The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-06
SPIRIT or THn PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
CORRUPTION IN NEW YORK.

IN the OrganlZaUlon OF the government OF
New York, but in the public opinion upon
which that organization depends. 1t begins
to be evident that not only are many of the
judges and representatives of the State corr
rupt, but that the people who elect them
either approve corruption or are entirely in
different to it, regard the taking of bribes for
DEGREES to facilitate plunder as ordinary
manifestations of self interest, to be as much
expected, in a world like this, as any other
form of selhshness or hardness of heart. Our
readers will perhaps remember our account
of the great operation" by which 'ring'
of spectators in New York hoped to make
themselves for time absolute masters of the
gold market, and therefore of the whole
commercial capital of the country.
On the breakup of that wonderful
swindle it was believed that the Erie
ring, with whom it originated, would break
up too but it was found that, either through
early sales at huge profit, or through whole
sale reputation of contract, or through a trick
which we have not space just now to explain
immense purchases made by brokers who
consented to be sacrificed for a consideration
the ring had come out unhurt, its chiefs
being still masters of the Erie Rail way, still
millionaries, still owners of the opera-house
md its appurtenant seductions, and still more
active members of the political cliques. SO
complete, however, had been the exposure of
that fraud so terrible we're the denuncations
heaped on its agents by the press, that the
luckless foreign stockholders in the Erie
Railway, who pay for all this luxury and
shame, thought their hour had arrived, and
despatched an intelligent agent to New York
to try and recover control of their still valuable
property. Mr.. Burt arrived in New York
furnished with means, votes, money legal
opinions, and evidence, which in any other
country in the world would have enabled him
at once to reorganze the railway, with
M cans SO great in fact, that the
members of the Ring, one of whom
at least must be a man with a genius
for administration, bestirred themselves in
earnest. According to the statements of the
American political papers, of the Times cor
respondent, himself an American, and of the
Nation, a paper quite outside the regular
New York press, Messrs. Jay Gould, Fisk
and their confederates admitted two mem-
bers of the dominant party in the city to their
board, and thus safe from municipal autho-
rity, including city judges, proceeded to buy
up the State. At all events the Legislature
considered, and in most cases passed, a series
of acts intended in American Judgment to
deprive the plundered shareholders In 'Erie"
of any redress from law. They had already
passed an act making the ring immovable for
five years, and enabling the directors to re-
fuse registration to foreign shares; and they
now passed law to prohibit any lawyer
ever consulted by the ring from taking a
brief from its opponents; law-it appears
incredible, but we quote the words
from the NdtS0n--confning the power of
bringing suits against the Erie directors to
the Attorney General of the State, who is
practically their own nominee and finally
law making the Supreme Court of the State,
presided over by the Erie Judge" the only
State Court which can give an effective order
against them. The District Court, Federal
institution, has, it is true, concurrent iuris-
diction; but the ring, backed as they are by
the city, by the majority in the Legislature,
and, in part, by the Governor, believe that
they can raise cry of State rights which
will compel the Supreme Court of the Union
either to delay decision for years, power it
has frequently availed itself of to avoid politi-
cal complications, or to risk collision be-
tween the State and the Central Government
ON behalf of British stockholders, never a
class likely to obtain any great popular SYM
pathy, and just at this n moment especially out
of favor.
Whether this part Of the project will sue
ceed we cannot guess, though we do not
share the hopes confidently expressed by the
best Americans, believing that the Govern
ment will shrink from the course to which
the Erie ring is clearly prepared to drive
them-a forcible interference with estate
Rights" on the ground that the New York
to invalidate contracts, has violated q prime
article of the Constitution; but that is not
our immediate affair Our point is not to
consider the chance English investors may
have of recovering their money, but to in
quire into the cause of the condonaton
which crimes like these receive in New York
State. 1t Is becoming quite clear that the
people do condone them. Nothing can be
more savage than the exposure which
has been made of Erie practices. A large
and powerful section of the press has ex-
hausted the language in its efforts to
denounce the confederacy, has, if that we're
possible, coloIed the truth in order to bring
it home to the popular mind. The charges
of corruption against judges, members, and
officials have been distinct, repeated, and un-
refuted. Grave appeals, fiery appeals, hui
morous appeals to the consciences of the peo-
pie have been made in scores by papers
which, like the Tribune, really reach the
Western farmers and are trusted by them,
which have at least the influence the English
press possesses over the electorate. The
whole Republican party has a direct party in.
terest in terminating the iniquity The rich
already see that they are in danger, the poor
complain of the excessive taxation inflicted
by the very men who are bound up with the
Erie ring. If ever an appeal to the honor OF
the character of State had a fair chance, il
is one like this, in which party feeling
publicity, the hope of personal relief
from taxation, are all united on the side OF
right; and yet the people will not and do not
move. A hint to their representatives would
suffice, demand for inquiry, threat to
make clean sweep; bat nothing is attempted
or menaced or so much as talked Of. The
best Americans admit themselves hopeless o
phanDh eYceut tlrOuob fha action of the