New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-05
THE NEW CHARTER.

.,,,,,rxrs FOR AND AGAINST THE MEASURE
spEFCHRs OF HORACE GREELhi, "0'o' -
.NDRFws. AND SAMUEL J. TiLpEN'
Albany, April 4-The Senate Oomihl''eo vi
m. new Charter for the City OF NewforA me- ~ va
D.vsn House this afternoon at O'CLOCK senator
Ch.,r Thare WAS a large attendance Including
- .cn,lomsn from the City OF NewYork The Ohair'
man saidi 49,, ,...s y, rho
The COMMITTEES Ia met 20 hear the ADVOCATES OF we we
ornaments the Charter Tor the CiIy OF inferess
sLall he happy TO hear gentlemen reVIesou''"h INV"
~ the city
Mr. Horace Greeley then rose and sadi
Mr. GREELEY's REMARKs
Iappcsr on behalf OF meeting OF citizens co"'eoN
the roo ms Of the Union League Club ana IeP''
,co s,,ount Of taxpaying interest and earnestly no
80. 80 ,ood Governments feel very certain speak
,be minds of majority Of that meeting when say ,n'!
do not wish be regarded by your sf a. Won
advocates opponents OF the nSeT 70 set
sbev ask me 10 appear one OF their humpei ,het
sorth certain amendments they WISH 70 Oe nnu IN anv
.n but nc do DO they hS desire 70 under
stood by yoi or by any member VI rotopm ON
laure enemies OF me TnaI before YOU and as
uTe Won that reform lie especial necessity " MANY
and they regard this doeue, are a. not here to ask you
~ eject IL We ask you to improve II we ASK
adopt certain and more efficient we think
shan il would be IN the ,, s,at S.rt tbank Won
r your courtesy giving US tins hearing ana SUI more more
10 thank the for the care and deoeraon wat
witch vg have walked up for several mornings past
with the our ears that new oharter hau ia
sdonied or had been rejected IN the Assembly anu
seemed 10 that the citizens OF New snVulu
had time sder any such document near Nat
thing OF that without having any time Tor amend
nent 40 not care are " able to frame Charter for the
Cfy of New.York aud no document can be such Char
fer as &c read unless it had been duly and wisely DIS
'"S''O IMPORTANCE OF The GREAT CITY.
need hardly say to YOU MI Chairman, that the CITY
Of Nev-York is . community OF some consequence ana
need no, remind you that II many years older than the
State There probably many millions of people who
snow of the City OF NewYork who not aware that
fhe state Of NewYork has any existence We are the
,yond tst of the persons who actually reside in the
civ for beside the million living In the city, there are
erty h there who members of the community with
ont being actual voters. our time Is spent there our
OF hope Of fortunes s under the government and control
OF the body which you are called upon TO reform Allow
d ss an attempt TO nuke party Charter That is
something entirely discaim In fact II is my opinion
Che benefit OF party. remember quarter OF cen
fury aro there convention to reform our Constitu
ton. The convention held under the auspices OF
Shat was called the "Herkmer school Of Politics."
whereof Michael Hoffman was the chief and they sub.
stantaly framed Constitution and yet from that day
10 hs that interest has never once governed the
elected the State officers although the Const
tuition made under their control and TO some extent
their benefit What can be done at most IS TO benefit
individuals doubt you can eea e1 any parry sxcs
those Of the people Who are obliged to live there and
make their fortune
PURIFY THE ELECTIONS.
Now presenting you the programme OF resolutions
which we're adopted at that meeting mewhat hastily
admit shall refer TO the first item this card which
indeed lies the foundation Of what have to say to-
day appears to be not only the most important
but ought 70 be the first contained IN any measure FOR
the reform City Government that is the purica
on Of our election. don't If any srohangel were
make Charter for the city Of Newly and then yon
elect by ballothOx suffers II would not be pos
be TO have an honest government Burke said that the
foundation aud aim OF all good government was 10 get
twelve honest impartial men into jury box; III the
Same way 1 say that the foundation OF all reform
IN the Government OF the City Of Ne~-i0rk must
DE the conviction that every legal voter at liberty to
cast ballot into the balobox and that no one else
can cast any ballot whatever IL You have secured us
that, you have secured US tie thing we most need To-
day It IS commonly believed IN the City Of New;York
that large proportion OF the votes are Irauduehty
cast aud that votes frauduenty frauduently
counted have determined most Of our recent elections
aud Just 80 long as TINS continues Just so long shah
laye bad City Government, though you make us the
that there should be such elective law should
body these principles First that the receiver is bad
illegally should be punished at least severely as
the person whom he ncites TO vote.
Mr. Greelev-I have nor examined that bill All I say
Is. ought 10 be distinctly laid principle that
incIte subOrn man to vote great crime
cast vote fraudulenty Who are the men VINO usually
do the dishonest votingl They are usually poor and
Nretcbed persons whom nobody knows, nobody sees
Tomorrow they are invisible Now tine law which
strikes at the who hires such persons and pays
ahem whether by office or by money or only by letting
theu OF from some petty ofense, is good There
As where the foundation TO be laid The law should
every election officer to receive none but legal
voters and to these exactly they
The should swear that and be punished for perjury
81 manner he receives Illegal votes and counts
fully by your law. He should be sworn to do his duty.
aud should be held TO street account as periurcr
az be violated his OATH and he signed an Illegal return
le should pc punished as a fOTger.
Mr. Kennedy: The proposed law provides for all that.
Mr Greeley | have not seen that. In the Convention
a. this State, of which was speaking, tue great man.
who It's master spirit, had conceived this deathat
Che thing needed now was experimentation distribution
snstead Of concentration think very unfortunately
Though one Of his folowers 1t was mistake. and
We now see the results Oi IT, 1ou nave now state onceIs
under responsibility TO the Governor nor 10
each other who may be, IN fact, CD terms OF hostility
with the Executive and yet he has no control Whatever
these persons. You may have officers connected
with the State prisons who are actually disgrace TO the
Administration In power. and yet the Executive has no
power OF removal SO with regard 10 the canals. The
Commissioner may be in direct opposition to the Governor
of the state and he may get blamed Tor Their incapacy
or corruption and yet has no remedy Tor glarng evils
This mistake which hos been followed IN our pres
Charter for such fashions downward from State 10
Municipal Governments, aud such Is now the foundation
81 our claim for better government The precedent OF
decentralization has been 100 lalthIuiy IOOWedl IN our
There responsible head OF the Government OF
the CITY In my opinion the best model OF government is
Federal Constitution. framed nearly a century
There you have Chief Executive, aud you may have
hundred thousand sabordinaes IN higher or lower de
but the chief officer is responsible for them all The
model have departed FROM 10 our cost both In the
state and city aud that model we ask you now to conform
10 III tue charter we are 10 Iuake 1of our city MAKE the
iKecuye master OF the situation with no Executive De
lafttusHt that responsible 10 REMOVABLE
llR. That 10 the Improvement we ask for.
Now let me point out 10 you some other amendments
which think are required There something SAID in
regard 10 sectaran schools but don't think that be
attached 10 the charter 1t IL matter that has no rela
lion 10 H. aud had better be considered separately.
The ChaIrman-I have clergym men OF various de-
Nominations. and We shall arrange that in different
manner.
SUPERVISORS AND COMMISSIONS
Mr. Greeey-very well Our meeting next asks you
90 abolish the distinction between tk city and county
government II idle Executive. which
tOus te source OF all our II you ind ont the
" wrong that has been done, you find that
Tie Mayor has power the dOer. You chase the