The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-03

New York city government! The chances
the people will accept the explanations of the
political journals and forget the shameful ex-
posures before the Poland committee The
committee itself seems lost in q maze of
bewilderment at the evidence which has, in
voluntarily as it were, sprung up before it.
According to the best informed accounts
Judge Poland and his associates will find moth
ing in the testimony to call for any opinion or
recommendation on their part, and will simply
report the case to the House for its action. A
rumor is afioat that the House will refuse to
receive the report, inasmuch as there is matter
in it rejecting on the action of Senators, and
its reception would be breach of the priv
lege of the Senate. Colfax asks to be investi-
gated, but his Office, as he ought to know. pre-
vents an investigation. He will not ask to be
impeached, nor would the House crafty him
if he did. Harlan will remain in his seat in
the Senate, and the ten thousand dollars paid
by DR.. Durant or the Union Pacific Railroad
Company will remai1 in his pockets. The
breeze now blowing at the national capital
will die away and the republican party will
enter the next campaign with the cry of reform
as loudly as ever on its lips.
Let us hope that the escape of these tainted
saints of republicanism and democracy will
our legislators and other officials, both in the
nation and in the States, more bold and fear
less in their corruption. Already there are
mutterings of q hungering crowd at Albany,
and suspicious-looking persons begin to hover
about the halls of the Capitol, apparently wait
ing like the willy Ames, for applications for safe
Investments. Hints are to be heard of dis
satisfaction with this leader or that authority
hints which are always the precursors Of the
formation of ''rings'' for individual enter
prise. Those experienced in legislation are
well aware that opposition to the Speaker, or
restlessness under some supposed dictatorship,
is the well-worn subterfuge by which guerilla
policy, designed for the benefit of the lobby,
is originated and excused. 1t is the only
means by which the strength of powerful
majority can be broken. Last year it was
practised with success in both houses, and
OPChOu oiAS Woy III oOAAupoiOh AAolC LoVOAiouo
than that of any previous session. The
Senate of last year is the Senate of the
present year, and there are many members of
the Assembly of 1872 who still retain their
seats in that body. If we are to have legis-
lative session similar to that of last Winter the
party and the organs which are engaged in
the labor of protecting the corruptions of Con-
gress will be responsible for the disgrace. It
is probably idle to notify the Legislators at the
State capital that the Independent press will
narrowly watch their proceedings and expose
any corrupt acts with an unsparing hand
Did not the people re-elect many of them. and
endorse their political party, after the disgrace.
full exhibition of last year? Can they not rely
on their party organs to forget their delin-
quencies in the next election as they forgot
them in the last? We admit the force of these
questions nevertheless we have some hope
that the people may at last be aroused to
action, and after the Washington exposures il
may be prudent even for an Albany Legis
lature to take heed how it excites the public
indignation and contempt.