New-York tribune., 1872-03-23

uho,, rbcrc were \ dozen under the former
system.
Vet tho Contract systcm has broken down.
Had IL been faithfully administered, il could
never have been Overthrown. KnaVcry ana
craftsmanship first debauchcd, then destroyed 1T.
The Republicans were in power when the
Infamous Canal Lettings" (of 1864 if we
accurately rcmcmber) gave the system ITS
death-blow. The State Officers of that day
either directly connived at or were convent
emily blind TO the arrangement WHEREBY 'le
contractors bought and sold to each Other the
privilege of fleeing the State by contracts
awarded without real competition Under
those contracts, while the Treasury was plea
rcmorsclcssy the Canals were allowed to I'LL
up and fall into decay.
I'm 1S67-8 the Democrats came into power
over the Canals. They made show oi cor
recting some glaring abuses, but they left more
untouched The Canals were treated by them,
as they had been by the Republicans, rs a
placer, to be worked for the good OF the party
and its fav0ritcs. The keeper OF a great res
ervoir on the Black River was allowed to live
miles away; 80 that when n great rain and
| thaw produced high fre5hct, the dam he
tremendous inundatiOn swept the interyaie OF
that riycr nearly clean Of mills and other struc-
| lures almost to the lake. causing II loss OF
| hundreds of thousands which the State ia re-
auired to make good. Very possibly, this Is
part of Mr.. AlvOrd's Six and Half Millions.
| After being fOur years in Democratic bands,
the Canals now revert to the Republicans.
The new State Officers are upright and capa-
blc-the Controller (hIr. n. X. HOpkins) will
pay away no dollar of public money wrong
fully unless under legal c0mpulsiOn. III you
are very young and green. and very Jealous
Republican. you will naturally trust that this
is the last Canal Deficiency bill under which
our taxpayers are doomed to sweat--that
henceforth, so long as the Republicans shall
be in power, our Canal management will be
characterized by integrity, economy, and sig
nal ability. But we, who have outliyed many
Illusions. are unable TO share your rOseate vls-
ions. On the contrary. we expect to find the
future pretty faithful reproduction OF the
past, with occasional changes from the rule OF
one party to that of the other, but with no
substantial improvement in the net result.
For the Canals have come to be regarded by
our local politicians as legitimate "spoils of
"vctOry." Whichever party may be i'll power
will disappoint and disatfect thousands of its
best workers if it does not feed and fatten
them from this capacious trough. They must
| have places and perquisites, salaries and jobs,
| whether the State shall or shall not profit by
their services. So one hungry swarm succeeds
another, and the patient public is drained of
| its lifc-blOOd
Our Canals ought to be sold. In the hands
| Of company or companies, they could not
fail to earn more and cost far less than they
now do. Their tolls would then be adjusted
and readnstcd as circumstances should die
tate now, if there be a million barrels of
fruit to come out of our Western counties, and
! Canals and Railroads alike cOvet it as freight,
the latter will fix their rates just low enough
to take it, leaving the Canals scarcely bar
rel. There is no help for this, unless you put
the Canals into the hands of men who can
make terms with freighters as freely can
the managers of Railroads.
The State il to-day keeping Canals in order
and well supplied with superintendents. lock-
tenders, &C., &c, which do not pay Ome-fourth
| of their current expenses, TO say nothing OF
| their original cost. Dare our honest and faith
full Controller recommend that these be closed I
Certainly not. He shrinks from the partisan
outcry which would be raised against so right
| eOus and Just q recommendation. so we shall
90 on taxing the people for keeping these use
less Canals in operation, until by-and-by they
will grow weary of paying and insist Oh being
treated with candor and integrity. Speed the
auspciOus day