The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-11

III might DE very Boou thiuB ioh 'AN ~
and especially for the city of New York II we
could abolish the Legislature. Years ago,
when the Senatorial semi-circle comprised
such men as Robert Bogardus, Peter Il. Liv-
ingston. Ambrose L. Jordan, Sias Wright,
John L. yieIe, John c. Spencer, Henry Floyd
Jones, Frederick A. Tallmadge, Guhan @.
verplanck and Daniel s. Dickinson, and when
the list of Assemblymen from this city en-
braced the names of David B. Ogden. Samuel
B. Ruggles, Carrot Stryker, George Zabriskie,
Clinton Roosevelt, Francis B. Cutting, Charles
L. Livingston, and Isaac L. Varian, the peo-
pie might rest contented in the confidence
that legislation would be controlled by wisdom
twenty years past. with . few exceptions,
the State Legislature has been dis
tinguished neither tor integrity nor ability.
and the good laws that have found
their way into the statute books have been so
literally interspersed with those Of an oppo-
site character that the people have grown ac-
customed to looking with apprehension upon
the opening and with satisfaction upon the
close of the Legislative session. The city of
New York has been especially unfortunate in
affording mine of profit to INSCRIPTIONS
representatives Her local interests which
are in fact the interests Of the whole State
and of the nation, have been sacrificed session
after session to political intrigue or to schemes
OF plumber. A charter has been framed one
year only to be remodeled or entirely swept
away the next, not in the interests Of the peo-
pie, but to suit the purposes Of changing par
ties or individuals. Not how to govern
the city WE'LL but how to increase the
power and enlarge the profits OF those
who for the time govern it have been
the objects of the laws enacted at Albany.
Valuable franchises have been partitoned
among persons almost unknown to our
citizens, and it has been by no means unusual
to find the Senator, Assemblyman or Legisla-
tive Clerk of last year a proprietor Of city
railroad or heavy stakeholder in some
other city corporation the present year.
When the people of New York attempted TO
reform their city government little over two
years ago Mr.. Charles O'Conor warned them
in sensible letter that change of in
dividuals in the municipal Offices would be of
comparatively little value unless accompanied
by thorough publication of the State
Legislature. OF what use could be the
cleansing and identifying of superstructure
built on rotten foundation? The advice
was sound, but the people failed to profit by
it. The adroit use Of the s'reform" cry
carried a set of hungry adventures
to Albany, and the result was
Legislature in 1872 fully as corrupt
as any of its notorious predecessors. Proba-
bly, our reformed municipal government
would have been failure under any circum-
stances, for experience has shown that in some
of the departments official profigacy is not at
an end, while in others we have only ex-
changed dishonesty for gross incapacity. But
the continued impurity Of the Legislature
has materially assisted in destroying the fruits
Guiding the present, under the new regime,
We have had the same tinkering with New
York laws, the same lobbying in the interests
OF individuals, the same Indifference to the
interests of the people, the same bargaining
and corruption to which we were subjected
when Senators and Assemblymen drew their
money directly out Of the capacious pockets
of their Tammany paymasters.
The present session is drawing to close,
and, judging from its action up to the present
moment, it promises to leave behind it an unen-
viable record In both branches Of the Legisla-
ture it is true, there has been an improvement
in the personnel over the Legislature of last
year. The Senate shows the addition of few
good names, and the Assembly is presided over
impartially and with, ability. But there seems
to be still the same lack Of honesty Of pur-
pose in dealing with the affairs of New York.
The urgent necessity OF a rapid transit law is
well known to every member Of the Senate
and Assembly. The future growth and pros
perity of the metropolis are dependent upon
it. The health, comfort and morality of over
million people are to be advanced by such
measure Yet the proposition to create .
commission of New York citizens to decide in
what manner and by whom rapid transit roads
shall be built so as to insure their construction
has found no favor with the Legislature
up to the present time, although almost
unanimously approved by the people of the
city, while some propositions of questionable
sincerity have met with friendly support. In
most of the legislation relating to New York
the same contracted views have prevailed and
the same disposition to favor personal interests
at the cost of the public good has been mani
tested. The measures that have been pro-
posed bear generally the impress of political
tinkering. Nevertheless there is yet time for
the present Legislature to redeem its character
and to win for itself even brilliant reputa-
ton. One single act may be sufficient to atone
for all the vagaries of Lincoln and to make the
people forget the silly chattering OF Alvord.
Here is great city Of over million Of inhab-
itants, and a prospect of speedy addition of