The New York herald., 1870-02-10
The New Charter.

In both parties the dislike to it is clear, though
manifested in different ways; for while the
republicans assail it with dull defamation and
the criticism of very small points, the demo-
Gratis look askancs at it and withhold the
hearty utterances Of assent and approval.
What does this mean? What does it usually
mean when the politicians Of opposite parties
| are on the same side in any measure that
touches the public welfare? II means that
party differences are lost sight of in the CON-
mon interest which the politicians feel as
class to retain all the abuses, all the con-
trlvance to cover corruption fraud and Chi
canery that they find in the present state of
the many laws constituting our city govern
ment. We believe the politicians who are SO
actively against the new charter are alarmed
at the probability that it will not reconstruct
the city in the way that would be most agree
able to them. They do not find it a machine
to facilitate their plundering operations. If
the opposition of the press is honest it is
ignorant, for the journals that have pretended
fair discussion of the new measure do not seem
to comprehend its proper character and scope.
Our own distinct remembrance of the work
ing of the city government is from the time we
began to report the proceedings Of the Com
mon Council for the National Adcocdte, in
| 1926. At that time the Mayor and the Re-
corder sat with the Council, which sat as
single body. That was an uncomplicated gov
| ernment machinery, as effective and honest as
| it was simple and satisfactory in fixing respon-
sibility. II answered completely the purpose
| for which it was contrived, and met all the
wants Of the community Abuse of power
was then comparatively rare, and it had not
become necessary for the lawmakers, in giving
authority, to assume that every place of trust
might possibly fall into the hands Of rogue.
There was then in our institutions and usages
raj in every simple society. No one had ever
thought that notions Of equality should be
carried so far as to set the street rabble, the
idle and dissoutc, the sharpers, ragamnfins
and blackguards on political level with men
Of character and social standing. With the
tone of society in such state, that simple con-
trivance of single council might govern the
greatest city Of the earth as well as it did this
city in the old times. But society was swept
away from its old, fixed points. Democrat"
was first applied hero as party name in a
spirit Of opprobrium, and covered the charge
that certain of our public men were likely to
lead us the same race that the democrats of the
French Revolution had led society in that
country. The charge seems like prophecy,
for the practices that led to the corruption of
our government began with the democrats in
that early day. They acted on a theory that
may apply when the millennium comes as if it
were fact, went lower for support than other
men we're willing to 60, and thus introduced to
power elements that never affect society for
good. Disappointed candidates were the
active agents. These fellows, defeated in
their efforts to secure position in the
legitimate way, did not, however,
give UP the ambition to WELD authority or
handle the public money. The fact that they
! were. known too well in the city to be trusted
only induced them to make their appeal to
fountain Of power where they were less known.
SO a defeated politician would call upon ''the
Masses" get up popular Indignation" and
make some noise or capital in that way, and,
operating from this supposed popular support
upon the Legislature, and always in the name
of greater honesty or economy, have himself
made commissioner, charged, perhaps, with
the duties Of that very Office for which he had
been candidate in the city. In that way
began with the democrats the practice of adj
ministering Office in defiance of the public
judgment, for the man thus appointed was not
responsible to the people interested in his
course. He was responsible to a power
that knew nothing Of what he was doing, and
cared quite as little; therefore his RESPONSE
bilty was nominal only and had no value.
This has been going on for forty years, and
be somewhat judged by the time it has taken
to destroy it. The plan Of governing the city
in defiance Of the public WILL and so, Of
course, in the absence Of all healthy restraint,
though it began with the democrats, was a
lesson readily enough caught up in any party,
and was, in fact, learned in every party, until
recently the republicans gave it a wide and
general application to our whole city govern
| ment, leaving to the Common Council only
the supervision of the peanut stands at the
sire ct corners and to the Mayor only nomi-
nal existence. The people have the results
before them in the state Of the city; in the
corruption that is everywhere; in the robbery
that prevails wherever money is handled; in
the denial Of justice to those who seek it; in
the facility with which criminals slip through
the fingers of authority; in the debanched
condition Of the public mind consequent upon
the indisputable fact that the ruling class is
not merely the most ignorant, but the worst,
the most degraded and law -defying rabble OF
the town. The practical fact before the people
is that the worst element of the population has
the upper hand in this city. Hitherto this