The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-29
Tho Ways and Works OF the Canal
Ring.


1t contains too many known members and
suspected allies OF the Canal Ring. They are
doing things which the Governor has not
asked them to do and leaving undone the
things he most desires. He has not asked
for an elaborate time-consuming double ma
chinery of investigation. He has probed the
canal corruption himself. He set forth in his
Message not vague suspicious or conjectures,
but fully ascertained facts, of which the evil
dence exists in authentic official records.
What he asked for was not Legislative in
quiries, but Legislative action-the prompt
passage Of laws which will enable him to cut
up these abuses by the roots. 1t is preposter-
Gus to squander the few remaining weeks Of
the session in beating about the bush under
the pretence of finding out whether our canal
system is, after all, really corrupt The
corruption is notorious; it has been notorious
| for years. Its nature is as well known now
as it will ever be. The most that the COM
mission of investigation and the committee of
investigation which are proposed in the
Legislature can do is to multiply instances OF
precisely the same kind as those exposed by
supplies all the facts that can be of any i'm
portance as basis of legislation, and the
newborn zeal of the Canal Ring tor multi
plying Investigations and pursuing the
offenders looks too much like the cry Of "Stop
thief!' raised with all his strength Of lungs
by an adroit culprit when a crowd is at his
! heels.
II does not yet appear what form this noisy
parade of investigation is to take. We know,
indeed, in what shape it passed the Assembly,
but it sticks as yet in the Senate, and in the
three days recess between Friday evening and
this evening nobody can tell what new SUBJ
terfuge may be hit upon by the canal thieves
and their abettors. The Assembly, instead of
accepting Governor Tilden's facts as true, has
passed resolutions for testing his statements
! by two different methods. One Of these
! is o commission to be selected by
the Governor himself; the other a joint
committee of the two houses. The Senate
has acted on the commission to be appointed
by the Governor, but it has amended the
resolution SO as to require the consent of the
| Senate TO the Governors selections. OF
course this must go to the Assembly for its
concurrence, affording an opportunity for the
Ring to gain time and utilize their skulking
supporters in both houses. Under a mask of
pretended confidence III the Governor
majority of the Assembly may insist that he
shall have the sole power of appointing the
commission and defeat it altogether by
disagreement with the Senate. Party feeling
may be dexterously played on to accomplish
such result. The republican Senate may
object to the exclusion of their party from any
voice in the commission, on the ground that
If the Governor appoints it alone the investi-
cation would be conducted In the interest of
the democratic party and Of his own ambi-
ton. If the Senate should adhere to its
amendment and the Assembly refuse to con-
| cur, the skulkers could keep up pretended
zeal for reform while acting in the
| interest of the Ring If the proposed
/ commission should be defeated by this or any
similar juggle, the only serious cause OF re-
! greet will be the loss of time and division of
feeling over an attempt to gain further proof
OF facts that are already so well known as TO
/ Justify immediate legislation. The joint com
mit.ee of investigation will, doubtless, be APP
pointed in some shape or other, but all the
delay that can be secured by differences be-
tween the t~o houses Will aid the Canal
Ring, whose chief purpose is to slave off legis-
lation during the session.
The two great objects at which Governor
Tlden aims, OF ought to aim, are--frst, pre-
venton, and then punishment; and nc must
not permit the Canal Ring to mix and con-
found them if he can help it, Ii your house
is set on fire by incendiaries the most urgent
thing is to get the engines on the ground to
put out the flames. 1t would be absurd to
run after the officers OF the law and insist on
trial Of the lncendiaries while your properly
is burning The canal robbers are known;
they will not escape from the State; they are
men Of properly the Civil Remedies acts,
recently passed clothe the Governor with all
the power he needs for bringing them to JUS
tice, if he has evidence OF their guilt But
while he is pursuing the thieves through the
slow action Of the courts with no great GER
tainty Of either convicting them or recovering
the stolen money, the same kind of abuses
/ VIII continue unless preventive laws are
passed by this Legislature. 1t is for the in
terest of the scoundrels that the remnant of
the session be frittered away in investigations
or pretences Of investigation, utterly needless
Tor guiding legislative action, aud useful only
tor tracking out particular knaves and bring
ing them to answer in the courts. If two or
three Investigations ere set on foot the Ring
and its secret allies will have plausible ex-
cuse for postponing legislation until at least
the proposed joint committee reports, and
nothing viii be done before the close of the
session. The proper course is to lay strong
reforming hand these fragrant abuses at
once, and then, when stringent laws
have rendered their repetition impossible,