New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-21
MUNICIPAL REFORM.
Spain.


nature and scope of the Municipal Reform to
be effected by our present Democratic Leglsla-
ture The quarrel with I" the Ring is to re-
suit in an enlargement of "the Ring"-that is
all. Certain hungry patriots, indignant at the
magnitude of the sums annually stolen by
few managers of the party, have forced an ar
rangement whereby they are to be enabled to
steal too; and as the old thieves will not con-
sent to any essential reduction of their plumber,
more must be stolen in order to give their new
| partners satisfactory allotment of the swag.
| That being secured, everything will be love-
| w, the desired reform effected, and perfect
harmony restored to the councils of the party,
to last until another band of the hungry shall
fancy themselves strong enough to inaugurate
another successful rebellion, and compel fresh
division (and enlargement of the spoils"
The sum total of this sessions reforms
may already be summed up as follows:
/. No offices abolished, but good many new
ones created;
2. No salaries or emoluments reduced, but
those of many places increased;
3. No restoration of power to the People but
the new places and increased salaries parceled
out by contract before the acts creating them
are passed
4. Instead of that uniformity of legislation
for City and country which has so long been
clamored for, the sale of Lager Bier on
Sunday in cities is to be specially authorized,
while it remains forbidden in the rural dis
tricts, where there are still some Democrats
who believe in God, Or at least, are afraid of
the devil.
Now, we do not complain of this consumma-
ton. 1t is about what we expected from the
outset We do not object to the decreed ex-
pulson of every Republican from any place
within reach of our State or City rulers. Some
of them are good and true men, and these can
get on without Office; others are dead beats,
and Office can get on excellently without them.
Some have ridden good while let them now
take their chance on foot with the rest of us!
We have never SWIVEL to sQuander on their
fate.
But we will remind the People of the unde-
niable truth that Republican legislation and
Republican commissions have been made the
excuse for corrupt profigate and extravagant
Municipal rule here for the last seven or eight
years. When we exposed the monstrous prod
igality of our City Expenditures, no one de-
MED the charge but we were met by plea
in abatement that Republican legislatures ap-
proved the Tax Levies; that Republican Super
visors had power in the Board; that Republ-
can Commissions dlsbursed part of the money.
This plea can no longer avail. The
Democrats have Legislature, Governor. Board
of Supervisors, and everything Ielse, completely
in their power. If they let one Republican
retain place. Gas they probably will not,) it
thnu nd
more useful to them in that place than
Democrat would be. Not one Commission ex-
lists but by their sufferance; not one will re-
main but by their choice. Now let us see how
much is saved by the change, and give them
credit for every cent Of it
All we ask of this Legislature-all we have
ever asked, and more than we expect to get
is an act which will stop fraudulent voting and
false counting at elections. Give us but this,
and their bogus Governor and bought Legsla-
ture will be thoroughly disposed of next No
vember We know how they gained power
if they do not stop frauds at elections it will
be Dalpabe to every one that they know it as
well as we do. Tweed could tell within a
fraction how many votes Hoffman was beaten
in 1858, but for the counterfeit Naturalization
Certificates, the repeaters, and the miscOunting
of votes; he could also tell within frac-
tion how many thousand dollars each
were paid out to elect to the Senate his Demo
cratic brethren from the Saratoga. tho Essex,
the Oneida, and the Chenango districts; and so
of at least twenty Democratic Assemblymen.
We do not expect him or them to pass laws
intended to stop illegal voting and false count
ing any more than we expect Democratic dis
trict- attorneys to indict and prosecute those
who engineered or those who perpetratod those
frauds. Democratic rule in this State began
with fraud, and must end with it. Of course.
Mis Legislature will do nothing whereby fraud