The New York herald., 1871-09-15
ne Municipal Mudlle-Wherc Arc
PeepIe to Look Tor Reform

now agitating the city. The injunction case
before Judge Barnard continues to drag its
slow length along the investigating commit
tees persevere in their endeavors to unearth
such documents and accounts as have not be-
come the prey of the plate-glass burglars
about the Comptroller's Office the Aldermanic
accountants are still supposed to be busily en-
ployed in adding up long rows of figures; the
Bohemians persist in their efforts to sell their
worthless wares through the aid of sensation
Capitals; the politicians who are out of office
still hang about the City Hall Park discussing
the situation between drinks, and the reform
the people desire to secure in the city govern
ment appears to be as far off as ever. The
truth is that the fuss Of the past
few weeks, which has been mainly
made by political adventurers, is doing
more harm than good by diverting
attention from the real points at issue between
the citizens and certain of their officials, and
the sooner il is ended the better. What is
needed now is o calm review of the stu alton,
with view Of ascertaining, first, the best and
earliest means of Kidding the city departments
of certain men who have forfeited the public
confidence. and next the most effective method
of securing such reform in the law as will
strengthen the hands of faithful officers and
give us strong and responsible government
in the future. Tae revelations recently made
with regard to the extravagant expenditures
under the old charter; the conviction of the
people that the sudden and enormous wevlth
of some Of the heads of important de-
partments has not been honestly made; the
general feeling that the peoples money has
been spent on corrupt and fragrant jobs; the
singularly unfortunate episode of the stolen
vouchers, and the discovery that the new
charter actually leaves the city powerless in
the hands Of incompetent or dishonest officials,
have all combined to determine the citizens to
| secure change in the law and in the person.
mel of the city government. They must not
suffer themselves to be diverted from these
practical points by the efforts Of hungry politl-
clans and needy journalists to turn just and
righteous popular movement to their own
selfish purposes. They must make up their
miuds what means are open to them to secure
the objects they have in view, and they must
calmly and resolutely carry out their plans,
without reference to the rawlings and prompt
ings of interested parties.
1t has been a remarkable feature of the
New York city government for many years
prior to the passage of the present Charter,
that all political parties, factions and
cliques have been equally responsible for
its rascalities and joint sharers in its plunder.
Tammany democrats and Mozart democrats,
old democracy and young democracy, Greeley
republicans and Weed republicans, conserva-
tives and radicals, Murphyites and Fentonites,
Citizens Associations, black and tan clubs,
reformed convicts and guerilla combinations
of all sorts, grades and conditions, have in
turn fought, combined, bargained, bought and
sold together to secure share of the munich
pal pickings and stealings. At one time it
has been an alliance of Greeley and
Mozart; at another of Weed and Tam
many; now it has been combination
of Mnrphytes and Connollyites, and now Of
Fentonites aud O'Brienites /; but whoever the
contracting parties, the object has been the
same-the spoils of rich and generous city.
Year after year these alliances, if not actually
carried out in the charter elections, have been
consummaLed at Albany, and the money of
our taxpayers has been used to buy
up the marketable votes of republican
legislators under the manipulation of
one or another of the well-known
traders in legislative cattle. Time and
again when the legal voters Of
the city of New York would have repudiated
the leaders whose greed, selfshness and cor
ruption had become notorious, the republican
managers have rushed to their rescue, and by
trading off their own city or Legislative candi-
dates for State votes, have saved Tammany
from overthrow. The present city charter is
a proof of the evil consequences of this cor
rupt bargaining. No regard was paid
in its passage to the real interests of
our citizens. 1t was at first well
pie of concentrated and undivided power
in the Chief Magistrate, without which no mu-
nicipal government can be effective. But the
democrats having squabbled over the division
of the spoils, republican votes were needed to
secure its passage. These were secured in
consideration of the retention of GER
tain members of former metropolitan COM
missions upon the new city boards. Then
came the question whether these republican
officials could trust the democratic Mayor not
to remove them after the charter had been
secured; and, in order to render their tenure
OF Office safe, their Legislative friends insisted
on depriving the Mayor Of the power OF re-
moval.
Now, what the people of New York desire,
and what they need to-day, is to be relieved
from any further corrupt and selfish bargains
by which :heir interests are sacrificed to
the schemes of greedy political adventurers.
They do not begrudge the money they con-
tribute to their government, provided it is
hone7tlv a nd intell o entlv snent in the auffv