Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-10-14

The telegraph has already Informed us of
q novel step toward reform 10 New York pol
tics namely, the proposition of Messrs.
Chas, O'Conor, James Enatt, Wheeler II.
Peckhan aud Joseph II. Choate, all geutle-
men differing In politics, but in full accord
so far as the deslrAbIllty of selecting only
good men for office Is concerned to act as a
sort Of advisory board In regard to noInina-
lions for the Assembly. These gentlemen
| Sign their names to u long letter addressed
TO their fellow-cltlzens, In which, after stat
Ing their claims to DO heard on the subject
10 wit that three Of them, with Mr.. Eyarts,
now absent In Europe, were selected as the
prosecutors OF the Tammany rug, they say
among other things
I'VE venture 10 consider ourselves capable Of
| thus serving you in this peculiar mefgsncy-
| the selection OF an honest Assembly. We are OF
the most diverse views in relation 70 political
questions, aud In relation TO the prominent can.
| didatss for high 0tnoes Each OF us has, how.
ever, entire confidence In the fairness and good
faith Of the others. As an assurance to honest
| oontending partisans that our action will DO
governed by no fAvOrtism To men, parties OF
! special political ideas, Wo pledge ourselves TO
act, each on his own unbiased Judgment, and
also that no resolves shalt be announced by us,
/ except such as are tho result Of a unanimous
vote Tho necessity for action Of this kind At
| this time IL imperative.
The surprise OF their sudden overthrow last
| autumn struck tho Otncial mAlemotors with ter.
TOr; nor did they soon recover their sell. posses
sion" "rhe legislative department Of a
Commonwealth y Its motive power. Its opera
tion IL like that Of tho vital current ln strong
mans yeins-it represents the impulses Of the
sovereign people II Is the will Of the State. A
/ corrupt majority 10 our Legislature possesses In
| actual practice vastly more power than the Eng.
lish Parliament" "If corrupt men
can continue to control our state Legislature,
Nlna mn
| an amazingly short space Of time the whole oOun.
try may DO moTlgAgsd TO public creditors pretty
nearly II not quite TO II. full value, for moneys
/ raised on the public credit by our ofhoials and
mainly applied to the uses Of themselves and
| their Tetalners." "In districts whore
the Republican party have decided majority, II
/ Ing 70 that party should DO put In nomination,
the honest Democrats OF the district should de
cline 70 nominate any one, and, acting as bal
ance Of power, they should tender their undi
yidod support 70 any honest Republican oandi-
| date. These same Views should DO applied and
acted on conversely In districts clearly Demo
cratic" "lt our services shall be 40
cepted, We propose TO meet daily henoeforth until
the election, We will examine the position OF
eyery. candidate for the Assembly throughout
the STATE and with all practicable prOmptltudo
will make public declarations Of tho result over
our signatures. Our course will be as follows;
~. Where, rs for Instance, In the case Of the
two gentlemen now In nomination for Gov.
eTnOr, all the candidates for the Assembly In u
district are morally uneGceDtiOnabo, We will
make no observations.
80. Where some only OF the candidates are OBJ.
fashionable, we will recommend those who are
worthy Of support.
10. Where all the candidates In any district
are Questionable, we will recommend the cleo
tors OF such district TO select and bring Into the
canvass another candidate. or course we will
not indicate any person as our choice but as
long as a district shall remain unprOyled with
a reliable candidate We will continue TO urge
another selection.
As far as may DO possible We will act with
out party bias Or persOnaltAv0r
The Times, In an editorial on the question
of reform, warmly seconds this proposition,
and hopes II will be adopted and acted upon.
It regards It "as an opPortuno solution of
the difficulty" The gentlemen who have
THUS come forward to serve tho State are all
men Of uuquestlOuod integrity and ability,
aud will bring to their sclt-lmposod task a
Wide experlenco-gained In similar invostIga-
tlons-and the brOadest spirit OF pOtuUtiami
and mo one who desires to sec elected an
honest House Of Assembly can fail to per-
ceIyr the necessity Of some such Influence
being brought into operation.
II these gentlemen sLuuld get the vuUuur-
SgemenL they hops fer which we sincerely