New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-09-05
WHOLESALE cONnEMNArroN INApvIsABLx.

WHOLESALE CONDEMNATION INADvIsABIE
have no faith in the efficiency OF violent and pas
Sionate accusations. According to the nature and
order of things public critics and speakers in con-
ndering and examining the latest official report OF
the debt Of our city or the data which have been
furnished to the expenditures of the county may
well lose their patience and have resort TO Noient
denunciatiOns to appease their anger, but wnether
by this display of too much zeal they rt1l! serve
the cause which they seek TO advance appears W ne
TO he highly questionable.
fully believe in the sense Of Justice in the gooa
and honest intentions which pervade the MASSES VI
the people do not belieye theIe0Ie' 1m at9
necessary, for the purpose of awakening Publlc az
tentiOn and Indignation TO depict the ABUSES anu
corruption, that are clearly apparent from Tue re-
EyeHest colors. SuCh n course may be relied upon
to produce a strong excitement, but the latter S an
unhealthy one, and consequently more OF e he
mark and to give rise, in turn, 10 reacuonaS
movement by which every prospect OF perIla99ent
reform would be highted during Ino ne do u,
excitement. accusations are sometimes Sd'aiG ;
which. after due reflection cannot Dc luY na,ii5
tanned and the popular conception OF r1gnt ant
equity is rather a dcep-seated one supsequvn'
realization of injustice, committed IN some par
tculars may easily lead to donbis aS ~, 10
the general correctness of the appreciation Ol tne
whole matter Thus conformation may subsequently
be procured with the same readiness Win, wllch
condemnation had originally been heaped upon
{nnocent and guilty ones alike, and without regard
to The magnitude Of the offcnse committed by the
latter and thus the sympathy which high minded
cnsed will be seized upon by the guilty to escape the
merited punishment. Wholesale COMBINATIONS
sense of Justice for believe that among the accused
there are some whose course has been shaped by
false conceptions of the duty which they fancled
they owed TO their party, whose faults were rather
the result of errors of the head than OF the heart
and Of whom still entertain the opinion that IN the
course of events they will be fo9qd assisting IN the
correction of the evils for which they are not d.
rectly responsible. but which they failed to combat
ut the proper time
CORRUPTION MUST BE CURED
Ihate. as much as any of YOU, the corruption and
dishonesty that pervades, in varying proportions
the administrations Of public affairs everywhere and
corrupts to a considerable extent even the CONNER
cial intercourse between our people. am fully con-
WINGED that IT is by far the most alarming evil under
which our political and social institutions suffer and
that nOnablity to arrest the further spread OF
our rights and liberties and everything else, upon
the possession Of which an American cltlZen mas
heretofore prided himself. | am fully determined
Therefore fight this gigantic evil, wherever II may
appear. with all the energy am capable of. But IN
orde4 TO do this. and to do il eectuay it is lndls
pensably ssary that, IN doing 80, we 90 not de-
Viatc a hair breadth from the path which duty and
jnsfice compel us to walk-that we act with deib-
Grafton and moderatiOn-that we do not confound
the effects Of the evil with the true cause the symp
toms of the disease with the disease isef-that in
dealing with persons we do not lose sight OF the IN
teIest of which they are the representatives, and
which, If ii remains unaffected Would soon ma
other and perhaps worse. opponents Unless we do
that 'onr struggle with the dragon of corruption
may be fittngly compared with Don Quixotes fight
While therefore l fully share the cOnvi lotion of
the importance and necessity Of thorough exami-
nation Of the finances of our city and county; WINE
coucedc in point of public morals that II Is absO-
lutely necessary that all who have been guilty OF
fraud in the administration of the affairs of the city,
or in the discharge Of the duties of their office,
shOnld not only be exposed TO public condemnation
BY the publication of the proofs of their guilt, but
also prosecuted 10 the extent OF the law am never
haf fha full
duty in the premises calls for more than mere cur
cory examination of the best means with which to
never enough The chief aim of all honest and we'll
meaning citizens should now be to devise ways and
means for preventing recurrence Oh l9e oepl0l}ape
condition which now exists here and for establish
ing permanent institutions under which tins great
rity may properly fulfill its mission as the metropo-
lis Of the Union. For the submission OF my views
upon this subject only crave your indulgence for
Afew moments longer. lAt this point the speaker
mark and referred the audience to the morning
papers for the remainder AS the speaker retired
voice called for three cheers for the honest Ger
The remarks which am about TO make are the re-
suit Of a careful examination and of many years
observation on my part. Ever since became clti-
zen Of the United States, aye, from the time de:
rlAred nv intention to become one, devoted myself
to the study Of the political questions OF this coun;
try: investigated the spirit Of our Institutions and
noted their Importance and influence upon the vel
fare and the future of the country and soon as had
the legal night to do 80 Joined that of the great
pOltieal parties which | deemed best adapted to
work out the most good for the greatest possible
number Of people ,
United States owed TO the whole Union, busted
mvsclf with the study of the wants and interests of
thik gra: city the local center OF all our ab0rs, whose
growth and prosperity concern us directly. which
love A. parent does his child, ana whose honor
concerns lie as vitally as our own.
THE EVIL OF PARTY POLITICS.
I recognize the necessity of the existence of po
tical party organizations for the purpose of assert
ing and indicating certain principles in the admin
istration Of public affairs; know that party
aRemcnt often neceSsitates the choice of the lesser
of two evils and acquiescence of measures of very
doubtful expediency. in order not to leopard the
Of important questions OF great bearing, for
which the party is contending; know that all rela
tions are nodded and more or less influenced by or
made subject party politics and that the reasons
therefor AT all times be made to appear plausl-
ble But notwithstanding all that, ana notwlth-
standing that ! am ready to make all reasonable
concessions to the necessities of party organizations,
cannot and will not coDcede the existence OF any
valid reason why our, municipal AFFAIRS sbGp 11
be shaped, influenced; and even controlled
ty party politics. The only reason which
can Ge assigned therefor is that the abuses
exist, that they have existed for years,
and that all attempts to remedy them have so far
been in vain. This is undoubtedly true but at the
same time it shonld be considered that the evil con-
sequences flowing theretron have never appeared IN
Ms hideous and gigantic form as they do since the
disclosures were made which led TO the call OF this
meeting. To consider 1t impossible to remedy an
evil the fatal effects of which are now clearly per-
ceived would involve the denial Of the existence OF
good. sound common sense among the people, and IL
now to lack in energy and courage to effect
radical after the discovery of the rOoe ct the
disease which threatens to undermine tne very
foundations Of society, we might as well at once
despair Of our ability 10 govern ourselves.
THE MIsFoRTUNEs OF NEw-YoRK CITY.
To every attentive observer of the manner in
which our municipal affairs have been conducted