The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-21
The Legislature Observation-Disclosures
Honesty by Law.

The Legislature Observation-Disclosures
Honesty by Law.
The State Senate was not In session
yesterday, and in the Assembly very little
business Of interest was transacted. Mr..
Strahan, of Orange, introduced a bill, which
is not likely to become law, providing that
no person, being director, trustee or officer
of any corporation existing under the laws of
this State, or having an Office within the State
for the transaction of business, shall purchase,
directly or indirectly, or acquire any right or
title to, any share or part of the capital stock,
and making Q violation of the law o mis-
demeanor, punishable by fine or imprison-
ment. 1t has become the fashion nowadays
for would-be reformers to display great
zealousness in the attempt to legslate men
into honesty. If laws could accomplish moral
reform and regeneration it would be well to
fill up our statute books with just such enact
ments as that proposed by Mr.. Strahan but
such is not the practical experience of the
world. A law to prohibit stockjobbing on the
part of directors would be just as operative as
a law to provide that every public officer shall
be scrupulously honest, or that no citizen of
the State of New York shall 60 to bed at night
or rise up in the morning without saying his
prayers. If Mr.. Strahans bill should be con-
stitutional it would be dead letter and an
absurd piece of unnecessary legislation. If he
really desires reform in railroad and other cor
porations let him vote first for the bill to
repeal the Classification act passed by de-
bauchery Of the Legislature, and next for a
sound general law holding directors to
greater accountability to stockholders and
to the people. The fact that the
powerful Erie lobby now at work at the State
capital endeavoring to buy up Senators and
Assemblymen to prevent the repeal of the
Classification act would only laugh at such
law as Mr.. Strahan proposes should alone be
sufficient to point out to that member the path
of real reform.
The Assembly Is to meet on Monday night
to decide finally on the bill to enable the city
to pay its debts for labor, services, supplies
and materials for 1871. There is abundant
indication that the political fight inaugurated
by the Hawkins and Green party and entered
into with such vigor by the opposing side will
be renewed. It's to be hoped that some honest
and independent representative will draw aud
offer simple substitute for the schemes Of
both factions, providing for the raising of a
sufficient fund for the purpose, and authoriz-
ing and requiring the Comptroller to apply
such money Immediately to the payment of
all salaries fixed by law for services rendered
to the city, of all labor performed
and Of all supplies and materials actually
furnished, in accordance with contract
or order, for the year 1871, and to reimburse
the several funds that have been unduly ex-
hausted. The people will then be able to
ascertain what members are willing TO keep
the honest creditors of the city out Of the
money due to them, for the purpose on the
one hand Of giving the Comptroller the power
to adjudcate alone upon all claims against the
city, and on the other hand of forming new po-
litcal combinations for the control of the city
government. Let us have such o bill, pure
and simple, not only authorizing but requiring
the Comptroller to pay our honest debts, and
let the people know what members of either
House will venture TO record their votes
| against 1t.