The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-09-29
THE RISING OF THE PEOPLE.


No incident in the political history
of New York for many years has given
us so much hope for the future of the
metropolis as the meeting last night at
Cooper Institute. In the early days of
the War for the Union, the Secession
party consoled itself with the belief
that New York city was too firmly
welded to the idols of commerce to
comprehend a patriotic instinct, or to
sacrifice dollar for disinterested pur.
pose. Yet nowhere in the United
States was there more general mani
iestation of patriotic fervor, "a more lib
eral expenditure of money, a more
generous offer of volunteers, or q more
cheerful readiness TO bear the prvations
and sufferings of the conflict, than in
this city of tsadesmen, importers, and
cotton brokers. Some such impulse as
stirred the popular heart at the great
War meeting in Union Square during
those sad but glorious days seemed to
stir it again last night, when men of all
ranks, all parties, all avocations, came
together and raised their voices in angry
yet dignified rebuke of official corrup.
ton. Deep as the indignation of the
people has been over the recent dis
closures of fraud, earnest as close OBJ
servers have seen the popular purpose
to be to put an end to this wholesale
swindling at once and forever, few were
prepared for such an imposing demon
stration as this, which assured us that
at heart the rank and file of the De-
mocracy as we'll as of the Republican
party are the friends of honest Govern
ment and the bitter enemies of every
species of fraud. If Tweed and Hall
and Connolly believed that the senti-
ment of party fealty was strong enough
to blind their followers in all cases to
the difference between right and wrong.
the speeches last evening, and the tenn.
per in which the audience listened and
applauded, must have convinced them
that such insolent confidence was mis-.
placed The Ring has strained its
strength too far, and has now broken.
The people of New York, without dis.
tinction of party or condition, have
given fair warning to the shameless
clique which has tyrannized over them
for so many years that they will submit
no longer to its extortions, will break
down the machinery of party, and
drive the swihdlers certainly into OBJ
security, and, if possible, into prison.
1t revives our confidence in the Ameri-
can system of Republican government
to see that when an emergency is fairly
presented the people can thus cast be-
hind them selfish considerations and
unite in working for the public good.
If the meeting had done no more
than to unite our citizens for once in
common effort for good cause, or to
provoke from SO sturdy Democrat as
Robert B. Roosevelt scathing, straight
forward, honest condemnation of Demo
cratic rascalities, or to call forth from
the German Democrats promise to CO.
operate in any movementfOr reform and
public purity, whether started by Demo
Gratis or Republicans, it would have
served noble purpote. and we should
long remember it with pride and gratifi-
cation. But we believe it has accom-.
plished a more immediate and practical
result. The resolutions, adopted unani-
mously amid a tumult of applause, call
for instant and energetic action. Mr..
Havemeyer is authorized to appoint an
Executive Committee of seventy citi-
zens to carry out the objects of the
meeting. The Committee at first sight
may seem inconveniently large, but
there is serious business before it, and
its first duty will be to deliberate upon
the best method of going TO work. and
then it will probably divide itself into
sub committees apd distribute the labor.
What that labor is to be, the resolutions
and speeches clearly define. First, the
Committee is to demand "a full exhibi-
ton Of all the accounts of the city and
county, and of all the persons to whom
the pretences upon which the large pay.
ments of the past two years and half
have been made" If the demand is
refused or evaded, the Committee is to
take whatever local measures may be
found available to enforce it. IStdts are
TO be instituted Off it be found that any
action will lie) TO recover the sums
fraudulently or feloniously distracted
The Legislature is to be urged to repeal
or amend the charter to enforce full
statement of the finances hereafter at
frequent intervals to prevent the pres.
ent excessive increase of the debt; to
restore to the people, in a word, what
Tweed and Hall have taken away from
them, namely, the power of governing
their own city, and regulating their own
expenditure. Hall, Tweed, and Con
molly, moreover, are invited to resign.
We are not sanguine enough to believe
that they will respect this popular de-
mand but we have some confidence
that they may be reached in a less cere-
monious manner. and rewarded accord
ing TO their deserts.
The good work has begun. Let it 90
on in the earnest. practical, and unpar-
tisan spirit with ~hich it opened last
night, and the infamy of the Tammany
Ring will soon be thing of the past.
What Democratic Rule Is Doing for