The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-02

Inc lflenus VI EoIOrm, u5 bOmo Vi our
people call themselves, are like men who
grope in the darkness. The Committee of
Seventy Scheme" as It is called, has fallen
dead. Something between an essay on poll
tical economy and q real charter, It lacks the
finish and fulness of the one or the practical
value of the other. Even the Committee has
dsowned it and repudated it by solemn
resolution, and we scarcely expect to see It
considered in Albany.
We have little hope of any practical charter
from the Committee of Seventy. That indus
trious and well-meanirg mob has achieved
certain political results in the elevation Of
some of its leaders to Office. This is what it
was intended to attaiu--no more. As a
reform movement 1t has an uncertain value.
for having on one day given Mr.. Connolly
bond of immunity, the next day found him in
Jail and no Committee to aid him. Mr.. OConor,
Mr.. Tiden, Judge Bedford and few others
whose work is outside of the Committee, who
have merely done their duty as citizens and
public officers, are the real reformers and
their suggestions as to q charter would be
heard with attention. We do not want
charter from the odds and ends of committee
caucus like an old-fashioned grandmothers
sampler or patchwork quilt. Seventy men,
or even ten zen without any clear idea un-
DERIVING their discussions, anu impatient to
realize municipal millennium in day, would,
with what they call their ''ideas," make
charter as homogeneous and irrelevant as an
almanac or book of domestic recipes. What
we want is charter that will be based upon
sound, logical, lasting principles. The details
of 1t should be elaborated by men skilled in
the law. charter, for instance, should en-
body these principles:-
Frst-A strong central government, oil execu-
tive authority lodged In one executive head.
Second-The Mayor, as chief OF the municipal
government, should be chosen for term Of three
or four years and ineligible for reelection.
Thtd-The money-votlng power should In some
way represent the money paying people.
F0Wth-The municipality should pass It's own
tax levles without reference to the State Leglsa.
ture.
FiTh-The charter should provide for the I'M
provement as we'll as tho reform OF the city.
Sirth-New York should be reconstructed into a
political metropolis by the consolidation OF the city
and S uburbs into one municipal organization.
Any charter that violates these sound max
inns, or fails to embody their spirit will be
calamity postponement of the work of
reform. AS we have said, reform does not
mean standing still Reform is life, not
DEATH The misfortune with most of our
reformers is that they see nothing in their
work but to stop paying money. So long as
ipiu nd
levied and no bonds are raised. the city is
reformed And if charter can be passed
that will give US q kind of government and
cost the people little money, they will con-
slider their work to be done. Nothing could
be more absurd than this. Reform did not
mean to stop paying money, but to stop steal
ing it. New York understands very we'll
that to make this city worthy of its future and
its renown great deal of money must be
expended. We need docks for our large and
growing commerce, and would pay fifty mil
lions to be as we'll served as Liverpool. We
must have our parks completed and our boule-
wards extended and widened. We must have
bridges over the East River, and system Of
rapid transit, either over the ground or under
ground, to Westchester. All of this will cost
large amount of money. New York will
gladly pay it, and the people look to those
who have this charter at heart to see that
these improvements are made. This done,
then we want reconstructed city. AS we
have shown New York is msnomer We
are not the metropolis, but the fragment of a
metropolis. All about us lie rich, powerful,
Independent suburbs, which are really por-
tons Of the city. Draw line thirty miles
around NewIYork and we have the city. By
this we mean that most of those who dwell
within that circle are as much citizens of lew
York as those who reside upon Fifth avenue.
Now, why not take these people and give them
one form of government? Why should Brook
Ign and New York, lying within rifle shot
of each o. her, be two cities, with two ma
chimes of government, double officers and
laws and appropriations, largely in-
creased expenses and manifold disadvan-
tages? Why should Newark and Jersey
City and Hoboken be outside of the city
limits. We could well Afford as a State, to
give New Jersey an indemnity, in money or
territory, for the cession of these towns, SO
that the work of consolidation would be COM
plete and satisfactory. Let line be drawn
across Westchester, including Yonkers, and
call it the city. We should have metropolis
in fact as well as in name. More than all, we
should add to the voting population of New
York the large conservative well-to-do out-of-
town class Of people who are really interested
in the success of the city, its progress and
good government, and should take their share
of the franchise. They live 10 New York
money here. They find comfort and value and