The New York herald., 1868-04-22

OF the people ana lead them TO the deiuSion tnaC
the removal of Andrew johnson will have
opened the doors to a new epoch of universal
prosperity.
From December, 1866, when 'sOld Thads"
Reconstruction Committee was formed, to this
day, the conflict between Congress and the
President has been upon these differences be-
tween the ideas Of Johnson and the ideas of
Wade. Step by step ''0ld Thad" has advanced
from the bill establishing universal negro suf
frage in the District of Columbia to this i'm
peachment of Johnson. In the outset there
was a section of the republican party in the
House which, combined with the democrats
held the majority. Had these two opposing
factions possessed common sense enough to
understand their true game they would have
worked and voted together against the
radical faction. But ''Old Thad" used
them-the conservatives against the dem
Ocrats, or rice 0ersa-until the dimin-
ished and weakened conservative clique
were whipped in on Southern negro recon
struction, and finally cajoled to lead off in
Johnsons impeachment. With his removal
they will be transferred to back seats in the
radical church and put upon term of proba-
ton in view of the good things of the kitchen
Van Buren, and his democratic free soilers in
their bold diversion of 1913 defeated General
Cass; John Tyler and his little band of Office
holders IN 1914 assisted materially in swamp
ing Henry Clay Fillmore and his ''slver
grays" in 1856, on being snubbed by the re-
publicans, contrived by third party ticket to
defeat Fremont; but what hope is there for
these republican conservatives in the way of
revenge or retaliation? None They have
surrendered to the radicals and they must
abide the consequences. Such men as Fes-
sender and Sherman, for instance, must be
content to stand back in the presence of Wade,
Stevens and Butler, the masters of the field.
And what of Johnson? What chance is there
for him? 1t is supposed that the Senate will
be satisfied with his removal and that he will
not be disqualified from holding Office hereafter.
Will the democrats then take him up? No;
for with his removal they will have no further
conservatives, such as Doolittle and Dixon
move in his behalf? No; for they, too, will
have other fish to fry. Mr.. Johnsons wisest
course will be to return to his quiet home in
Tennessee, forswear politicians as bad lot
the whole of them-lay in good supply of
and philosophy, like Van Buren, get religious,
like Old Hickory, when tired of the ''world,
the flesh and the devil and write book,
like Buchanan. AS for the spoils politicians,
with johnson out and Wade installed in power,
their cry will be that of the old Bourbon cour-
tiers, ''The king is dead-the king lives-long
live the king"
The Citizens' Association the City Tux
.>..-.< Y ,.<..~- - o. :. ss'~~''
The earnest but probably unavaiing protest
of the Citizens Association against the mon
strous exaggerations of the City Tax Levy is
worthy of perusal by all taxpayers. Despite
the merry fiction which it contains relative to
the one months, or sometimes two months,
careful examination by the Legislature of the
State Supply bill-a bill almost always post
poned to the latest possible date, for the very
purpose of rushing through appropriations 70
promote a variety of "jobs'-this Protest
rghteously insists upon the propriety and
necessity of more time and attention than the
City Tax Levy ever secures. 1t also most
clearly exposes the vast disproportion between
the Increase of the population of New York
and the increase of its taxes. SIN fifteen
years the taxes of the city have increased from
five millions to twenty-five millions. Their
progression has been steady and gradual
What will they amount to fifteen years from
now? Since 1880 the population of the city
has increased four hundred per cent, but in the
same time the taxes have increased four thou
sand per cent" Yet the Tax Levy bills
of the city and county of New York, with
comparatively few amendments, yearly pass
both House and Senate. One million inhabit-
ants Of this island are subjected to heavier
taxes than any ten million citizens elsewhere
in the United States. In France the rise of
taxation to the figure of thirteen dollars per
head is not unlikely at any moment to precipi-
tate revolution, although heavy taxation in
France as In other monarchical countries of
Europe, is, in a measure, compensated for by
magnificent outlays of public money in way
that ministers to national enjoyment and pride.
In New York we submit to taxation Of
twenty FIVE dollars per head, with scarcely any
compensatng advantages at all, save those
reaped by officehoders and their dependents.
And this great abuse seems destined to con-
tinue and to increase. The present Legis-
lature has shown how little it is disposed to in
aupurate reform which succeeding Legis-
latures would be just az little disposed to
prosecute. Immense as the evil is, we must,
have been educated to due sense alike Of its
duties and it's power. AT present we must re-