New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-03

and seems likely never to be eradicated or over
come.
Doubtless, we must resolve, and plan, and
struggle, to choose more upright and worthy
Legislators as well as City functionares. II
would be quite absurd to persist in choosing
knaves for the latter and expect to neutralize
or ballle their roguery by legislation at Albany.
But. even though we were doomed beyond
hope 70 endure a succession Of such Legislators
as disgraoed by plotoons our late Assembly,
In by no means follows that we should desi3t
from appealing TO Albany against Municipal
corruptionS.
We should persist in such appeals if only to
discourage Municipal knayery by compelling
Il to disgorgc a large share Of its spoils. To
defeat the Health and Tax Commission bills,
and nut through the Tax Levy with all its I'M
projections on ,5 head, must have cost not one
cent less than 100000; and all this was so
much deducted from the booty Of our Rings"
aud departments" II we could double or
treble the amount thus substracted. we might
discourage much Municipal peculation by re-
ducing largely its profits. Nobody would steal
grain to grind, if he knew that the miller would
take it all for toll.
Moreover, neither legislators nor City func-
tionaries habiually do wrong save under the
stimulus of an expected personal advantage.
Every one knows, for example, that the bust
ness Of slaughtcrng ought to be expelled from
our City-that the filth, stencil, yernn, waste,
and miasma generated by our slaughter-houses
send at least three thousand of our people an
uually to untimely graves and render the ex-
istcuce Of scores Of thousands necdlessly
wrctched. Then why cannot our City follow
the example set by Paris under Bonapare
sixty years ago, and since followed by Lon
don, in banshing slaughtcr-houses to
their suburbs We answer, Because of the
numbers, wealth and power Of those personally
interested in the perpetuation of the nuisance.
But all these would not have a filieth part Of
the weight with the Legislature that they neces-
sarily have with our Common Council; 80 that,
rs between a Legislature and Municipality
equally and overwhelmingly corrupt, there
would be ten times the greater chance of getting
an act Of expulsion passed by the former Only
when the shckels are paid right into the fist OF
the fuuctionares to be influenced do our local
misrulers stand anything like the chance with
the Legislature that they do with the Common
Council.
The Health bill was beaten by the free use OF
greenbacks, and could not have been beaten
otherwise. There are provisions in the Tax
Levy that could only have been put or kept
there by the direct Use OF money. SO Of some
other atrocities Of the session.
Let not, then, our Municipal jobbcrs natter
themselves that they are to be exempt hence
forth from legislative annoyance. They will
be fought at Albany as well as herc-fought in
he Legislature, if only TO call public attention
10 their mi,decds, and fought through agitation
for constitutional aud Charter reform. Our
Supery isors and Common Council must be
shorn of their power TO multiply offices and
Ienhanco salaries al will. They must
be solemnly sworn not 20 fiji their
own pockets by taking virtual brihc.
and must be prosecuted for perjury if detected
n violating this OATH We must have legal
provision for the trial OF every indictment found
against public functionary and the imprach-
ment Of any Distr.ct-Atorney who shirks this
duty for the space ofa year. We must have
tAe right secured to every taxpayer TO prose
onto ou,. Nunicinal fuucfiOuarV for malieasancc
and to receive half Of any sum that may be re-
covered, any fine that may be inflicted. In
short, Through ;he Legislature or in defiance
Of il, our City must have Municipal Reform.