The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-07
wendell Phillips on Corruption III
New York.
from tic National Standard. ]

From
The revelations in Nc" lork stai''c
thourhtless men. But observing men kno"
that this den of thieves has existed TOT TWO
generations that one party IS as collipt
~ fine other that anxious men have studied
the case for many years !. that all sorts Of l'o-
litical uuacks have busted themselves III HuS-
pnstin~ remedies. Now and then pulpit Has
thundcrcd its rcbukc was like single
rocket exploding aimlesSly in the DARK.
Sometimes, when the benefit cnurcd 10 lts
opponents, one side of the press has pro-
tested. At rare intervals aspasn OF virtue
mr. fear has called score Of rich men or
educated ones together, resulting III Tue
production OF "blg pamphlet or an III
dgnant manifesto. Meanwhile, now under
one party, now under the other, the eV'l
has gone on rampant, defiant, shameless.
At the roots of the problem lies the TACT
tnat the needy, ignorant, VICIOUS, DANGER
GUS class, maddened by drink, rOtted 10
brothcls, cunningly handled by party lead
ers, elects the mag i>trates of great etleS;
Is This the unavoidable result OF universal
suffrage! If so, then the Declaration OF
Independence is Il lie, and our theory OF
government is sham.
The tendency of the age is toward The
growth of great cities. Cur mode 0i living:
railways. habits of trade, methods OF
manufactures the character of our clfillZa-
ton, all foster cities. Cities increase faster
than the nation does generally. III, using
universal suffrage, we cannot govern great
cities, our form Of government Is Waitlh"
in inst that which the character OF the age
needs. The craftsmanship of the future
must grapple with The proDlcn vi govern
!! ing great cities.
hitherto, we are forced to confess, UNI
verSa suffrage as far rs regards the govern
ment of great cities is failure. II our
Statecraft has exhausted all the checks that
can he brought to bear on the admitted
dangers of such suffrage, then, in despair.
we must beg of a more despotlc theory
help in solving this foremost problem oil
our aye, viz, how to secure perfect safely
TO life and property. ard perfect freedom
of thought, speech, and acton IN great
city with its vast masses Of wealth paEder-
ing so often TO the wees OF us dangerous
classes.
New York is but an aggravated instance
of what, sometimes. unexpected, IS The
condition Of all our cities. Indeed, all our
political forces are beginning TO be used
everywhere mainly for the speedy acqulsl-
ton of wealth Congress and the State Leg
iSlaturcs, are "run,' as the phrase Is, by
capitalists and those who are plotting TO Set
money without earning it. The eVlis on
mere political ambition are plain enough.
But to-day ordinary political cofruptloil 10
only mask for picking ana SteailnS WI q
gigantic scale. The Caesars ana the poila-
parties of old time put society 10 cLllns.
But il was only to guide ciyillZhGlon pIouu,
ly by their single wills. me AZ, h ';'ir
the Bonapartes of to day snatch once chlei-
" in order to steal. The fall Of the French
Emnire ia due directly to the fact that ofhte
was struggled for and used merely as the
sirest way of getting rich. Men Pretend
ad to he political prostitutes merely as Il
cover for their plots as knavish millionaircs.
The empire went to pieces while its chiefs
were cheating on the exchange. The first
Napoleon was fifty named C4sa-Napolcon.
The third Napoleon should be called Jim
Fisk Napoleon-or Fqgin-Napoleou. And
orr own Government, State and national,
shows the same plague spot. New York,
gross and shameless, rots full into the light.
Elsewhere the same disease corrupts I'M
SEEM" Universal suffrage seems to he the
ready tool of such corruption. Is 1t really
so Is there any check, cure, or safeguard
That is the question which this stencil
rising from New York City Hall sug-
gests. While party hacks points fool
1 ISL fingers and cry "Dcmocrat," states
men and iurists see the graver sig.
niicance of the facts. Putting aside the
| childish habble of party presses they should
| address themselves to the task of providing
a sufficient defence in future and vindica-
ting selt-government from the suspicion of
leading inevitably to such stale of things.
Analyze the affair, and show the carping
Tories and the thoughtful inquirers of
Europe that New York is an exception not
u rule-that Just, peaceful, law-abiding,
New England town is the natural out
growth Of our system. And then show
them great city governed honestly, firm
ly, with equal laws.
Meanwhile it is well that Wall street is
reused. But we must expect only some
"lame and impotent conclusion" 1t is sim
ply peddler fighting peddier, or The "outs'
cursing the GINS" We need wise ply
stefan seeking the cause of the disease.
WENDELL PHILLIPS.