New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-09
which they were not entitled, we now walt
with some curiosity to SEQ what the Democrats
will do with their inglOrious victory.
THE CANAL RING IN THE SENATE.


the land. Pipe-laying for conventions and
campaigns, pipe-laying for caucuses and cleo
tons. with some deep digging for the Presi-
dency, has fairly begun. All over the Union
the olotting and contemplating of political
asprants are already marvellous in their tangle
and toll. Everywhere keen and skillful men
are guiding the preparations for the skimishes
that are to precede the great battle of next
wear. But in our own State there are added
elements of interest. There are officers and
legislators to he elected, the judiciOus choice
of whom is of the highest Importance to the
Empire State, and that choice the Canal Ring
will do its utmost to control For these gem
tlcmen view with disgust the new era
which has arisen at Albany, IN the
accession to the Governors chair of
man who is neither demagOgue nor a trim
mer, and who has higher courage than that
of the politician. 1t is the next Legislature
which must receive and act upon the results
of the important investigation Gov. lilden has
set on foot, and which will doubtless he called
upon to aid him il other inquiries. Neither
from members of mat Legislature nor from the
Statcsoffcers to he chosen this Fall should ne
be suffered by tie people to encounter the OPP
position he received last Winter from repre-
sentatives of both classes. 1t Is not too early
for a few words of warning, and-tO take up
onlv one branch of the subject-thcre are at
least three members of the last Senate who, IN
our opinion, have earned the right to retire to
private life. They are:
/. Jarris Lard. Comment here would be
supcrfuOus. The very name OF the CHIEF OF
the Canal Ring is his biography, and 1t ongnt
to be his political obituary. The senator Is
said to understand that he has reached the
term of his public life, and he will lose no
time in exercising the virtue which only ne
cessity could have taught him. The proba-
bilitv is that the name of Jarvis Lord will he
found ON the list of missing before the con-
test begins.
II. William b. WoOdin. The return of SEN
otor Woodn to the seat in which he voted for
the Tweed Charter is one of those mysteries
of popular elections that almost give rise to
doubts of the wisdom of universal suffrage and
of the efficiency Of a free press. The lniany
of that vote was blazoned everywhere and its
trcacberous character, politically considered,
WAS fully appreciated. And yet Senator WOodn
was returned, Just as other men are returned
to the Legislature and to Congress, who
have been branded again and again as
unworthy of trust, as jObbcrs and thieves.
The politicians renOminatc, and honest
but servilc voters register the edict OF the eau
Gus. Mr. Woodin, as if to distinguish himself
as the sole survivor of that famous clique OF
Republican Senators whom Tweed owned in.fce
simple, and as if further to display his personal
sympathy with corrupt organizations, stood up
in the Senate as the special pleader for the Canal
Ring. BY every expedient which his marked
ability could devise, the progress OF the re-
forms demanded by the Governor was delayed
and haiasscd. The coroner waits for you, Mr..
WoOdn.
III. d. =. Wood Senator Wood was one of
the more conspicuous victims of the Canal
Ring exposures, which swept off Legislators and
contractors alike. TO his friends there seemed
something cruel in THE TRIBUNE's impartial
investigation, that did not spare even man
who had worked so hard ut the manufacture
of a good record as Mr.. Wood has of late.
But for this Senator Wood only is to blame.
and not The TRIBUNE. When public men
nowadays come into conflict with facts, the
facts generally get the best of it. We could
not grant to any Senator the immunity we
Withheld from contractors. If we exposed j.
J. Bel,len, it was equally our duty to expose
ID. p. Wood. We have waited for the State
mcnt, con the Plymouth plan,' which Mr..
Wood is known to have had in contemplation.
if not in course of preparation. 1t has not
come, and it is not certain that it ever will
come. The charges that he voted as an As
sembIyman to further the progress of canal
claims, numbers Of them alleged to be fraudu-
lent, in which he subsequently appeared as
attorney, thus prOstitutng his position as
representative for personal profit, and that as a
large proportion of his own constituents assert.
many of the claims in which he obtained awards
were largely fiaudulent-thcse accusations Sen
atOr Wood has not deigned to notice. And
here he makes q mistake. There have been
instances where great men diSiegardcd ugly
accusations, and did SO with safety, because
they refutcd themselves. But Senator Wood
is q statesman of much more moderate fame,
and not many years ago he was az notorious
lobbyist as any of those whose names are now
most in mems mouths at Albany. The frs, half
of these charges Senator Wood cannot meet,
because the proofs are contained in official
documents the remainder he probably thinks
it wise not to meet, for he knows rs well Us
we 90 l1dt the SUBJECT HIS ny 10 means Dtti
exhausted. In any case, however, he cannot
escape conviction of gross improperly as a
legislator and THE TRIBUNE has accomplished
public service by doubtless disposing of an
intended candidate for the responsible Office of
Controller.
1t rests with the constituents Of these men
to say-and with them We leave it-whcher
they shall be returned to the places they have
dishonored. But these electors are not the
only persons concerned in their choice. 1t il
a matter which affects the honor of the whole