New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-19
CORRUPTION At dLBANY.

!. A city journal DESTROYS of pointing out the
members of the Legislature who do some
ching smack, who have a kind of taste,' who,
in short have not shown bigotcd and intol-
Grant devotion to virtue seems to have been
frightened off by the great length of the
list. Few papers, indeed. could afford the room
for such a catalogue. Our cOtcmp0iaiy, how
ever, hit upon q plan, which Is an immense
economy of space-the publication of che names
of the honest men, which are briefly included
in a small paragraph. From this list we
learn that there are but II honest men in the
Senate, and therefore n who smack"
and that the Assembly boasts q who are
above suspicion, and therefore more than 100
who are not. There are AZ honest
men to 1l8 gentlemen who are asserted
tn be rogues-an alarming statement, more
alarming when we reflect that some of the AZ
immaculates probably belong to the other list.
Here is terrible minority for public virtue to
be in! 1t is not surprising that public virtue
is usually voted down. and that private vice is
assured of permanent majority.
Ii follows that no newspaper can denounce
the corruption at Albany without arousing the
ire of 1is gentlemen. who correctly think they
Climb demonstrates against bribery, and ll9
gentlemen start up with mighty indgna
tion. and hurl back the accusation with
contempt. We cannot even picture the nobility
of an honest legislator who refuses jobs. scorns
brides, and devotcs himself to the public good,
without having to undergothe dreadful reflection
that 1lS gentlemen consider themselves satirlzed
and insulted. To speak of morality is sarcasm
TO oppose corruption is abuse In the Spartan
virtue practlccd at Albany, it is not the crime
that is to be avoided. but the discovery. And
vet when crime is mot discovered by the
public, but actually revealed by the Legisa-
ture, as in the case of the surface railway
swndles, the cry is raised that the gen
cral Indignation is irresponsible criticism
This ia amusing TwO-thirds of the press and
a majority of the people are firmly convinced,
and do not hesitate to say, that this legisla-
tire sells its legislation TO the highest bidder;
that the passage of any bill involving capital
must be purchased; that 1T IL noto-
riously contemptuorw oil the voice
of the people, and humbly submissive
to the slightest whisper of the Lobby This
is not irresponsible accusation; the people and
the press are accountable for it. and ask
nothing more of the Legislature than that they
shall be held 40, We do not single out mdl-
yiduals, but we specify acts and publish votes.
We take, for instance, such bills as
those for surface railways in this city, for sell
ing our streets to spectators in booths, for
railroad grants &c, and plainly say that they
are scandalous and corrupt. We take again
the defeat of such admirable measures a. the
Wharves and Piers BILL the Public Works
a. md
say emphatically that their defeat is
dishonest rs well as deplorabe nor do we stop
with this censure. We print the names of the
gentlemen who voted for OF against these
measures, that all who choose may read. And
then we add, that any member OF the Assembly
or Senate who is found voting througlrash the
session against the public and for the
Lobby, is presumably corrupt or Ignorant.
The gentlemen who are found in this category
may take refuge from the suspicion of having
sold their votes in the confession that they
have not brains enough TO vote rightly but 1t
is utterly impossible that they should expect
the public To believe them at once honest and
intelligent This is not irresponsible criticism;
il is very downright accusation, and II IL not
one newspaper that makes II, but fifty not
one man, but tens of thousands
What then is the Legislature bound Ia do,
thus resting under the drest censure and IN
dignation of the people, Can the ilS supposed
rogues with any decency assume striking atti-
tudes of moral Indignation, and hml defiance
at the people who elected them. or with
any self-respect can the II gentlemen
believed TO he honest, make weak detenscs
of their colleagues! No; this Legislature
cannot escape the consequences of It's acts
either by bravado or humility. lis reputation
is gone, its honesty is by-word IN the
streets it is censlued by the people, and If 1t
had the least regard for what it may suppose
TO be left of its character, il would long
since have directed an investigation ol
the general and sweeping charges against
il. If at this late day such res0fn-
ton of investigation should be pro-
posed we promise to publish the names
of those who have tile hardihoOd 10 vote
against il. If the resolution is carried, the
Legislature accused will have the advantage OF
being its own Judge yet with this fact against
the public interest. il may he reasonably eX-
pectcd that something of the infamy of the Lobby
will he revealed The session might well be
prolonged for such purpose; but we presume
this body will choose To pass ont OF existence
with all its crimes and shames upon IFS head,
and will prefer the chances of oblivion 10 the
awful certainties of investigation and exposure.
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