The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-04-16

were q great many cOTSl iei''' 49,, e+
mended this alternative to favor. ~ Wv Lad
place If was new plan, and therefore nau
provoked no adverse criticism. Inc auoption
Of If miobt involve concessions on all nailu'
but could give triumph to no se' - oasa The
In the next place it was en'lfeiy ~ A.
Mayor and the President OF the oo'"' ..,o,
dermen are both gentlemen OF repu'a LII,
universally respected, and of much 100 a ;n
s+an'1irr ~ the community for probity ana IN
tellisencs TO risk popular criticism by mah'ns
bad appointments. Besides II Is ni"on ~ .,,+ron-
gerous to give contingent hoia upon p o 70
.go IN one well-known man Win ~ W. o,,
share his responsibility than to li'esn Who
49,, , - 4,,om comparatively UNKNOWN "no
lit divide between them the oai''ni u oon-
"l's - soddle improper nominees upon
son'in7 ~ fact the project is IN reality
'lie cry. objectionable than any of the 9TH
unless we except that OF giving the pow
o .,volnsively to the Mayor, thing it is alb
81 l> n talk about, because there isn't a Re.
,h,;can in the Legislature who would go for
| it,
But reform in New York after it has CON
ouered its open enemies is sure to be hinder.
ed and badgered by its protested friends. In
the committee of seventy, the new scheme of
dual executive power was presented bv the
abest adviser on charter matters there is on
the committee and was heartily sustained by
another member scarcely second to him in
practical sense and familiar with local
affairs; but it was uoted do,cn, every
negative vote proceeding from a Democrat, a
coincidence which goes great way to ell
courage the growing impression that politics
are finding their way into the councils of this
non partisan body.
Well, shortly after this, the subject was in
troduced at the monthly meeting of the I'm
ion League Club. 1t was freely debated, and
there were indications that the plan would be
endorsed by decisive majority, when, after
every body had become exhausted by the dis
cusson, Park Goodwin sprung substitute,
which was so much more denunciatory OF
the action of the Senate in retaining certain
heads of Departments, that the meeting for
got for the moment that it left the vital point
at issue precisely where it was before, and
adopted the substitute with hurrah. Where
upon motion was quickly made to adjourn
and the whole proceedings ended in--noth-
ing. So true is it as some old philosopher
has said, eff every Athenian were Socrates
al assemblage Of Athenians would still be
mob"
What between the Tammany Hall demo-
Gratis who want thoroughly anti Republican
Charter; the Apollo Hall democrats who want
their especial Representatives in the common
council to have voice in the confirming
power because it is an element of political
traffic; the regular Republicans who believe
that with the control of the city they can
give the people such an admirable local adj
ministration as will ensure their continuance
in power for a long time to come; and the
genuine Reformers who care very little for
party butyery much for the general good
who want economy, cleanliness, order-an
attractive city to witch visitors may come with
sense of security against thieves, bruisers
and murderers; and in which men may live
without being utterly consumed by onerous
taxation and exorbitant assessments between
these divergent interests and motives, it is
very difficult to fix basis of agreement on
which an organic law shall be framed to the
satisfaction of all. make no account of the
| guerillas who want no charter. These are
the incumbents of offices under the instru.
ment devised by Tweed, Hall, Sweeny and
Connolly to give them perpetual lease oil
Manhattan Island. They are powerful in
numbers and rich in the unchallenged plum.
der they acquired before their masters were
expelled. But being naturally odious they
mostly burrow in secret and execute theil
plans by indirection. They have exactly the
measure Of power which is derivable from the
possession of patronage, no more and no less.
How much that will prove to be we shall
know within the next seven days,
The Imperative necessity for enacting a
charter is the strongest reason for hope that
| one will be agreed upon. The Republicans
of the State OF New York would never for.
give a member of the Legislature who by any
act ofomission or commission helped to throw
away the golden opportunity to render this
great service to the party, to the city and to
the State. Any charter is better than none.
and in the midst of such conflicting views
as the wide spread discussion of the subject
has elected, almost any plan which shall f.
nally be adopted, will meet with general ac-
qutesence. Most unquestionably this will be
SO if the immediate result should prove to be
the bestowal of power upon higher class of
men and the infusion of greater vitality into
all the departments Of municipal government.
Mr.. Greeley's successor is subject chronic
and violent attacks Of malignant disease
which cannot better describe than by calling
it Murphy-phobia 1t breaks out every little
while in various sizes Of type, and several
columns of aggravated bile. It is the old, old
story, and its frequent re-appearance suggests
the inference that it is kept standing in
the composing room, ready for use at a
moments notice.
Idare say there are great numbers of people
at a distance from New York, who read these
wretched fabrications of an irate bohemian
with an idea that they contain at least some
grains of truth. / confess it is hard to com.
prehend how man Of education and having
some outward semblances of gentleman,
could fall so low as to pile up day by day
pyramids of abuse of an honest, unofendng
private citizen against whom he had no
greater cause of hostility than that he refused
him seat in State Convention in conse-
quence of his not being regular delegate
thereto
And yet it is SO. Nobody knows better
than this wicked caluminator that every
count and specification in his long indict-
ment against Mr.. Murphy is without the
smallest shadow of shade of foundation in
fact He is perfectly aware that Mr.. Muir
phys dealings with the government were
honorable and patriotic-that he is man en-
tirely above reproach, frank, hearty, ingen-