The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-19

interest be allowed on that amount as In thu
case of the conversion by the Syndicate of thai
portion Of the debt already placed, the profit
would be fifteen millions, exclusive of com.
missions. If one per cent commission should
be allowed there would be profit Of ten mil.
lions more, or If half per cont only be
allowed the commission would amount to five
millions. It must be remembered that the
Syndicate furnishes no capital II is simply
an agency, and these enormous profits are
only for services, which, as was said before,
the Treasury Department could perform itself.
We hope Congress will not give its sanction to
this stupendous raid upon the Treasury which
the Ring is SO intent upon making.
How Can We Get . Good City Gov
ofnments
There is great amount Of humbug about
political reform. Individuals who want Office
organs that live upon the success of their
party supporters, parties out Of power and
anxious to be in power. are, one and all, at all
times. on all occasions, prepared to denounoe
the corruptions of their political opponents
and to avow their own devotion to the cause
of honest government. Occasionally their
efforts are productive of good, as opposition
generally is, by exposing misconduct and by
bringing about change of rulers and q
breaking up Of old combinations. But their
object is Q selfish one, and their professions
seldom hold good after their accession to
power. General Dix, the Governor-elect of
the State of New York, is not reformer of
this type As a politician he is independent
of all parties, and he accepted a nomination
for the honorable position to which he has
been elected with o sincere desire to
benefit the State by his services. When
he declares that he considers the verdict
given by the people in his favor to have been
verdict against the corrupt and selfish
management Of political cliques, condemna-
Office and public plumber, and a declaration in
favor Of retrenchment in expenditure, a strict
accountability in executive departments and
publication of the halls of legislation, the
prolific sources of abuse" we may be assured
that he will do all in his power to enforce the
judgment of the Court. But the aspiring
politicians who interpret the words of Cover
nor Dix to mean that he will favor the stupid
policy of a non partisan government fraudu-
lent pretence, which means simply government
composed of the strongest partisans of both
political organizations in equal doses-will find
their hopes deceptive. General Dix, both as
soldier and q statesman, knows the impor-
lance of harmony and hearty cooperation in
an army and in an administration, and will
not be likely to fall into the error of mixed
commissions, squabbling officials and divided
responsibility.
Because the people care nothing for mans
political opinions SO long as he makes eapa-
BILE, honest and efficient public officer, the
impression has prevailed that 9 municipal
government, to be satisfactory to the citizens,
must be constructed Of alternate layers Of re-
publicans, liberals and democrats; The idea
is simply absurd The people demand the
appointment of good and faithful officers, and
ere Indifferent whether they are all republi-
cans, oil democrats, or divided in their politi-
cal opinions. If greater harmony, more eff
cheney and closer responsibility can be secured
in the New York city government by placing
the several departments in the hands of repub-
licans in political accord with the federal,
State and municipal heads, provided the ap-
pointees are capable and unexceptionable men,
the people will be quite contented to
see this BIPARTISAN" policy, as it is
miscalled, thoroughly carried out. Of
course an Executive or Legislature
DESTROYS Of faithfully discharging trust
would not be guided by political considera-
tons alone in selecting municipal officers or
in framing municipal laws; but it would be
the reverse of Independence Of politics if
either should be required to keep their politi-
cal ledgers nicely balanced, and to make the
opposition columns foot up exactly the same
At the present moment the city affairs are
in confused and unsatisfactory state, by
reason of a want of harmony among the heads
of departments. Some of our officials appear
more anxious to find fault with other officers
than to attend to the proper discharge Of their
own duties. The daily papers are constantly
troubled with long official controversies in
which the people have no interest. The
Finance Department is occupied in writing
newspaper articles about some half dozen
laborers in the Public Works Department, who
are said to have drawn few dollars on q pay
roll under false names, and forgets that the
banks have been using the city deposits for
their own benefit, and that the city has been
l~c.o Ill IS I..~
thousand dollars by the transaction. The
squabbles and jealousies between the depart
ments have proved seriously detrimental to
the progress and prosperity of the city, and
have led to unnecessary litigation at the ex-
pense of the taxpayers and to the enrichment
of favored lawyers. This condition of affairs
must cease before we can hope to have an eff