The New York herald., 1874-09-01
Effect OF tho s.Reform" Movement or
Political Reputa tions.

the personal popularity and political standing
OF all its most prominent actors and abettors.
The path of that remarkable tornado is
Ring, but Of its most formidable assailants-
While the Ring itself was scattered "like
chaf which the wind driveth away the
noted reformers have been rocked and
wrenched like trees in q tempest, some torn
up by the roots and lying PROSTATE, others
standing with broken branches and mutilated
honors, as if the avengng Nemesis owed them
also spite, or as if they were blind Samsons,
destined to perish beneath the temple of the
Philistines which they brought down in ruins.
Some may regard this as an example Of the
ingratitude of republics, but we shall offer
different explanation. Account for it how we
may, tina fact is as unquestionable as it is
striking as we proceed TO illustrate by detail
of instances.
especially in its early stages, was Mr.. Have
meyer, who has his reward as Mayor of the
city. It was he who presided over the first re-
form meeting making q notable speech he
was chairman of the famous Committee of
Seventy which played so leading part in the
demolition of the Ring; he was the recog-
nized centre Of all the anti-Ring consulta-
tions, no important step being taken by any
branch Of the reformers without his advice
and concurrence Verify, he has his reward.
But it is not in the esteem of his fellow
citizens for disinterested public services, but
in the possession of an Office which he could
have reached by no other path, and which it
is the unanimous voice Of the press and
people of all parties that he has disgraced.
Whatever respect and confidence he brought
with him to the reform movement he has
entirely forfeited 'There he lies, and none
SO poor to do him reverence
Another prominent reformer was Andrew
81. Green, who also has his reward in the pos
session of the Comptrollership and the univer-
sal dislike of the community. In former days
few of our citizens were more esteemed or
better spoken of than Mr.. Green. His name
was associated with the most attractive and
popular Of all our public improvements, and
he was reputed to be man of honesty, taste
and administrative capacity. But to-day he
is more odious than any other officer Of the
city government, not even excepting Mayor
Havemeyer, who is rather despised than
hated. An attempt will be made in the next
Legislature to render the Office Mr.. Green
holds elective, and if be should have effront-
cry enough to be q candidate and ask for the
votes of the people he would be greeted with
general derision. The connection of this old
yarac;to opd nat for,;1;or of NJ TIIdar xy;tb
the reform movement has brought him some
thing very different from increased esteem,
confidence and popularity. To be sure, it
brought him Office, as it did later to Have
meyer; but the day is long past when activity
in that movement could help the prospects of
any candidate. The community has come
to believe that those reformers were as ar
rant set Of offce-seekers as ever made
professions of honesty the cloak of selfish am
bition.
We cannot follow the history and fate of
them all. Many dropped at once into OBJ
security Several picked up lawyers fees
beyond their professional deserts, either as
lobbyists for the reformers at Albany or as
assistants in the mistaken civil suits against
expense, with no other result than to give the
holders of the stolen property ample time to
put it beyond the reach of the law. Of all the
reformers not one has gained any increase of
public consideration. Even Mr.. Evarts, who
was prominent member of the Council of
Political Reform and made able speeches
at the reform meetings, is none the better
+, ~k,Asv> -.
the movement When the Chief Justiceship
was to be filed the President passed him in
contempt or certainly did not offer him the
place, notwithstanding his eminent qualifca-
tions for that exalted station. Of course the
President did not put this slight upon him in
consequence of his having been reformer
but that fact did not help him, as it cannot
help anybody else who has real or fancied
claims to high Office. No political party or
any section of the people recognizes even eff
cient service in that cause as title to con-
fdence or popularity. Jimmy O Brien," who
set the ball in motion by furnishing the figures
from the Comptroller's accounts and was the
veritable author of the reform movement,
gained no credit, because he had tried to use
those figures as means of extorting enormous
payments from the city treasury, and at last
published them in pursuance Of threat from
motives of revenge. The newspaper which
first printed the figures and was the
noisiest of all the champions of reform has
since been losing caste, even in its own party,
which talks of establishing q new organ ID
this city to supplant it. The reform move
ment has helped nobody's reputation, has
added to nobody's political strength, and the
overridden horse which 30 many were eager to
mount in their chase after Office lies 'with
his nostrils all wide," without breath or mo-
ton, and giving percepible odor of carrion.