The Portland daily press., 1873-02-25

brief and comprehensive firm name of the
banditti which robbed the city so long under
the leadership of Tweed. If in its new an
plication it means anything, it is intended -
convey the idea that the Republican autbori-
ties are not merely partizans but thieves. OF
course these reckless and groundless imnnta-
tons produce feeling of resentment Of Al.
pany and help to bar the doors to all concili-
atory measures.
Inc lr'oaae joins the cry with an alacrity
strikingly illustrative of the truth of that
passage OF scripture, about the washed SOW.
1t
wALLoWs IN THE MIRE
OF insinuation and falsehood with a vim
Which seems to have been intensified by the
constraint Of affected decency, to which it
was su jected at the time it was repurchased
from Mr.. Orion, and while opinions were di-
vided as to whether VIM. Walter Phelps or
Jay Gould furnished the capital for the re- pur-
chase. This problem has been settled by
the by. Mr.. Phelps did not supply any of the
money.
What makes this municipal controversy ex-
ceedingly unfortunate is the unquestionable
| fact that some of the best men in New York
are arraycd against each other because of it.
But it canrot be denied that the opponents
of the charter as it stands are mainly theorists
who, with all their sound ideas as to the prop
er form ofgovernment, have very little apti-
tude or inclination to carry them into practi-
cal effect. Per Contra the trainers and advo-
Gates of the charter are the men who have
long borne the heat and burden of the day,
who have so far
OVERCOME THE POWER OF TWEED
and Tammany as to give us pure ballot,
and whose experience and political sagacity,
make their counsels indispensable to good
administration of local affairs 1t may be
urged that they are selfishly grasping at pat
ronage-that they wish to keep every branch
of the public service under Republican con.
troll. Well, isn't it after all pardonable
kind of selfshness? These men have been
Republicans all their lives. They have
fought their way from an Insignificant minor
ity to proud and powerful majority. Is it in
the least degree singular that they should be-
leve and act upon the belief, that the Repub-
lican party can govern the country, the State
or the city better than any other possible or
ganization, or than it can be governed with
out the interference or assistance of parties?
1t is great pity that the weakness of frail
human nature should take the form ofquarrels
between the supporters of reform. But since
it mnst be so, let us hope that the effect will
be- to induce the dominant branch of the
Reform body, to wit, the Republican party
of the city Of New York to exercise their
authority, with such conservatism, discretion
and good sense as to win honest men of all
parties to cheerful acquiescence in their re-
| tention of it.
The opponents of the charter were
very
UNFORTUNATE IN THE CHARACTER
of the men who led off in the attack upon it
in the Assembly. Charles G.. Cornell opened
the fire. Now this Cornell is one of the
worst of the brood of democratic place men
! Matched out under the regime of Tweed.
| He held the Office of street commissioner,
and made himself so notorious for his NAL
! feasance, that legislative committee threat
ened him with an investigation, to escape
which he prudently resigned. He has always
had place under the corporation and has
| grown rich by the same practices which have
filled the Golfers of his confederates and &C.
pleted the treasury of the city. Then came
Jacobs of Kings county, who. has been a
democratic member from Brooklyn for six
years. Jacobs was originally newspaper re-
porter. Transferred to Albany he has sue
ceeded in six sessions of a hundred days each
at four dollars per diem in amassing con-
siderable fortune. Two years ago when
Tweed lorded it over his humble vassals in
House and Senate, Jacobs plainly did his
bidding. If he had ever meant to
PLAY THE ROLE OF REFoRMER
that was his opportunity. Tweed had barely
one majority. Jacobs could have check
mated him every time. But Jacobs was
harmless and docle. When Tweed raised his
finger, his patient follower obeyed the signal
without a whimper.
But now behold the TRANSPORTED Jacobs
Note how he llshes himself into ecstasies of
indignation over the tyranny of majorities
and the patience of the men who vote as the
caucus dictates. The thunder which strikes
terror to the hearts of every juvenile pea
nut-eater of the old Bowery in the fifth act
of ''the most thrilling tragedy ever put upon
the stage" is weak imitation of nature, COM
pared with the outburst of wounded virtue
and insuted manhood, which this translated
Bottom hurls at the charter which is to re-
place that marvellous device to legalze steal
ing for which he was an unprotesting advo-
cate two sessions before
Blumenthal gives responsibility and tone to
the opposition, land possibly the country mem
bers who have spoken on that side are repu-
table men, but a dozen of the most powerful
speeches that could be made in support of the
bill would slotstrengthen it so much in the eyes
Of the people as the fact that it is denounced
by Cornell and Jacobs.
THE IMPEACHMENT OF coLFAx
CHANGING from the local to the national
stage 1 am reminded of an exhibition of
what is so aptly termed CHEEK in the propo-
sition to impeach the Vice President, ema-
mating from Fernando Wood. The effront-
cry of this man surpasses anything ever con-
ceived Of One would suppose that with his
terrible record he would instinctively shrink
from entering upon questions of morals or
veracity-that he would keep these things as
far out of sight as possible for fear of being
reminded of the catalogue of crimes which
have been proved against him, eliminating
in that series of frauds on his brother-in-
law, Marvins, for the preparation of which
he would pretty certainly have been sent to
to State Prison but for the fact that
he pleaded the statute of limitations,
and the Judge mysteriously ruled the plea
in bis favor, though there was grave
doubt of the correctness of the ruling, and
no little suspicion that it was procured by ne
gotiation. There is only one way of account
ing for Woods frequent appearance, in the
character of the champion of honesty.
HE BELIEVES IN AUDACITY.
1t has served his purpose so long and so
well that he has some right to believe in it.
Still, when he carries it to such extreme
lengths as to point the eyes of the whole
country to him, it looks as if he was acting
upon his favorite theory with needless indis-
cretion. v
THE CLOSE OF THE SEASON.
The SIN of fashion GOES into eclinsn on