New-York tribune., 1871-11-08
TIE RAR GOES ON.


THE hattie that ended last night was only
the first movement in campaign which must
be long and severe. A system of wrong forti-
fed by years of impunity, supplied with un-
limited money, and defended by hundred
thousand desperate and devoted men, cannot
be oyerthrown in single effort. If we had
carried, yesterday, every election district In
the State our task would still have been only
begun. Corruption has invaded every depart
ment of the Government. Mere vulgar theft
and forgery have fourished more 10 this city
than elsewhere but the taint OF fraud
is on every Office, from the Governors
down to the petty constables. The sense Oh
official honor has been almost lost under
rule of roguery which permits reputable gen
tlemen to profit by fraudulent elections, and
miscounts them into power side by side with
bar-room strikers and rufians OF the Sixth
Ward. When the highest State officers are
controlled by common swindlers like Tweed,
the Legislature bought and sold like herd
of cattle, the courts prostituted to the uses or
gamblers, debauchees and freebootcrs OF the
stock k-market, robbery unchecked IN all the
municipal departments, and the suffrage
practically withheld from honest voters, it is
plain that we must have hard fight before
thorough reform can be established. We
have made a splendid start but we have
done no more. We have reused the public
conscience. We have brought into the field
class of citizens who have never interfered in
politics before. We have opened the eyes of
respectable people to the danger which has
been incurred through their neglect of polti-
cal duties We have forced our conventions
to nominate in the average, better class of
candidates than we arc used to, though to this
there have been some shameful exceptions.
And if we can keep alive the wholesome ex-
citement, there need be no fear of our future.
The attempt to put no nest men into Office
being now over, we must go back with re-
doubled energy to the work of exposing and
furnishing the guilty. Tweed, Garvey, Inger-
soil, Woodward Connolly, Hall, Fields, Genet,
are still unwhipped of justice. Push<he pros
ecutions against them without mercy. Drag
their shameful secrets to the light. Recover
whatever can be reached Of their plunder; but
above all things show that the law Is no re
specter of persons, and that Tammany cannot
save thief from Jail. We may forget the
| shame of William NJ. Tweed's reelection
| to the Senate when we see him ar
raigned at the bar for felony, and
bear our heavy debt with cheerfulness for
the sake of the moral lesson taught by send
ing few official swindlers to Sing Sing.
This for the present is the great popular
issue. Party politics must be forgotten in the
union of all honest men to demand justice.
Before the Legislature, before the courts, in
the newspapers, in the clubs, in all the centers
of public opinion, let us press this duty of the
day. At the next election we shall find our
strength multiplied, and weakened reformers
will have courage enough to discard the mis-
chievous help of such agents as O'Brien. So
then, take heart, honest citizens; the good
cause prospers; victory beckons us forward
the fight goes on