The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-25
litical Conventions-The Opportunity
OF the Opposition.


OF tho Opposition.
While the attention of the politicians has
been concentrated on the Presidential contest
ever since the liberal republicans at Cincin-
matt sounded the first note of the campaign,
the quiet, undemonstrative voters, who last
year inaugurated in this State the great move
ment against official and political corruption,
have not lost sight of the important question
of reform. Last November they made their
power felt at the polls by overthrowing in
| day an organization whose strength had been
the growth of years. Their ballots drove from
office the men who had betrayed their trusts,
| and elected in their stead the candidates of
party pledged to the cause of reform. The
revolution was thorough In the city of New
York, democratic by seventy thousand, the
republican Register was successful by nearly
thirty thousand majority, and in the State
the entire republican ticket was elected
by twenty thousand majority Mr..
Charles O'Conor's timely letter, re-
minding the people that honest legislation
must lie at the foundation of real reform,
was not without its effect and in order to
insure such laws as would secure the fruits of
the victory won at the ballot box the reform
vote gave the republicans twenty-five State
Senators out of thirty-two and ninety-seven
Assemblymen out of one hundred and twenty
eight. This large majority-over three
fourths in each house of the Legislature
designed to place in the hands Of the repub-
licans the full power of controlling legislation
against any opposition, and of overriding if
necessary, the veto of democratic Executive.
In New York city the strongest legislative
candidates of the old ring wef9 o3erthro~n
Only one escaped William M. Tweed, to the
disgrace of the city, was reelected to the
State Senate, and the otherwise gratifying
victory was felt to have been incomplete. But
the honor Of the metropolis was to be vindi-
Gated The people were assured that the re-
publican Senators would save the good name
of the State by promptly expelling the Tam
many leader from their circle.
The failure of the republicans to redeem
the pledges made by the party before election
is notorious, and it is not necessary to detail
the shameless frauds and corruptions of the
last Legislature. They have already been
exposed by one of the few conscientious men,
bers of the most depraved body that ever con-
vened in the State Capitol. In the hands of
the lobby from the first hour of the session,
seeking to sell their votes on every question
that came before them, they rejected almost
every reform measure that was proposed and adj
journed covered with infamy. As the republican
party was responsible for this depraved Legis-
lature, it was reasonably expected that the
Republican State Convention would have
repudiated and denounced its members and
have called upon the republican Senators
who hold over next year to resign their
seats and suffer the people to elect
a new Senate with the new House
Of Assembly. This expectation was not full
filled. No word Of condemnation was uttered
reform and sunk the State Capitol deeper than
it had ever been sunk before in the miro of
corruption. Indeed, the Legislature of last
Winter was honored in the Utica Convention. |
One of the Senators was the most prominent |
candidate for the Office Of Governor, and
would have been the nominee but for the mine
sprung under his feet by the father of the
lobby Thurlow Weed, while notorious Assem-
blymen and lobbyists figured prominently in
the proceedings. This was the blunder of
the Utica Convention; for the reform
still lives, and the men
who won the victory Of last Fall
have not forgotten the treachery of the
hot
full election. The least the republican party
could have done would have been to de-
nounce the legislation of last Winter at AL
bany, and wash their hands of its corruptions.
Such action would have strengthened their
ticket more than all the bids they could make
for democratic and negro support.
The Siamese Twins conventions of demo-
Gratis and liberal republicans are to meet at
Syracuse on the 4th of September, and it is
probable that they will profit by the omissions |
of the regular republicans and will enter the
field as the reform party of 1871. This is
their opportunity, and if they avail them
selves of it 1t will strengthen them greatly
in the State. The liberal convention in
especial should guard jealousy against the
attendance Of any tainted member Of the exist
ing Legislature as delegate, and should not
suffer the name of republican Senator
or Assemblyman to be mentioned for any
office. The resolutions should speak out
plainly in denunciation of the Albany corrup-
tons, regardless Of persons, and should de-
clare against the denomination of any of the
present Assemblymen in single district of
the State. The infamy of the State Capitol
attaches to democrats as well as to repub-
licans, although the latter had the power of
legislation entirely in their hands, and no
political considerations should be suffered to
silence the voice of the Convention on the