The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-12
Governor Tnaen on oanaI Reform.

/
made at an opportune moment. The pre-
liminary report of the Commission to inves-
tigate the frauds upon the canals had just
been made public. Some of the suits for
restitution, based upon that report, had been
instituted day or two previously The evil
dence adduced before the Commission, it
was said, inculpated many prominent officials
Of both political parties. All that was needed
TO give new life and renewed vigor to Gov
ernor Tilden's policy of canal reform was a
word from the Governor himself If this
word was uttered fifty and bravely and at
the moment it was demanded for the public
good there could be no doubt it would bring
fresh CONSERVATION to the Canal Ring and
make a reform victory certain. With the
skill and tact for which he is noted he has
said at the fttest time and place exactly
what it was best should be said, and he is to be
congratulated upon an effort that savors
as much of true craftsmanship as it
evinces a desire for pure administration
If the Governor persists in his policy and is
sustained in it by the people without regard
to party, as he ought to be, the thieves who
prey upon the public works and devour the
public wealth viii be brought to punishment
long before the close of Governor Tilden's
term of Office. This is no party question.
The Canal Ring is composed of both demo-
Gratis and republicans, and both democrats
and republicans should unite in bringing its
members to justice. The public interest is
to be placed above all mere partisanship. In
his Message to the Legislature last winter and
in his speech at Buffalo on Tuesday Gov
ernor Tilden took the high ground fit to be
taken by the Chief Magistrate of the Empire
State, and all that is necessary to complete
the noble work he has undertaken is that he
shall be sustained by the people in the way
he suggests. 1t will not do to pile ring upon
ring. when bad men combine" the Gov
ernor says, 'good men should unite, and
then he pertinently asks, Is it any satisfac-
ton to a republican that man who goes to
Albany to misrepresent his duties and the
public interests is called republican, or to
a democrat that he is called democrat? In
this there is whole volume of political wis
DOM and if it is pondered and acted upon by
the people the result will be a new era of
official purity.
The canals of the State, and especially the
great water way from the lakes to the metrop-
oils, are Of the greatest Importance to the
people. Cheap transportation is the problem
of the age and the country. The question is
one Of great interest to this city; for whatever
impedes or obstructs transportation is detri-
~ &c h,,r1
upon the taxpayers. Indeed, it is to the Erie
Canal that New York city owes its supremacy,
and we owe even our railway system to the ne
cessity of competition with the great work De
Witt Clinton bequeathed to US. late years
the canals have been in a measure inopera-
tive, and as a consequence even our CONNER
cial supremacy is threatened. A combina-
ton Of leeches has fastened itself upon the
public works, and its members have been
fattening upon public plumber. This result,
so disastrous to our commercial and indus
trial interests, has been one of growth,
and so strong was the power of the Canal
Ring that many of our best citizens despaired
of the possibility of breaking it The Ring
itself had hopes that it would be able to
overthrow the Governor and all the elements
of reform. In the beginning it was defiant,
and changing its policy it subsequently
sought to save itself by the subtlety of its
Vaccinations. In other words corrupt
clique is endeavoring to triumph by the cleo
ton of corrupt men to the Legislature. This
is the evil at present to be feared and the
one to be guarded against by the people.
There never was a time when the duty of
electing honest and capable men to the State
Senate and Assembly was so imperative as it
is now. The last Legislature failed signally
to perform the duties imposed upon it by the
amended constitution. Instead of consider
ing and maturing the general laws made
necessary by constitutional provision the
time Of the session was spent in the
passage of special acts expressly prohibited
by that instrument. No sense of the
restricted power of the Legislature had
yet come to the Albany statesmen. Corrup-
ton was the food upon which they had fed
for so many years that all else was husks and
stubble in their mouths. They were the
obstructonists Of the Governors canal policy
in the interest Of those who were robbing the
State and the people, and in the face of the
fact that the Canal Ring robberies were de-
stroying the commercial prosperity of this
city and placing unbearable burdens upon
the people of the State. Under all the cir
cumstances it required rare courage in the
Governor to expose the frauds of this COM
bination comprising, as it does, some of the
leading members of his own party, and in
following out his policy to its legitimate con-
sequences he shows not courage alone but
strong faith in the people. Believing that a
new era Of honesty has dawned he puts him
self forward as the leader of reform. What
ever may be his personal ambition his sup
posed Presidential aspirations are not to be
/ i - =. = Il 4