The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-05
increase Of Taxes Under the Name OF Reform
MIR, ComptrOller ElaEg.

1t is very clear that Nh. Comptroller Flagg
pcrceives that the public have found him out
and quakes at the prospect Of defeat at the
election next week, or he would not have been
at the trouble to fiji column after column of
the Journal Of Commerce with puiis of himself
or trotted out the Municipal Reform Associa-
tion on Thursday, at the Metropolitan, to
trumpet his glorics, his services and his claims,
in the ears of the people. We say that Mr..
Flagg must see that his chances are bad,
or he would never have resorted to these
mains to be seen. At first blush ponderous
two column leader in our contemporary the
Journal does not strike one as being very
effective electioneering weapon. Nor do the
address read at the Metropolitan by Mr.. Bailey
or the speeches Of Councilman Mather and
others SEEM on the face Of them, any sort Of
answer to the plain facts on which the present
appropriately of the Comptroller rests.
Neither in his personal appeals through the
Journal nor in the speeches of his friends has
Mr.. Flagg begun to controvert the public
belief that be is, has been, and always viii
be mere party man, bred and born in the
atmosphere Of party, incapable of rising
out of it, and never for single moment sub
ordinating his fealty to his party to his sense
of the public good. He has not dared TO say
himself, nor has any one dared to say FOR him
that where two contractors-one 4 whig or
Know Nothing or q hard SHE'LL the other n
member of Mr. Flagg's own party--have
rendered for the same job, they have beea
dealt with equally and fairly by the Comp
trollcr, or even that the soft she'll democrat
has been obliged to tender lower than his rival
to get the contract. No one has yentured to
point out what economies Mr.. Fiagg has
effected in the civic expenditures; nor has he
himsel f-who ought 70 know supplied the
omission. In short, the written puiis in the
JoWHol and the spoken puis at the Mctropoli-
tan have been uniformly worded with jadicious
vagucuess: Flsge has been called veteran
reforIner," q watch dog" stop cosk,' and
so forth but OF specific answers to notorious
charges, or Of specific grounds for demanding
public support, neither the one nor the other
contain j word
WI cannot Mr. Flagg, If he il 50 solicitors
TO prove his merit and value to the city, ev.
plain how il happens that during the three
years Of his administration as Comptroller, the
city taxes have risen over six millions OF dol.
lars! A comparison illustrates The point:
Three years before flagg 80. ......... sga3JOa, O.
ilree years OF fiagg economy ....... Ij75743. Is
Increase under Flaeg ............... s61,. "a. n
Now, If Mr.. Elagg be such veteran reform.
or, such Il 5" fearless foe to odgality," how
comes IL That in three years the city taxes have
increased over six millions, being at the rate
OF over two millions of dollars, or nearly
twenty-five per cent per annum? What will
the taxes be in ten years hence. If this "vetc-
ran rciormer" retains his Office If this IN
eaunted Watchdog continues to keep guard
over The city funds? And why did not some
OF the municipal reformcrs, or Mr. Flagg him.
self, through the journal. offer some cxplana-
ton Of this notorious evidence OF the Comm.
trollers remarkable economy
Why did no one try to explain the business
OF the Corporation Advertising 1t is TO BE-
hoped that no voter has forgotten that match.
less example Of impotence The law Obliged
Flagg 10 call for proposals for adser.islnt,
from tie various journals and to giye the COZ.
tract 10 the i've papers which ofrsrc j to do tn,
work for The least money per 900 copies cir