The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-29
Omcial Corruption-Lst Us Have Fair
PlaV.

creepS III anu taruisneS Otherwise gOOu repuIa-
tions. This, unfortunately, is not confined to
one party or to another party, to this class of
men or that class of men but the virus of
official peculation, once introduced, spreads
until finally nearly the whole body polite be-
comes inoculated with the disease. OF course,
there are many notable exceptions to this rule,
and it would be a pity if there were not other
wise our country would 60 rapidly to per-
dition. But while conceding the fact of the
presence of corruption in official quarters, we
hold to the principle that fair play should gov
ern the actions of those who undertake
to make exposures of alleged municipal
dereliction. 1t is in this spirit that we
protest against the Times laying upon the
shoulders of the present city government the
notorious shortcomings and misdemeanors OF
its predecessors. That there have been stu
pendous frauds in connection with the con-
struction of the New Court House no one will
| deny who looks upon the incomplete condi-
| ton of the building at this day and reflects
upon the enormous expenditures that have
already been lavished upon it. That Excess
sive Overcharges have been allowed, that in
feror articles have been furnished and paid
for at first class rates. that the several con-
tractors have considered the building fat
goose, which was presented to them for pluck
ing at their leisure, cannot, we think, be
truthfully gainsaid. But let the saddle be put
upon the right horse. Tammany Hall has sins
enough to answer for without being obliged to
bear this extra burden. A little investiga-
ton into the real facts of the case will
show that to republican legislation are
the people Of New York city and county
indebted for vast amount of the population
that is charged in regard, not only to the Court
House building, but to the rental and fitting
up of armories, the furnishing of new public
Offices, and in other respects. The Legislature
at Albany has done all the legislation for the
city, until within year, for a long time past.
It's efforts have been seconded by non-par
tisan Board of Supervisors Of six
democrats and six republicans-until the new
abolished, went into effect last year. To hold
Mayor Hall or Tammany Hall responsible
for acts committed or depredations connived
at before they came into power under the re-
form charter is unfair and unjust The Board
of Supervisors, exercising control of the affairs
of the city, under the fiction of a county or
ganization, provided for the New Court House,
the armories, &C., and they, with the republi-
can Legislature at Albany, should be held &C
countable for whatever spoliation upon the
city treasury has been committed according to
the allegations preferred by the Times.
The fact is there is really nothing new in the
Times controversy with the city officials,
except its startling type and head lines. The
matters referred to by it occurred in 1862,
when the extravaganza Of the Supervisors
and some other officials was exposed by the
HERALD, pap which even at that date pro-
tested against the action of the Board in
| squandering the public money and demanded
| that the Board be abolished At that time the
| Times defended the Board, while the Tribune
| discussed the matter in milk and water STYLE
| The millions of debt heaped up in those years
from the Court House aud the expenditures
for armories and drill rooms were all COM
mented upon in the aggregate by the HERALD.
Inc Il WttS ID INV opilItiuS buC uillOuo up
into fractions and doing sums in addition for
the purpos Sc of elongating the sensation and
amusing its subscribers. Except in promising
to give the people all the information at his
comm and, we hardly think Mayor Hall was
justified in allowing himself to be drawn into
the fight. He was elected in the autumn of
1870, and all these alleged enormities of
former years were brought up against him and
Tammany at the reform meetings of that day.
They formed the basis Of the Young Demo-
cracy and rep ublcan coalition against him.
The p eople voted for him and his alleged
associa ties of the ''ring" with just as much
knowledge of the charges as they have now.
This rak ing up in detail and fighting over dead
| financial issu es and past alleged rascalities is
puerile and nonsensical, especially when the
field was gone over by the HERALD at the time
they were supposed to have occurred. And
as we said then, so do we repeat now, that
peculation in official places should be promptly
exposed and those guilty Of it be held up to
popular conte mpt and scorn. But the old Board
| of Supervisors. which should be first arraigned,
is dead and buried the new charter killed it,
and with it were buried the history of many Of
those schemes Of private profit and pers onal
ACKNOWLEDGMENT the resurrection Of which
seems to have quckened into vitality our
usually composed and phlegmatic contempt
rary. The L eg islatures which misgoverned
our city for so long time are also things Of the
past, and to rake up their decaying bones at
this late day is sin against humanity. Let the
dead past bury its dead. There are frauds and
corruption continually at work in both our
federal and municipal governments, and if the
Times would lend hand in sweeping venalty
fro m the halls of legislation, both here as well