New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-25
THE NEW ANTT-RING REFORAERS al

IHE NEW dhil-hiNp hEiO"1'I""
ALBANY.
There was never on earth Munlclpai struc-
ture that more sadly urgently needed reform
ing than the government of the CITY OIL new
York. II ia scandalously inefficient Tor good
and enormously potent for evil. 1t subserves
the ends of the blackleg, the debauchee, the
ru0ian. the felon it does not shield innocence
conserve virtue. promote useful industry, nor
encourage thrift. If ever q thing called gov
ernmcnt were atrocious and ab0mlnaDle' we
are living under that sort on this island to-uay.
This government ought to be reiormed-no
one disputes hat-and it might be. lheie Is
no difficulty in the premises but the practicai
preponderance of those whom true reform
would deprive of advantages and Indulgences
they enjoy, and prize, and mean to retain.
II is a trite observation that all mems IN
terest requires and is subserved by good gov
ernment; and, in the profoundest sense, that Is
true; but practically regarded, it is false. 1t is
the blacklegs, the libcrtine's true interest that
ne be arrested in his evil course, and made to
live usefully and purely; but he is controlled ana
impeled by an opposite conception. Inc gov
eminent he desires is one that will enable nm 10
persevere in his evil course with impunity. And'
in view of this fact, we assert that very large
minority of our City voters desire loose gov
eminent instead of good government and this
minority has fully mastered the trick of poll
ing-or, at least, cOunting-a majority OF the
City's total vote.
1t is idle to talk of any real, practical, add
ing reform of our Municipal rule which does
not begin by purifying our ballot boxes. so long
as these are stuffed with illegal votes, OF Their
verdict is fasilied by fraudulent returns, we
shall have corrupt, protligate, plunderng rulers
The stream cannot rise higher than It's fountain,
and elections vitiated by Wholesale frauds never
did and never will result in honest, frugal rule.
No reform of our Municipality can be worth
straw which is not based upon elections by legal
voters, each voting but once at any election.
Until this point is conceded and secured, it mat
tcrs very little what professions are made, what
reforms are ingrafted on our Charter, or what
popular Indignation is aroused by some fragrant
official villainy. Aldermen elected by the votes
of criminals (and every illegal voter is
criminaD will be the tools of the felons to
whom they owe their power and he is fool
who imagines that such will or can be
terror to evildOcrs or helpful to any good.
Whosoever processes to seek Municipal Reform,
yet will not cooperate in securing honest
elections by legal voters only, is hypOcrite and
a swindler.
We ought. moreover, to have a Charter which
would enable our taxpayers, as such, to veto
pronigate expenditures of public money. We
are writing, for illustration, in the lVth Ward,
where our property is situated, and where we
have worked these many years. That Ward
contained 30SS legal voters Cor persons who
professed to be SUCH, when our last Census
was taken in 1865 and it pollcd 1910 votes in
1868 and 1856 in 19G9-not more than wothirds,
in either case, being cast by legal voters. OF
the 3,0SS legal voters, possibly 200 own property
and 400 pay municipal taxes in the Ward tho
great majority being attached to the Ward only
by the tie of temporary convenience, and neither
knowing nor caring whether the City Debt is
Ten Millions or One Hundred Millions. Let a
candidate for Alderman be started who will say
frankly, elect me, and | will make 100000
"out of the Office whereof | will give 800 to
"every one who voted for me-" and he can Gf
believed) beat any candidate who does not
promise his supporters a doucem equally tan
gbe and still more ample. Hence, it is not
true that prodgalty i'll Office is condemned
and rcbukcd by the great mass of our voters.
VIM. NJ. Tweed is stronger in our City to-day
than if he had never sweated one dollar out
of the taxes of this sOrely plundered COM
munty. We do not excuse the taxpayers for
their indifference to public affairs; but the
taxpayers Of our downtown Wards do not
live in them, and have no choice but to suffer
and pay.
We need Charter which will abolish useless
Offices, reduce exOrbtant salaries, and prohibit
the appropriation Of public moneys to any but
strictly public USES All votes to this or that
church, or school, or donations of any kind,
should be declared void, and the Controller
made responsible to the City for any amount
he pays on account of them. Our Markets
should he sold and the City retire from all
concern in the huckstering business, save as
its Board Of Health may dictate. Our Docks
and Wharvos should be sold, under proper
regulations, which would secure decent struc-
lures III place of the present malformatons
In short, we need just such II Charter as nci-
ther of the Democratic factions will give MS
but the Indispensable base of all reform is a
purified balot-box.