The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-05
The Lobby Preparing Their Bones
for the Members.
The New York Charter and Its
Prospects.
How Appointments in the City Govern
ment Will Be Made.
ALBANY, Feb. 3, 1873.
ALbAN1, TVUs o, 1910.
WHY OUR sLATUREs ARE CORRUPT.

!,
WHY OUR LEGISLATURES ARE CORRUPT.
Why does the great State OF New York, with her
vast commercial interests and her hundreds Of
millions of wealth, send 100 Senators and Assem-
bymen this city to do her work Of legislation to
make laws for her people involving their persons
and their property, and pay them three dollars
day for their services, when they have to pay at
least double that sum for their board lodging and
washing, to say nothing Of the inevitable ''eXtras"
of State capital Why are men who have no in.
comes at ALL or very limited ones, and who GER
calmly cannot afford to pay out money for patriotic
considerations, so eager to accept public Office
thus insutficenty paid The answer to the first
of these conundrums can be supplied by the people
who are parsimOniOus enough to begrudge
fair pay for fair work; the answer to
the second is ewell known to every. man
conversant with the lobby. The State cannot
expect to be honestly legislated for long as
She continues the ill-judged policy OF underpaying
her legislators Men would not consent to go to
the State Legislature, general rule unless they
knew that they would be able to make money ille
ultimately, not only sufficient to cover their ex-
penses but enough to remunerate them for their
time and labor These propositions are as plain as
the alphabet, and any individual who expects to
nnd Senate and Assembly at Albany composed of
members who will not trade upon their votes and
accept brides from the lobby as readily as Colfax,
Patterson, Kelley Wilson, Garfield, Dawes Brooks
and the rest swallowed the tempting Credit Mo-
bilier stock fed to them by the great Hoax Ames,
must be either very unsophisticated or alarmingy
ignorant Corruption at Albany is as certain under
existing circumstances as fever and ague in New
Jersey, and until We have some alteration OF the
constitution by the which the character OF our
Legislature can be improved, we shall continue to
hear before the end Of every session that the exist
lug Legislature Is at least the equal In jobbery Of
any Of its predecessors.
HUNGRY CROWD OF LEGISLATORS.
Painful rqmors Of famine are just now current
IN the locality of State street HILL and certainly
Che countenances of some of the honest country
reform members begin to wear hungry express
sion. Fear has seized upon many of the less
perenced legisators-fear that the session will
pass without ''bone," to gnaw and that no means
will be supplied to lquidate the rapidly augment
ing board bills Those more familiar with Albany
legislation, who are old hands at the business,
more confident, and trust in the old rule that
thing Is certain to turn up before the session
closes; but with this class there is slightly
uneasy feeling, for up to the present moment the
supply stream has been unusually dry.
TIE LOBBY RATS COMING OUT OF THEIR HOLES
1t is astonishing how instinctively the old lobby
rats discover the moment when this hunger CON-
yact seems to have become known to them and we
See to-day about the Capitol some of the well
known lobby faces which have been familiar here
1or the past ten years, and through whom the rail-
road rings and Tammany rings were accustomed
TO transact their negotiations. These men come
nosing around. with chuckle in their throats and
"a twinkle in their eyes, which plainly indicate that
khey find the Legislature in the proper state Of
mind and ready to undertake almost any job for o
moderate considerations Tor the present Legisa-
lure will not be expensive one, and there seems
httle doubt that anything can be carried through
an the good old days of Jem Fisk and Boss Tweed.
SPEAKER CORNELLs POSITION.
Now IL must not be imagined that intend to
assai the character OF all the present reform Leg
1slature. Not at all Speaker Cornell is above sus.
from the Attorney General on railroad bill any
pther measure He has besides set his face firmly
6gains the lobby, and intends to do all in his power
TO defeat any attempt to corrupt the one hundred
And twenty-eight legislators over whom he pre-
sides. He has drmness to carry out his resolves,
end character to render his opinions respected and
cannot anord to have the stigma OF corruption
again fastened upon them after the experience Of
the past session and the recent exposures at ash
tngtOn. They are bound to make resolute and
earnest fight against jobs of all kinds this year at
least. But the dnculty is that out OF the whole
plumber OF Assembymen seventy or eighty have to
be fed, and who Is to feed themY
CASH PREFERRED TO COLLATERALS.
Promises OF city patronage or federal patronage
hereafter may satisfy some OF them but with the
and they are after cash. not collaterals The hon,
est country reformer does not want office, but he
pay his an y. " mt aa
The city members care nothing for pledges, but
they DO want good full pocket for capital
s'extras," draw poker and season at Saratoga or
long Branch, without work In the Summer. II
Speaker Cornell and the republican leaders who
desire to keep the Legislature honest are not
prepared to buy these members out OF the hands
or the lobbyists they will assuredly fail in their
FHK CHARACTERS OF THE MEMBERS Ann HOW rurv
CAN BE MADE HONEST.
Just look at the Kind OF men with whom they
nave TO treat The senate Is the same body which
last year whitewashed James Wood, and mich did
not dare to expel Boss Tweed after his insolent
two-thrds OF them If they did. In the House there
are many Of the Old members, and their faces give
ENCOURAGEMENT to the lobbyists. They are the
men who have been tried in the lobby balance and
not found wanting; or probably might more pro-
perry say found wanting all they can get. Speaker
Cornell and the Chairman OF the Committee OF
Ways and Means, with such members Opdyke,
Piersou, Bgin, Bumenthal, Batcheller and few
Others will ind IL hard matter to hold their
CIates OF the hands Of the lobby unless they tie
them up with greenDacks. The question IL, where
task 70 raise fund to bride members 20 he honest
1t liz to make up pool for the passage OF rail-
road bill or valuable franchise, and hence ven.
Speaker Cornell and the republican leaders, the
session will not close without the usual amount Of
1oDoery, and the Legislature OF 1873 Will not he be-
lobby.
THE NEW YORK CHARTER.
IN one thing, however, the present Legislature
VIII no better than the last The new charter Will
no DOUBT be passed, and the muddled condition OF
Vic Ne" l0rk city government Will be brought to
an end. There Is, OF course a rumor of dissension
sno opposiion bat is raised by those who desire
20 get up quarrel among the republicans this
year as ast, OF 10 create the impression that the
Governor ana the Legislature are not In harmony,
IN the nope TO make something for the mselves out
OF the operation The republican leaders are not
In the least uncertain or hesitatng as To their
policy. They declare that they have the resnonsi.
MI
sbe city on their shoulders that the trust has heen
conhded TO them by alargc majority OF the citizens
Of the State and by a decided plurality i'm the citv
and that they are resolved that they win meet tSe
responsibility and discharge the trust in their own
sway. They will take care that there shall be
NO INHARMONI0UsNEs5 IN THE GovERNMTNr
OF the metropolis under their rule. and that the
men to whom the Offices confded shall not
only be honest, but shall be In full and faithful ac-
with their tuiuL L.