Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-07-30
THE LESSON OF NEW YORK CITY CORRUP.
TON


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.
A 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 a community
take interest enough in their government
to see that good and honest officials are
chosen, so long we can have safe and
good administration of public affairs. But
Just so long rs 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 patriot:sn-for an active in
terest in public affairs, looking to the pub
lie good is patriOtisna-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 gain control of the
city and misapply its immense revenues to
such corrupt uses as the Tammany Ring
dictate. The great trouble however is,
that by their indifference and timidity the
good citizens of the metropolis have allow
ed this ignorant element to get such COM
plete mastery over them that it will take
gears to overthrow them. They have not
only control of the city, but they owned
the last Legislature body and soul.
Through this Legislature they secured
amendments to the city charter, so that it
is no longer a city controlled by the peo-
pie, but is almost as despotic and arbitrary
in its government az that of any city in the
world.
To remove from their necks the CALLING
yoke which this ignorant bigoted element
has imposed upon them, the honest and
intelligent citizens of New York must first
elect an honest legislature to repeal the
tyronical amendments of the city charter,
and then with laws that will give them
something of fair election they must unite
almost every honest vote in the city, to de-
feat the ring. The latter by use of 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 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 in public affairs, to do his
full duty as citizen, without which WI
cannot hope for 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 an!
great moral or political reform, is clearl!
and VIGOROUSLY responsible for the shame
less frau DIS which rob our first city of it
millions of revenue, and furnish pictur'
of corruption and degradation unparallel
ed in the history of municipal govern
ments.