New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-26
SYALL Reform BE THOROUGHr

SHALL REFORM BE 1HOHOCGhI
The State of New-York, at her last election,
nobly vindicated the fitness of her people for
self-gOvernment. Let no man say hencctOrth
that the masses are Indifferent to official prod
igalty and pecuatiOn, for that calumny
has been concusively refutCd. Party
chiefs, intrenched in power behind
succession of overwhelming triumphs, ana
welding an enormous patronage, were hurled
from place as by an earthquake, against which
illegal voting, repeating and false counting,
proved as impotent as straws iii whrlwind.
Thousands who had never before supported
any other than tho regular Demo-
cratic ticket voted for Republicans
throughout; not that they deemed their
Democratic rivals uniformly corrupt, but be-
cause they deemed thorough clearing out
of the high places Of the State indispensable.
They believed it best to leave no vcstige OF
the rule of Tweed and Connolly and We are
sure they judged wisely.
In consequence, we have Legislature over
whelmingly Republican, and strongly pledged
to Reform. How are those pledges to be re-
deemed7
Millions are watching intently the course OF
| this Legislature to see whether our professions
promises OF men out of Office who are anxious
to get in. What shall be their ultimate Judg-
ment
Consider the case of Mr.. James Terwilliger.
! He was Clerk of the Senate when the Repub-
| licans formerly had a majority in that body.
When that failed, he came down to our Gus
tom house and became Deputy and Secretary
to Collector Murphy. The Senate being
again Republican, he has just been
rechosen its Clerk. Mr.. Edward Oracle,
| formerly bOOkkeeper to Weed, Parsons
g. Co., State Printers, swears, 1. That Mr. Ter
williger, when formerly Clerk, received twenty
per cent. of the entire payments to that
firm for Senate Printing, amounting to
over $4,000; 2. That Mr.. T. repeat
edly "raised" bills of Weed, Parsons g.
Co., so as to make the State pay them
(and him) several hundred dollars moro than
they had claimed as their due TO these sew
eral charges, Mr.. Terwiliger replies by Aft
davit, admitting the former but denying the
latter And thus the case stands before the
Senate and the country.
1t seems to us that the Senate should not
have allowed it so to stand a single hour
At the opening of its first meeting after
these charges appeared, it should have sent a
Committee to take instant possession OF the
books Of Weed, Parsons g. Co., 80 far as they
concerned the State, and then have summoned
Mr.. Oracle to point out the bills which
he has sworn were "raised" by Terwiliger,
showing what alterations or erasures Gf any,
have been made, and how the accounts in
those books differ from the bills paid by the
State TherouDon the Committee should have
reported, after ascertaining to what extent Mr..
Terwilliger collected his twenty per cent, and
whether other Clerks of either House have en-
jOyed similar perquisites, why they were al
lowed, and when they ceased, if they hare
ceased. Never was there faircr opportunity
to strike an effective blow for Reform than
just here. Why has it been so long fOrbornc?
We are not prejudging the case of Mr.. Ter
willger. We hold nothing established to his
prejudice except the percentage confessed
in his affidavit And that we most respectfully
admonish the Senate, will never do! If
you do not know, gentlemen, that it will
not answer to have your Clerk getting twenty
per cent. allowance On all the printing you
ents, and they will tell you. You will not
have occasion to ask twice.
Messrs. Republicans and Reformers in the
Legislature! be entreated to stop wrangling
about I" tthes of mint, anise and cumin,r
and take hold of the great work of
retrenchment and the correction of abuses
Here are a Reform Charter to be adopted,
a corrupt Judiciary TO be Overhauled,
the Erie robbers to he beaten off from their
Drcy and all manner of nhuqpa and urO6iOali-