New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-20
CORRUPT LEGISLATORS.

The World having eXh0rted the rural Demo-
Gratis to nominate honest men for Legislators
men of character and ability-The FreemanS
Journal (COOperstown) retOrts the advice to
the City Democrats, saying
"Iet no vile characters no ready TO vote for
ture3be nominated by Democrats where nomination is
equivalent election; but send 70 Albany only men
influence with the Democratic party of NewYork CITY,
let it all be exerted work reform IN that
direction, and let every h0nestmnded democrat tnero
lend helping hand"
The World acknowledges the corn" with
candOr alike unusual and refreshing. 1t says;
perhaps true, The Freeman's Journal suggests
that we the CITY sRd on ere y sS are
as honest and patriotic the rank and file OF the rural
9,snee o., the noTinaiIons for o0Iee In the country,
where amusements and diversions are few and every
body knows everybody more IN ERE CIV and
cre-pt,g and oceSeekers do not control them so com
pste 1t is therefore easier TO procure good nominations
in the country than in the City.
The absolute certainty of eectng our City andidaes
to which me refers Is m1s bat be Dso
Gratis and Republicans OF the State are not more evenly
intermnged in the various localities In tne
holds In the City, anomnatlon by the parry
is equivalent to an election oaa eanaaaes y ~
certain succeed good ones The consequence 49, hat
the Republicans send many corrupt members 10 tne s
issture from the country, and me Democras y'ob, ms
past stencil and scandal IL the strength OF the Two
parties more evenly distributed througn99s sne
tct would depend more on the character OF tne
candidates and both parties would elect better
But must take things as they are and DO the DeS We
can"
Comments BY The Tribune.
Nothing has 80 much contributed to the
present demoralzed state of our legislation as
the course of The World. That journal has
systematically, and in notorious defiance OF the
facts, represented the jobbing and log-rolling
whereby corrupt measures were fOsted upon
the statute book at Albany as a work Of Re-
publicans solely. When an iniquitous measure
was carried by the votes of thirty Republicans
and sixty Democrats in the two Houses, The
World would hold the Republican majority re-
spOnsible for it when in fact thirds OF the Re-
publicans voted steadily againstit, and minority
of our party united with nine-tenths of
the Democrats to pass it. Hence, Democratic
jobbers, being shielded by their party journals
from responsibility and roproach, have been
reelected from year to year, and reinforced by
adventurers eager to share their prohigate
gains, until such shamefuly corrupt jobs as
the Tweed Hodges Tax-Levies, though their
iniquity had been thoroughly exposed, were
supported by all within half dozen of the
Democrats IN both Houses. SO with many if not
most of the shameless schemes of plumber and ini-
guilty which engrossed the greater part of the last
session. While we denounced especially and
by name the few Republicans who were be-
guiled or bribed to support them, The World,
knowing better, habtually talked as though
none but Republicans were corrupt, when in
fact two-thirds of the votes paid for last Winter
were cast by Democrats Consequently, while
not more than ten of the Republican jobbers
can possibly get back into their disgraced seats
next Winter, there is danger that wo-thirds of
their Democratic co-workers in corruption may
be triumphantly reelected and The World,
Justly alarmed at the prospect, calls loudly, at
the eleventh hour, for their defeat in the nom
mating conventions. 1t has spoken too late to
| be efcctUal The Democratic iobbers will be