New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-23
-, EERNANDO WOOD on THE CENSUS.


During his last visit to the Old World the
Hon. Fernando Wood, we strongly suspect
either made pilgrimage to the Holy Land or
stopped at Rome to rub his white mustache
against the big toe of his Holiness the Pope.
Nothing short of either of those two things
could have worked the change for the better
which seems to have come over him since the
last session of Congress. Since the conversion
of Saul Of Tarsus, we look upon this change
In the great Fernando as one OF the most
miraculous cases of which we have any record.
Hear the immaculate Fernando:
"My first impulse" said he, on Mr.. Buffers motion to
SCISSORS had boon to favor anything which would re-
strict the patronage Of tho Administrator put cSsea
ing tho vast stake, ana Knowing tnat tue
whole value Of the census depended on us precision au
accuracy, would not allow any feeling OF parH Y
character interfere with IL. The people or YORK
City had very reluctantly come into the system oI III
teral taxation. For months and years honest men III
that city striven commend IL to their cOhsttu
EMS not evade tho responsibility 10 the Governments
The people naturally shrunk from assessors ana cOec
OF internal revenue When lne UONer s t 80
its emissary INTO household 1t must send at east an
acceptable agent whom the people would honesty anu
trutRfuly communicate with Was revenue officer OF
that classf think not"
Since Fernando's knowledge of revenue
officers in general is dOubtlessly drawn from
his intimate acquaintance with those OF ms
own district who held Office during JohnsOn's
Administration, we can readily understand
how his purified heart is reused to this degree
at proposition to have a census taken by
such officers. Our readers, too, can appreciate
his feelings when we explain that, at the time
referred TO, his own brother Mr.. Henry Wood,
was "runningn the Collectors office, over the
shoulders of Thomas 0Callaghan, the Collec-
| tor. who was indicted, it will be remembered,
for whisky frauds upon the Government, at
! the same time that Blaisdcll and Eckel were
sent to prison for running an illicit dlstlllery
in his district While applauding the motives
of the great converted, we beg to remind him
| that during the time he was away in Europe
the Administration made great changes in the
| Internal Revenue Department, and particularly
! in the obnoxious district from which he has
| drawn his information. No doubt he will be
very glad to hear this, and will take the
earliest opportunity to acknowledge his mis-
| take.
His touching allusiOn to the honest men"
who labOred for months and years to work up
the people of this city to such pitch OF patrl
otism as to pay the taxes they owed the
| Government must be scathing rebuke to his
Tammany friends who lodged the income tax
last year. Should Fernando continue in his
present frame of mind we think the day is not
far distant when we will have the pleasure of
seeing him heading a reform party in this
| city against the "repeaters' and "canvassers'
of his friends, the Tammany Ingins. And pos
sibly, should the Income Tax be continued
long enough, the time may come when he will
return and pay the proper tax upon his own
| income. Who knows9