The New York herald., 1871-09-06
Tho Streets OF New York-A Chance for
Municipal Patriots.

Municipal Patriots.
The best haters of Napoleon III. are always
prepared to credit him with one good act
''He made Paris the most magnificent city in
the world" He may have cheated the people;
he may have set back the cause of republican
ism in Europe half a century; he may have
been selfish, tyrannical, INSCRIPTIONS; but he
swept away the dark, narrow passages, the
foul cutters, the uncouth cobblestones, the
filth, impurity and disease of old Paris, and
gave to the Parisans in their stead broad
avenues, picturesque parks, matchless roads,
fine structures, light, cleanliness and health.
For these boons he receives blessings from
many and concentrations from all, even now
that the hour of his pride and power has, per-
haps, forever passed away. We are told that
the evil that men do lives after them, while
the good is oft inferred with their
bones; but the refugee of Chselhurst
is living proof that at least
after political interment mans good
deeds may survive and be remembered
to his credit. New York, old New York, is
sadly in need of Napoleon, and 1t is to be
hoped that the historical fact we have here
put on record may incite some of our ambi-
tious municipal rulers to follow the example of
the ex-Emperor and, like him, to leave one
bright line to be inscribed upon their political
tombstones.
Modern New York, thanks to our Park
Commissioners, promises to be all that can be
desired. Our new boulevards and our Central
Park give assurance that the upper part Of
the city will, in few years, outrival even
Paris before the Commune in healthfulness
and beauty. In the older portions of the me-
tropolis the altered condition of the Battery
and of the downtown parks affords us q
slight conception Of the improvements
which may yet be secured by enter
prise and energy. But much remains
to be accomplished. The horrible con-
dtion of majority of the thoroughfares
in the most frequented parts Of the city, the
filthy streets, the dilapidated roads, are a
scandal to the country. No great city in
Europe is disgraced by such marks Of penu-
riousness and neglect. Any half DOZEN New
York avenues, taken at hazard, will furnish
evidence of as many different jobs in paving,
outrvalling each other in badness. To- drive
across town is to risk life and limb, to say
| nothing of the less important considerations
| of wheels, springs and horsehesh. To walk
through many of our most public streets is to
encounter odors which defy the principles Of
| hygiene and hold out the promise of rich
harvest to cholera and fever. London, not
wthstanding its magnitude, is everywhere
well paved and almost everywhere well
ceansed. Paris, despite its crowded popula-
ton and its system of 'flats," has good roads
and clean streets. Berlin also can boast OF
well-kept roads and streets.
Yet not one of these great cities possesses
more enterprise and liberalty than New York,
and not one has so much to hope for in the
future. There is no good reason why the
metropolis of the Western Continent should
not snrpass thore ol' - I~-~'y ~"a vutrlVal
| them all in the condition of her roads and in
her general sanitary arrangements. 1t is the
| peculiar privilege of New Yorkers to grumbe
and growl over alleged municipal extrava-
gance and corruption; but we do not believe
one citizen out of ten thousand would object to
being taxed far more heavily than he has ever
yet been taxed to secure thorough reform in
the paving and cleaning of the streets. This
is the direction to which our municipal rulers
should now turn their thoughts. Let them
study the condition of European cities and
compare their systems of paving and cleansing
with our own (; let them 60 resolutely to work
to give us good, clean thoroughfares in every
direction at any reasonable cost including
royalties and percentages, and we can promise
them that even should they fall before the
assaults of out-of-office reformers they will at
least enjoy the satisfaction of extorting good
word from their enemies after they shall have
retired to the shades of private life.
AN ANTI-DRAMsHOP CONVENTION is called
to meet in Syracuse to-day. About this time
every year batch of cold water philosophers
gather together and put themselves in the
way of attracting the attention of political
parties for the purpose of selling out to the
highest bidder. There is, no doubt, large
number of sincere temperance men in this
State whose opinions should command respect;
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