New-York tribune., 1870-02-04

Chamber will be anything else than recepta-
Gle for Tammany automat0ns. Had the Alder
men been elected by districts there would nave
been some danger of popular interference with
the divine right Of Sweeny to govern, but by
this cunning device of election by the city at
at large it has been deftly avoided.
In public affairs, especially in New-fork,
patronage is power, and by Mr.. Sweenys char
ter all patronage is really reserved for the
Mayor, despite this fimsy pretense of Alder
manic partnership. The Mayor has been for
years, and will inevitably be under the charter,
the creature of the Ring; therefore the new
organic law that pretends to vindicate the
right of local self-government vests the con-
troll Of this city absolutely in Sweeny g. Co.
Leaving the Common Council to amuse them
selves and rob the public by passing all
manner of ordinances, tho Ring grasps
the real power by appointing, through
its dummy, the Mayor, the heads of the Depart
ments of Police, Public Works, Charities and
Correction, Fire, Health, Excise, Public Parks,
and of Buildings, and reserving, by means OF
these plastic Boards the placing OF every sub
ordinate officer of the City Government. Thus
the Ring makes sure Of all the substantial
money to meet casual calls, it keeps, through
its Board of Public Works, the cognizance: l.
OF all structures and property connected with
the supply and distribution Of CrotOn water
Q. OF the collection of the revenues arising
from the sale or use Of the Cr0ton water. B.
Of opening, altering, regulating, grading, flag
Pine, curbing, guttering, and lighting Streets
roads, places. and avenues. A. OF building, re-
pairing, lighting. and using wharves, piers, and
slips. 8. Of the repairing and construction of
public roads, 6. OF the care Of public build
ings. T. Of tho filling up of sunken lots. O. vi
public sewers and drainage. 0. Of street vaults
TO- OF paving. repaving, and repairing streets
and keeping tho same clean. IL. Of digging
and constructing wells.
The mass of details in which the charter IS
enveloped being stripped away, it stands re-
yealed as tho most monstrous political ma
chinery ever devised. 1t foists the creatures OF
rapacious oligarchy into all the high seats OF
the municipality, and fills all subordinate
places with its tools. 1t makes the admins
traitors OF the correctional law the playthngs
of the mob 1t lets loose the assassins and thieves
| to prey at will upon the community. 1t ele-
Yates ballot box stuffing into an industry fos-
| tered by authority. 1t converts the public rev.
enues into individual gains. 1t devises numer-
GUS schemes for robbery, and closes every
avenue to detection. IT organizes turbulence,
and pays heavy premium upon lawlcssneSs.
| 1t makes an autocrat of him who is and must
be always slave of the Ring more abject than
was he of the Lamp. 1t cunningly robs the
people of the power it pretends to confer, and
creates despotism as irresponsible as it is
unlimited. That such bill will become law
without material notifications seems hardly
credible. Intended and fashioned to extend,
increase, and perpetuate the power of Tam
many, it can have no other than runous ef-
| feet nnon the city.