New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-05
influence and its efforts to defeat. Inc union
League Club asked that the Tweed Charter DO
amended IA follows:

Iearue Club asked that the Tweed Charter DO
amended as follows:
Nv inoorporating with the clause retaining exiSng
laws clause repeating the soctaran school "ppiopa
ton contained last years taxcvy tsectoh " o""p
$40, laws 1869. .,
q. BY aboshng the distinction between the Guy ana
County Governments, and by abolshlng the Do''' VI
Supervisors rs now.existing. ou
3. BY preserving the Central PARK Com"lss'o" IN INV
constituted, and with its present powers
4 By limiting the term Of office of all appoln'eeS vi INV
Mayor 70 tbe term of Office for which lie shall himself DO
elected. 49, ,,t.
f. Nv allowing a removal OF members of the Poice
and Fire Departments only after charges pnphcy Po
ferred and examined into -,
6. BY providing that no voter sha Voto io' "o'o '
ten of the fifteen Aldermen -
T. by aboshng the foes of all city Objects inouuis
the Chamberlain whether The same are drawn nom 'he
State OF City treasury, or from individuals.
g. BY reouirng the Counsel 10 tho Corporation 70 DO
appointed by tho Mayor, like other hcads Oh DcPai'
mcnts. . -, ,o,, and ,bo. n,
Public Works under one Board of Commissioners
TO- BY providing that no person shall hold more than
one office under tho City Government ana that any per
son accepting position in the Legislature or under inc
State or National Government, shall vacate his oly
Office.
H. BY providing that the term Of Office of the present
Mayor shall cease on Juno l. 1870 and that new Mayor
shall be elected the election in May and that all inc
apponments provided to DC made by the Mayo be maze
by the new Mayor
T. That all provisions allowing any secret meetings Oh
the Common Council be struck out
49, BY modifying tho provision as to the detention OF
witnesses to secure their testimony NJ 'no u" W
commission or otherwise.
H. BY limiting the power OF tho Controiier 10 au'au
pay claims against the City.
49, BY providing in the same act or In another one 10
be first enacted for securing fair elections ana honest
counting Of votes. . q,
Were not these fair and just prOpOsitionsf
If they were, what other reasons can you sus-
gest for the opposition made to them by the
stipendiaries of the Citizens Association Dut
the fat offices dispensed and to be dispensed
to them as aforesaidf
1t is true that the exigencies and Tears OF
the Democratic leaders have constrained them
TO correct, in acts subsequently passed, some
of the abuses pointed out by the Union League
Climb. Can that excuse those who resisted the
Clubs representations and urged the passage
of the Charter while it embodied those abusesf
The proposition that the Central Park Com
mission be left as it was-in other words, under
the direction of Andrew ii. Green instead OF
Thomas C.. Fields-was backed by the almost
unanimous voice of our foremost citizens. 1t
has been contemptuOusly Overruled.
The suggestion that each Mayor should be
authorized to select his own subOrdinatcs, bears
fairness and fitness on its face. Instead OF
this. MIR. Tweed, through Oakley Hail. has been
enabled, by the help of the Citizens Associa-
ton, to appoint himself and his confederates
to all the important offices for several years
ahead, so that the liberty conceded to the pcO-
pie to choose a new Mayor next Fall becomes
| "a delusiOn and mOckery.
The propositions that every officer OF the
| City shall be paid by a specific salary-tllat
no voter shall vote for more than ten OF the
| fifteen Aldermen-that no person shall hold
| more than one office at once under the City,
and no Office at the same time under the State
| or Federal GOvernment-that the Mayor IN
| cumbent shall vacate his office when the
| Aldermen vacate theirs, so as to let the
peODle have a chance to please themselves In
the selection of rulers under the new Charter
that the Common Council hold no secret
meetings, and that the Controllers power to
audit and pay claims against the CITY be
guarded against abuse, &c, &c, are so mani
festly fair and just that the propriety OF
adopting them was never questioned or
doubted by dSinterested person OF decent
intelligence Yet they are all defeated, and
defeated by the aid of the Citizens Associa-
ton. If the Offices and salaries so literally
dispcnsca to Messrs. Sands g. Company do
not explain this anomaly, what doesf