New-York daily tribune., 1861-11-07

elected by this Or that party. and have been re-
quirod by party leaders to deport themselves ac-
cordingly. Mr. A. is chosen by his party mem
Der OF the Canal Board, and takes his seat intent
on the faithfu performance Of his duty. But
there are contracts TO be awarded, lumber and
other materials TO be purchased, appointments
to be made, &c, &C., and the party managers
whisper in bis ear " Here are Jones, and sykes,
and Spriggs, by whose exertions and e1pendi-
lures this great County was barely carried and
" the ascendency of our party secured; oi course,
" we must give Jones good contract, and buy
4" Sykes's hemocl plank at the prics OF the best
l." pine. and make Spriggs division superintend'
" cpt collector or engineer" The green rePosi-
tory of power at first hesitOtes: he has some old
fashioned notions of official integrity and economy
which run counter to the work thus assigned him.
he ventures family TO inquire whether Jones will
do the job he seeks as cheaply as any body else
whether some one else will not furnish henliock
plank on better terms than Sykes-and whether
Sprggs is every way competent and Trustworthy
But black look from the managers, with sarcas-
tic intmaton that perhaps he is not the best and
cheapest article that the People might have OBJ
taned for their money, soon settles him 10 Ms
work; be meelly accepts the slate aud puts It
through, aud there practically ends his devotion 10
economy and reform.
The Canals of our State, though the cheap
est and most important channel for the con-
seyance of the immense and rapidly increasing
staples of the West to the marts Of the
seaboard, have for years been Q heavy load
upon our taxpayers. Their Enlargement,
necessary and timely as it was, has cost
Millions more than it ought, while its COM
pleton has been too long delayed. But that
completion is now substantially achieved and
the benefits of the work are beginning to be
realized. The tolls OF the last six months
(May to October inclusivel were $3.273,8t6-
an increase of $3.50, ,0i3 over those of last year
while the current month, should they not be
closed before it ends, will raise the aggregate
for the senson to something near 81, 100000.
OF course, the abundance Of Grain in the
West, in connection With ts scarcity in West
ern Europe, has swelled this aggregate; and
even the rebellion, by closing tho Mississippi
and dcrsnging the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
1oad. nay have rather increased than dimin-
jshed it; but, on the other hand the
productive power of the Great West is con-
stantly expanding while the ability OF The
Canals to carry and earn has not nearly
reached its limit. We hope to zee the day
when the Canals shall yield S5,0OO,00O per
annum, and when, their construction account
being closed and number of needless engi-
neers and other functionaries having been
dispensed with, the People of our State wli
have been relieved from taxation on their
account, while the reduction OF tho debt IN
Cured in their enlargement goes steadily
| forward.
But such results arc only atIalnabIe through
the most rigid economy. guided by intelligent
capacity ard governed by an inHeIible resolve
that the Canals shall be burdened with tho
support of no psrtyp eleetionccrins machinery
or pensioners, and that no man shall receive
dollar of their revenues for any other reason
than that he has done an honest dollars worth
of work in their service. IL repairs or im-
proyements are to be made by contract, let
ample security be exactcd, and each contract
then awarded 10 the lowest bidder inhexibly;
il anything is to be bought for them, let pro.
posals be advertised and the lowest bidders
offer invariably accepted. In short there is
urgent need Of the complete deliyerance of our
State Canals from party management and party
suction, and the election Of the Peoples Ticket
for State Officers justifes the hope that this
deliverance may now be achieved