Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-08-02
THE LESSON OF NEW YORK CITY coRRup.
TTON.

The condition OF abject slavery in which
the honest Intelligent tax payers of New
York city find themselves to-day is one OF
the most impressive lessons taught by the
current events of our generation. We have
given within the past few days copious eX-
tracts from the New York Times in which
the alarming rapacity of the present rulers
of that great metropolis, is demonstrated.
! Yet these figures though brought within
the comprehension of every reader by the
practical illustrations given, fail to impress
the great lesson we would draw from the
picture.
4 government vesting in the people
sovereign power depends for its prosperity
and efficiency upon the intelligence and
fidelity of its citizens. So long as the hon
est and educated men of community
take interest enough in their government
TO see that good and honest officials are
chosen, so long we can have a safe and
good administration of public affairs. But
just so long as they stand back, and either
through indifference or selfish devotion TO
their own business, permit ignorant and
corrupt classes of citizens to usurp the SOW
ereignty of the government; to chose bad
men for office; to secure loose and corrupt
legislation and finally to elect inefficient
and weak men for executive and judi
cial offices, just so long may we expect
high taxes, insecurity of person and pro-
perty and general decentralization. The
want of real patriotism-for an active in
terest i'm public affairs, looking to the pub
lie good is potriotism-among the intelli
gent citizens of New York is the primary
cause of all their present troubles and de-
graduation. The good men of the city have
allowed an ignorant element composed
mainly Of Irishmen, to "Giir control of the
city and misapplylts immense revenues to
such corrupt uses as the Tammany Ring
tooctate. The great trouble however is,
,,, at by their indifference and timidity the
ithod citizens of the metropolis have allow
uld this ignorant element to get such COM
ete mastery over them that it will take
in. drs to overthrow them. They have not
soDly control of the city, but they owned
the last Legislature body and soul.
through this Legislature they secured
to the city charter, so that it
ug.no longer city controlled by the peo-
enc, but is almost as despotic and arbitrary
in its government as that of any city in the
world. ~ w no
To remove from their neclls the CALLING
yoke which this ignorant bgoted element
has imposed upon them, the honest and
intelligent citizens of New York must first
elect an honest Legislature to repeal the
tyronical amendments ofthe city charter,
and then with laws that will give them
something Of Il fair election they lnpstun
almost cccry honest vote in the city, to de-
feat the ring. The latter by use its stol-
Ell millions, has drawn to the city enough
of the depraved element to almost outnum-
Der all the honest classes combined. This
is the fearful predicament in which the
great monied and intelligent classes of that
city find themselves to-day and the pic
ture carries with it a great lesson. The de-
moralizing effects of this example go out
over the country and will be felt in thous-
and ways. We may soon feel it here.
The dangers thus developed call loudly
upon every honest citizen to take more
active interest III public affairs, to do his
full duty as citizen, without which we
cannot hope for Il safe and prosperous gov
eminent. Above all, it ought to awaken
in every mind the great fact, that the Dem
ocratic party, never the aggressor in any
great plQgal 0rrpolitirql. .reform--is clearly
ant substantial feed. Never let a work
,osb spend the Sunday nor any holiday II
1T stable. Turn him out, if he does rol
MP. wet spot aud give occasion for an
ofId cleaning on Monday morning. n
eCne uuires Just such change of exercise
10 feed to keep him in good health.
hl
| u THE AGRICULTURAL FAIRS in V
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| "P- Southwestern Virginia Agricultural
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