards, analogous to the
Assembly districts, there would be some
guarantee that they could not be operated
upon by the same class of politicians. just as,
in the first instance they could not be elected
by them Thus the two boards would never be
all of the same politics. and would never 90 to-
gether as they do now.
Let the Legislature do something Of this
kind, and they will do what is useful and salu-
tary but let them not venture upon so arbitra-
ry and anti-republican a course as to interfere
between the Common Council and their con-
stituents in reference to particular acts. If
they do. we shall promulgate "a declaration of
independence" for New York City. and not only
for it. but also for Staten Island and Long
Island-these three islands to constitute
separate. independent and sovereign State.
More unlikely things have happened than this.
The State Of New York is already overgrown-
its population is now greater than the popula-
ton Of the whole country at the time of the Re-
volution A division may be called for sooner
than the corrupt Senate at Albany is aware.
Verdum sat- They have threatened revolu-
ton in New York at the point of the bayonet-
they will soon perhaps. have bloodless revolu-
ton without bayonets.