New-York tribune., 1872-12-11


This brings us TO those larger questions OF principles
and methods 10 which the amended charter no" pracu
cable should give expression But may oe suSSes.o"
that the immediate practical Question ~ Is S wn W inc IN"
duced to do Ihave answer to his qasSnon; & tpe %
principle and the system o % Ss concern and should not
bc as heretofore dictated by the municipalities them
eS he rsarded as one upon which parties may take
stand While utterly DENYING as 90 that IN the had sH
esy conducted by party or after pSH party snS fbe
pal legislation tit subeot for the action OF the party
mSiS''" mSst now W adopt municipal policy, and
be prepared to abide the consequences, ho
back the work of reform here quarter OF century,
should the party now IN power initiate !ne aSGc $40 OF S
power the party has gained over te CITY 10 e
70 secnT money TO m its treasury recruits operate its
caucuses and journals to paliae its onenses nave
especiaily N its better strengthened aud its
baser following confronted by tAe resoute the Just
and persistent claims OF such citzens as lave ced s
meeting aud have led and supported the great
city reform But our purpose must NOT oe to m e eo
especially hope thls meeuhg may DC taAcn a. 49, ~
test against the administration Of this city Oelng
arooopssiae province OF tie dominant party. wherein
levy party taxation and reward party hacks tnal
party ties strong enough to prevent our ul!
ned and eternal opposition TO every attempt nls Wlntr
to carry any such pOIc. Let us affirm II 10 Oe the
DUTY is the safety OF the parry in power 10 enact
amended charter, and provide for TeVion M oy 0i our
and In the interest OF EtltIal
welfare Of the city and the state together ana no IN tne
interest OF giving any person once on oV G Tae demon
strated Influence, and the increasing numbers Oh nose
who hold such views of city Affairs are great enough TO
carry carry those points II but stand Tesoutcn ana
faithfully together The decisive vote III the ils' cy
election was not party and we may now ieel sure
that now the nonpartsan vote is not likely to become
less less numerous, unless we all 80 10 mum
Cipal perditiOn together.
That there are at least few selfish in the Repub
can ready sacrifice the present interests OF tue
city. and future hopes of t9e party If they can 9n rio
in patrOna and jobs for the next two years VINO pro
capture OF of Seventy and of the whole
movement OF REFORM 10 be taken INTO Tue camp ol ~, Ii
publican partsanshp spOils, and who nope 10 cJht0l
the Governor and the Mayor IN the interests OF such
that there are Democrats selfish enough to pro
mote such policy, in the hope that 1t VIII give them
share OF the spos and all the sooner BRING ther OppO'
nents 10 ruin. need not doubt 30 be equally true
Let U.s. therefore, stand TO our guns ready to wage reo
lutte wal, need be, our common enemies on tlher
hand. Let il not be doubtful tnat, II any al. at
tempt be made TO reproduce Z" Old Tammany' III the
shape OF Republican Ring the first 10 expose H. the
steTnes 10 fight IT, the last 10 parton H. VIII DC inc e
Iabored reform. IN cooperation with the Repu0
hean party and Ia harmonious accord with the acton OF
Dnhncan paftv should have the honor of giving city
ns cbarter II needs Bnt to secure that result
satisfied the cooperation OF the best men OF all parties IS
essential; and ali such men will share tue dsonor and
long suffer entaied II this best opportunity Of
the century shall he lOst the position gained with
such difficulty is not now intrenched' f3rnhed ana
manned. Assuming that statesDanship ana Jusuce can
have fair hearing. let us see what they demand
WHAT SORT OF RESPONSIBILITY SAFEST.
90 long as the party in power in the sta appointed
The sheris eorouers, civil and criminal Justices and
mayors from the captal-and hence party responsibility
could be clearly Faced-the party method Of city
meut was wholly failure. But city politicians were
make those city appointments The elty party majority
demanded that city patronage and the prohts OF an
city administration should belong to itself and be the
perguistes of its leaders. This demand was compiled
politics began and that the party in the state gradually
ceased he responsible for the doing of that part OF
its members residing In the city which lived 10y TINS
trade The city having IN the main got rld or state par
eipation in the form OF appointments Ior Ine G cry nex
demanded that the greatest possible number OF CITY OF
fcals should be elective be appointed or removed at
party caucus wants many offices l by elections,
at the discretion Of ITS fay0rites because It's
activity aud Importance and the collections and profits
its managers are thereby increased Tne central cy
an,int9ents and removals by the Mavor
I'm few years the police became a seryile band OF
pfheT HI cli 0fcals aud finally at the bidding OF a bold
Mayor they midday FABRICATED the CITY Hall IN open
resistance 10 law. When, ia 1851 the abuse eOuo no
longer be endured, the party-short
with long CLASSIFIED terms office, and policemen ap
pointed during good behavior substituted This
bjlitv The fremen under the party system, had long
been horde of bowling stealing savages who made our
nights hideOus and added perils To COnagratOn.
The partisan system as to that body was abandoned in
1866. and the theory OF personal insr ~ ol
to sSfea. RaoD' opinion anu u 0A'Y1u,1 ' r@ "'''
ing long been so corrupt and dangerous that Mayor
nIher proclaimed its assembage TO be greater peril
than disease and cOntaOn, and % out OF the 4S OF its
party appointed Health Wardens and assistants being
notorious party DuilleS; the
Health Department also taken from under the direct
control partisan majority and, far as possible,
was based on character aud placed under the Jurlsdc
tion nOn-partisan public opinion Ihe central FaTk
happily for Us, never, but for short time under
something like the direct control of the unrestralned
party mliOrty but its fair face yet carries the barba-
nan marks OF that beast Of prey.
While IL is true that Commissioners have at all
times by far too much under the control OF city
potcan aud OF late have been more than ever before,
prOsttucd partisan purposes II remains yet true
that ali the real Improvement in city administration has
been made through commissions and commissions have
been equally the agency of all the best city aomnista-
When in 1870 the city majority that the public de-
and for such agencies could not be resisted its leaders
sid Let us the commissions themselves for the
TuTposes of party ana personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT" To
,na oaTtissn MAYOR was authorized to name all
was soon made member Of every commission the au-
inaI and all power of raising public money OF spending
pubie money OF stealing public money, was conferred
upon a few leading commissioners Thus those party
leaders who for 10 years been can0r1ng for the
soyeregn rights OF this city 70 govern itself, reduced the
cty 10 a condition OF degrading dependence upon de,
such thing representations OF the people
with either the power 70 scrutnize or to limit the
city expenditures existed. Millions were plaged from
me TREASURY, and the city stood appalled, Hardly the
form and sense the substance. OF local segOYer
Inent existed No official responsibility Was Iet OF
recognized save 10 the party to prOntaDe ana PROMISED
secrecy fidelity 20 the interests OF common piracy
and tbieyery Such the actual. the natural ana
verify believe the inevitable result OF reliance upon
city officers feeling OF responsibility TO bis party as
public safeguard The officials debAuched tue party that
promoted them, and the party deienaea me onlcias
which gave Of their steaIngs TO It's treasury, ana
whom its great and little caucuses had nomi-
mated. On every hand, 1t was clear tnat the
general tone OF the nOnpartisan cOmmunity-Of public
opinion as q whole-wss far above that OF the
party majority. The party majority OF the city dragged
down the party majority OF the state cast out IFS own
worthless leaders; eOrupty Dargained win lts poDcal
oPponents ana every 1DsSI 81 nc In the
SherHs Office, the Bench In the CITY Hall! IN every
aaaTttp6 u-HA