New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-11

HaJcf. Tsss have w1tei AAsrrs1 Thsyhs.
isarueA tor Comnoc CeuacLas. TA,y vw,s
ao' be oomfor'ed Unless tsey cocl hare csi.s !.
Ponce. The consequeace sas been tai man, :,
The venerable towns Of TIE STATE hsr. bss, tar,
into ir.Dew cities. Among these are SAL, a =.
Worcester, New. Bedford, Pail River a. c..
which 10 moro needed Q city form a. sovw,u,..
than coach needs fin whesl-wticA had goa.
along beautifully under tie ole system .,A -
would ret be sat,6sd withOat Krs S,o,i q a..
over them. Any town with l.. 900 iahsSih,,, ~.
apply for . city charter; aid the c.aseou....;.
that all towns 90 populated do apply, and A ~.
charter TIE effect is instaotsneou Tia 80
go up IS Il BY mage. The rumber Of public A.
ficers is wonderfully multiplied, AMI wAat<,v -.
vice anybody may render mu.! b. paid Tor. r..
SelectGAn was content If he received SO par 4,
mum for his woh-bat the Mayor mcs. asss f,o.
$500 t, 81, 800 per anIam. The City Ckrk mss
be paid much more than the Town Csk. W.
reco.lect an instance in one Of ihsse new CHE. i,
which the Chief of Police, having under hin iu,k
six policemen, received 81 600 per sanun. II,
people, having surrendered their power, fad hat
they mu.t pay through the nose for tseir folly.
They hsye the exquisite felicity OF haiEns toua
city. They can talk Of our Mayor AID AAsrna.
Bat these luxures cost item hard doiiars; And ia
complicated system, only fitted fog . place Eks
New-York, introduces them to petH intrigue .al
corruption, which, in the absence Of change, tey
might have avoided.
II is odd to notice that the people, after u
abandonment Of their normal authority, immediate
ly make spa,modic efforts to regain it or some pat
Of il. Political rights are Like health: We never
know their value until We have Loot them Thea
indeed, We are eager enough; and We are aoS
therefore, astonshed to 6ud that 10 all the munic.
psl or charter elections in the little Massachusetts,
cities there has been what 10 called "Citzsss'
Movement" and determination expressed to tshs
their Municipal shairs out Of party hands, Ia
small City Of Boston was among the frat to saa1,
ard was the first to revolt. For several yeau ~
had ret Of pilferipg peculstiDg lightfossred AaA
lizy officers, who stole her money, jobbed con.
tracts, and festhered their nests at the public cost
with the most expensive pluu,ge. The people
wa1ed srgry. The old town meeting spiri. was
up. All parties, finding their noses equally put 10
the sripdstone shook hands and united for reform.
They turned out their Dark-Lantern Mayor, And
have ever since been able 10 keep their city orgsa-
cation upon footing independent of politics Tho
still smaller cities have followed the example Of
Boston; so that there is pretty fair prospect off
recurrence in spirit, if not in letter, TO the old
fashioned little democracies Of Massachusetts,.
The City Of New. York has also set notable ex-
ample in this behalf to the country. We believe
that reform is now fairly initiated, which, IL
persisted in will do much 10 redeem cities from the
scandal Of being sores upon tho body polite"
The question comes home to our business II not to
our bosoms tits in the power Of our cities and
large towns to e1smplify the possibility Of sef
government. II they have rights, they have also
responsibilities; and the power Of WELDING great
ilauerces should BE- accompanied by the dosics b
exercise them wisely. The city always needs 10
make reparation 10 the country, and il can be beat
made BY an exhibition Of honesty, prudence xaa