The New York herald., 1871-10-13

Few Words OF Advice TO the Conm'i-
tee Of Seventy md Deputy Comptroller
Green.
We have few words of advice for Deputy
Comptroller Green and the Committee Of Sew
enty, to which we seriously advise them to
give their earnest attention, instead of suffer-
ing themselves to be influenced or guided by
the suggestions of political adventurers who
desire to turn the present reform movement to
their own selfish purposes, or by the silly
vaporings Of English journalists who know
nothing about Americans or American institu-
tions. In carrying out the efforts to secure
municipal reformation two points should be
borne steadily In mind-drst, that every step
taken by the friends of honest government
must be in strict conformity with the law;
and, secondly, that in rectifyiug past abuses
the present interests and the future prosperity
Of the city must not be made to suffer. New
York is law-abiding city and has reputa-
tion for order and high civilization upon which
no stain must be allowed to rest. Time and
again the great metropolis Of the Western
| Continent has proved her readiness and her
power to crush out with strong
arm the first attempt to plunge her into
anarchy; and promptings calculated to lead
to such deplorable evil can only emanate
from the most reckless Of political rowdies or
from foreigners who are educated in the belief
that republic is only another name for law
lessness and rufianism. The citizens Of New
York are mainly sensible business men, and
they can readily detect the difference between
an honest desire to expose and punish official
misconduct and disingenuous effort to en-
barrass and cripple the government for politi-
cal purposes.
| There are only two methods by which our
present municipal administration can be legal
ly changed, short Of voluntary resignation or
| the expiration of the several terms of office
! the one by impeachment Of the Mayor and
heads Of departments as provided by the law;
the other by legislative action. The Repub-
| lican State Convention declared its opposition
| to official corruption in general terms, although
it unfortunately failed to denounce those men,
bers Of its own party who have been bought
| up like cattle in Albany, session after session,
by the New York democratic leaders. The
| Democratic State Convention virtually turned
out the New York delegates, denounced the
| depravity Of the city government, struck
fatal blow at the organization of Tammany,
and laid down practical plan for q complete
| remodelling Of our municipal laws and admin
| istration. It is certain, therefore, that the
| next State Legislature must perforce bestow
upon New York the entire and sweeping reform
she SO much needs; for, whatever party may
be successful in the election, the members of
the next Senate and Assembly dare not refuse
to enact the laws necessary to secure that
result, and the Governor is not likely to veto
such measure. The Committee Of Seventy
appears to have given up all idea Of attempt
| ing to solve our present difficulties by the i'm
peachment Of the city officers. Indeed, the
slow process OF the courts and the ample oppor-
| tunities afforded to a defendant to delay a
Judgment, would preclude the hope Of reaching
| result until after the commencement of the
| next legislative session. The stupid buster
| ing of the English-edited Times about an effort
to get rid of Comptroller Connolly by impeach-
| ment before the election Of next month is, OF
course, the result of an Englishman's igno-
rance Of oar laws and customs. 1t seems GER
tain, therefore, that we must wait and hope
for the relief to be extended to US
from Albany, when, with new and effective
charter, placing power and responsibility
where it belongs, in the chief executive
| officer Of the city, who is himself directly
| accountable to the electors, the citizens of
New York will enjoy the opportunity to pass
their own verdict upon the conduct of their
present rulers. There is no other legal road
to the end sought to be accomplished by the
| Committee of Seventy, and hence there is no
other it can safely pursue.
What is to be done in the meantime with the
city government The politicians and the
partisan press are urging Deputy Comptroller
Green to withhold all appropriations from the
public departments until after election. They
believe that by throwing men out Of work, by
| stopping contracts, by turning Park police
men adrift, by crippling the Fire Department,
| the Health Board the Croton Board, and by
disseminating all park, boulevard, avenue and
street improvements they can deprive Tam
many of votes and elect themselves and their
! friends to Office. Now we warn DEPUTY
| Comptroller Green and the Committee of
Seventy that this is both an unwse and dan
| gerous course to pursue. The people did not
enter upon this reform movement as parti-
sans, and they care no more for one political
faction than for another in carrying out
the end they have In view. They
desire to stop all improper expenditure and oil
dishonest application Of the public money;
but they do not desire nor will they suffer
scheming politicians to compass the stoppage
of the wheels of government, the injury of