New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-18

To the Editor OF The Trt6vne.

To the EditOr Of THe IrtD""e'
SIR: I read with intense interest the speeches
made at the late Political Reform" meeting published
in Yesterdays TRIBUNE While the speakers showed
copclustvely the appalling corruption which pervades
every part of the body polite, and how the ORGANIZED
efforts OF INSCRIPTIONS denagoGues were rapidly &c
strovng the very life OF Institutions, yet they ied
10 recognize the procuring cause OF the evil anu h,ce
The remedies they proposed can, at BEST produce OUT
TEMPORARY relief We may, indeed, remove the rotten
,cbas n, sound tree with benefit bu' it is idle TO
think that by plucking off the gangrenous tTHH OF
corr,pt tree we shall thereby alter its nature The only
remedy is 70 down 10 stump and put IN II graft
of better sortand II that fall lay the ak 10 te root
entirely agree with them that demagosis,n, that
bare 81 free institutions" which history tells W. has
inrarqJ1 worked tie ruin Of every Government where
u has had free scope is already consuming our very
vitals But how are demag0gues furnished WITH Inc
tools 70 work with That Il the question Dr. Bellows
informs Us that addition TO 5000 Osshops ana gam
bling establishments there are $4,000 professional te'es
IN New York and he might have said with truth that
tbae are In addition these twice many more ro"g
aud scola,eags equally worthless. Now each one OF
tbpse "ewd fellows Of the baser sort has vote Does
any one doubt that oil these are, and always VIII Do
bou1 ND at a very low rate per head packed py uen'
eoe1les in an iron box" 10 use Dr. BIS hgufe' ana
inns easily rolled from side Of the ship OF state
., the other as occasion may require TO give IL
the necessary list from an keeli Nor Is ms the
whole OF the evil Gen. Barrett shows with what u-
blushlng efrortory this scum openly repeat lhe No''
or o,d over again. and are upheld by the very NUM-
cipal officers who set 10 guard uomlnay) the purity
n the ballot Is any surprised at this apparently
psradoxcsl atrocy He ought not to be- ior 1t Is the
ocossarv consequence Of the right OF suffrage rs 1t now
exists This very scum and rabhe constitute the NUM-
cpal authority and you cannot expect approximation
to e any better than it, constituency any more than you
can expect bitter fountain TO send forth sweet streams
l. there any phianthropst political reformer so de-
! tItufb a he
this scur IN large cities OF that he prevail upon
deacopes 10 refrain from using for corrupt purpose
these tools which are ready furnished 10 his mana
Where, then, Is the remedy answer: CT or hese
fools; qualify the sliage DinE ~ D"3E 10 we 80 M
which revolutionary forcfatlers iet hDtI9Ie ne
witt Clinton IN an CIV day, first brought about chang
I'm INV native State, / Well recoect Suffrage shoud
be privilege, and the reward oi good
sloxd be universal that srtfy honest, ludhst
bonH be able 10 acquire it without fail, and then II
! wond be valued aud wOrthily used Unlimited, UNI
eLsd nv CorrHpt denag5eues for their vile pur;
9ec and acquicsccd ~ by better men VINO arc 10Y Do'
is n opportunity L. allowed me N your columns
IN undertake to prove that II Is not only uyas 20 We
@ - cpomon sense contradictory to human Hlerence
I'm tho practical business OF COMMON ne Anu ti,1t So
moral and social " i55yttd political virtue
We have still some remains :" 49," .u ',,i,,,. randy by
vLlt II feeds on aud Is fast eaNcnng t"' naSs WI ia
Oy Ele g4 Hatgn t GGn5 APi s. 1871.
I'VE decline to accord space for the purpose lndl-
Gated by 4. He does not even hint at nieinou ~
which such wedding of our electoral bodies u h'
desires could be effected. The process known il '"
necticut as making ffoemen' ought to ac'oin'''N
II if ANYTHING would yet it hasno pract'Ai 'H,''
Great Britain has end always has had' i's'''',''
su6rage. vet electoral corruption Is i'' In'4' no
and Shameless in that country than Ia '"" i'-o
| If mar, il not equal e. de, ing plan whereby "'
ta.os, co,,bIe worthy citizens shall b. placed OF