New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-06
THE PROBLEM OF MAKING A PERMANENT
REFORM.

REFORM.
OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY wEL-INFoRMED oBSER-
vFRs OF CANAL MANAGFMENr-FEAUD MAIN
TAINED BY POLITICAL POWERFULLY OF THE
GOVERNORS COMMISSION, AND IFS BEST Plan
TO OVERCOME CORRUPTION.
IFaoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEI
UTICA. April l.-Onc Of the most gratifying and
encouraging circumstances IN connections with the
discontinue of the corrupt Canal Ring, through the
combined and overwhelming attacks of Gov. Tllden
and THE TRIBUNE is the unanimity with which he
attacks are supported by the people of all parties
throughout the State. TO be sure. of the
prominent Republican politicians make rather wry
faces in private. and curse the event that forces
them to approve aud support the Governors acts,
but with the Irresistible pressure Of public opinion
behind them they are pOwerless.
1.-THE people on ordinary occasions permit them
selves to be led by tho Politicians said IA promi-
nent lawyer OF this city to me to-day, but there
ALWAYS come, at longer or shorter intervals, times
when the people rise up and take matters into their
own hands, and then tine politicians are either
swept along with the tide or overwhelmed and de
str0yed. Shrewd politicians are always on the
watch for such tidal waves in order that they
nav take advantage of them, but it often happens
that the uprising comes when they least expect 1t,
and then they nave no more control over il than
banks and goes sweeping through the meadows. wear
ing out new channel for itself The present seems
to me one of those occasions, and the politicians Of
all parties Will have to give Gov. Tden their nom
inal support or go to the wall themselves with the
forty thieves of the Canal Ring
III a dispatch few days ago | repeated portions
of a conversation Oh this subject with one OF the
most prominent Democrats of Central New York
and subsequent talks with leading men of Utica and
its vicinity have confirmed the belief thai the gentle
man whom quoted represented fairly the opinions
Of very large class. ii not maj )rity Of the ctizens
of both parties. The truth is that the Ring has
open friends, at least if it has /
have been unable to find them. All per
sons WHO support the Governor do not, however,
feel and talk alike in regard to what be called
the side issues Of The contest, and their opinions rs
to the degree of ultimate success that may be at
tanned are by no means all the same. ! SHALL there
fore in this letter. reproduce, as Il sequel to the dis
patch already referred TO- portions of a conversation
which had Yesterday with an influential Republic
can of Utica who has unusual facilities for learning
the sentiments of his party associates
and is very competent to represent them.
The gentleman to whom / refer is an
avowed opponent of the Canal Ring, and while
| have no doubt that he would greatly Pgret the
success of the Democratic party in the State
iOn his devotion to party has not in the past and
believe it will not in the future prevent him from
Joining hands with any one III exposing corruption
and bringing thieves to punishment He said that
every good citizen of Utica and, as far as he knew
of Central New-York, rejoiced that vigorous
war had been begun by the Governor and THE
TRIBUNE upon the Canal Ring, and he hoped that
it might result in breaking up tho corrupt combi-
nation.
.e Hal 4 -, 49,.
would be destroyed.
"Nor he replied believe the stealing may be
stopped and that, by driving out the corrupt men
and reforming our system, we may prevent it from
beginning again. But even that will be difficult.
The TRIBUNE has published most astonishing ex-
hibit of unbalanced and fraudulent bids, and of
tracts lately let at wholly inadequate prices. Now
YOU understand that the fraud has not consisted
alone in the unbalanced bid After that had been
made and accepted the engineers, the Canal Com
missioner, the Canal Board, or the Legislature must
have been coupy used in order that the contractor
should make any money Suppose, FOR instance, that
when contractors unbalanced bid had been ac-
copied wo had had honest engineers to measure and
accept the work aud no contractor had been allowed
to perform any moro work Of any kind than the
quanity-sheet called for before u now letting took
place and new contract VIA awarded; do You sup
pose unbalanced bidding would 20 on
Take, for instance. BOIno of tho first contricia
which The TnBUSE printed. DcDisOn agreed 10
furnish hemlock timber between Port Scluyc, aud
the Lower Mohawk Aqucduct for 4s n thournnd
feet, when 800 was fair price; and TO lay 5000
cubic yards of vertical wall dry AT - ut least ~
cents yard moro than IL was worth. Now suppose
bis work had been honestly measured. and lac had
been required 10 perform the exact amount of work
called for by his quantity sheet. and no more. how
would he have stood on these two itcmsf lie would
have lost $l2 a thousand on his hcmlock lumber. or
1886 the whole Of it. while he would have made
only $4,000 on the wall leaving the net loss on these