New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-16
MOVING Against THE RING.

MOVING AGAINST THE RING.
The first serious contest between the Re
formers and the Ring of Brooklyn has closed
with the removal of Mr.. Sprague from the
Office of City Treasurer and the appointment
of Mr.. Andrew Cunningham as his successor.
While the success attained by the RefOrmeB
in this change is not all that was hOpedsfor
unquestiopably the advantage remains with
them. A positively bad Treasurer has been
removed, and a negatively good one has
been appointed Mr.. Cunningham's honesty
has never been called in question. lie Is not
at all likely to use the money intrusted to his
care for the benefit of Kingsley, McCue, and
other cOnfederates of the Ring, as 1t Will
shortly be shown that Sprague did; but he
must be a sanguine RefOrmer indeed who will
accept with equal confidence the intimation
that the Ring will not have the assistance of
the Treasurers Office in its political maneuyers.
Mr.. Cunningham is a thorough partisan. He
was Ring candidate for Sheriff last year. 1t
| is true he forced his nomination upon the
Ring. who afterward betrayed him for the
benefit of the present Republican Sheriff, who
is under serious charges of malfeaSance In
Office But the present arrangement concludes
all past conflicts between Mr.. Cunningham
and tbe Ring. He would never have been APP
pointed by so abject tool OF the ring as
Mayor Powell had he not previously pledged
himself to use his party influence for the
Ring. Reformers will do well, therefore, not
to count too much upon the advantage they
have won by the appointment OF Mr.. Gun
ningham.
The arrest Of Sprague yesterday is the
beginning of another serious contest. Follow
ing so closely upon the heels Of Mr. Kingsley's
return from Lake George, it would seem TO
some that not Mr.. Britton's righteous indig-
nation against the thieves, but Mr. Kingsley's
"policy TO save the Democratic party" has
made necessary the arrest of the principal de-
faulter in the City Treasury. But this is not
true Mr.. Kingsley is understood to have
endeavOred vainly to prevent the arrest of the
chief culprit. We say chief, for ii our Brook
lyn readers do not already suspect that
Mr.. Sprague was the chief criminal In the
misappicatOn of the funds Ill the Brook
Ign treasury, they will learn definitely
in la few days by developments which it is
certain cannot longer be concealed and the
Ring live. 1t will be the fault of the Re-
formers if the Ring lives after these develop
ments are made and fully cOmprehended.
With Sprague and Rodman imprisoned, and
the action about to be begun against others
who are implicated with them, the Reformers
will have ammunition sufficient to keep up
sharp and destructive fire, and we shall expect
them to do it. They have never had, during
the years in which the agitation of reform has
been going on, such an opportunity. Their
enemies are OH the run, and they will not
deserve to succeed if they do not keep them
in fight and demOralzed.
Out of all this agitation there has come,
necessarily new organization to direct the
general reform movement, There is no sue
cess without immediate and strong organiza-
ton. We do not mean the organization of
new party, even of local character, but one
for the expression and development of public
feeling. 1t should be one not for the nOmi-
nation of candidates, but for the Endorsement
of the best men put forward by the various
party organizations 1t should find its first
influence in the compelling of party organi-
cations to nominate only good men. not
their leading politicians. 1t can be Of
such strength as to make certain the
election of any man whom it shall indorse.
But to this end it must be thorough; its
branches must exist in every ward; it must be
ready for instant and active work preparatory
to the campaign, and when the candl-
dates are nominated and Endorsed it must be
able to command the energetic cooperation of
non-partisans at the public meetings, and at
the polls on election day. Nothing can be
accomplished without hearty labor, and that
labor should be begun at once.
The fullest and clearest information yet OBJ
tainable in Brooklyn points to the nomination
of Democratic ticket, which is to be sacri-
feed that a Ring Republican ticket may be
elected. Mayor Powell, or some such servant
of the Ring, will be put forward by Kingsley,
McCue, and Mclaughlin simply to be de-
feated. While a few honest Democrats and
partisans may vote for him, the organization
which these men control will cast all its
strength for the Republican Ring candi-
date. This was to have been Mr.. Ripley
Ropes, who has been in training for it
ever since he whitewashed the Bridge Company
and accepted the Presidency of the Ring bank
But il is safe to say now that Mr.. Ropes will
hardly get the nomination from anybody.
There are other candidates eager for this
honor, whom we might name, but need not,
for our Brooklyn readers are not blind TO the
partisan operations of the Rings, which by
corruptly combining control them. IL is a rep
etition of the old trick of the Ring by which