The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-10

Inc Legislature Will pfODaoly huJoulH oHs0
dc at the end OF the present week without
having done anything to remodel the govern
ment or redress the grievances cf this CITY,
For this neglect Governor Tilden Is respon-
sible, and it is a great set-otf TO ms praise
worthy services relating 10 the canals The
session viii close without the passage of any
law for the relief Of the city because Governor
Tilden wished no action on the subject 1t is,
indeed, given out chat he is preparing some
sort OF a message or dissertation on the
organization I'll cities which he will send in on
\ Tuesday but he might as well do nothing as
to express his theoretical views on SO impor-
tant a subject in the expiring days Of the SEES
sion, when there is no chance Of its receiving
that mature consideration without which
legislative action would be a rash leap in the
dark. There was no subject, not even the
canals, which had equal claims to the early
attention Of the Legislature. There was no
other Oh which the pledges given by Governor
Tllden and his party in the election were SO
distinct, unequiyocal, emphatic, and 50 often
repeated. The pith Of their platform was COM
prised in the three phrases: -''Hard money,
free trade, home rule." The first two belong
to national politics and are beyond the scope
of State legislation. The democratic platform
was, therefore, utterly meaningless as defining
the policy Of the party on such subjects as
would come within the cognizance of the
officers then to be elected il it did not include
promise to restore local selt-government to
the city OF New York. But this pledge was
not lett to inference. 1t was explicitly gwen
in the promise ito limit and localze most
jealousy the powers intrusted to public ser
vants-municipal, State and federal" This
declaration in favor Of municipal home rule
is broken pledge, broken by Governor
Tilden, who had been elected on the strength
of it and who exerted all his influence against
a measure passed by the democratic Assembly
and voted Tor by all the democratic Senators.
If there is any subject on which the press Of
this city Of all parties and no party, on which
the people Of this city of all parties and no
party, are practically and strenuously unani-
nous it is the exceeding badness of our
municipal organization. They will justly hold
Governor Tilden responsible for their COM
pulsory endurance OF it for at least another
year. Excepting the annual tax and supply
bills there is no subject OF legislation which
might not have been postponed with less evil
and inconvenience than the reconstruction of
our city government.
We must not be understood as laying the
stress Of our blame on Governor Tilden's dis
like OF the Costigan bill and his wish to have
it defeated. The Costigan bill was very well
SO far as it went, and, with some amendments,
it would have served a useful purpose in It'd
ing over the interval between its passage and
the adoption Of new charter. The Cover
ncr's opposition TO SO partial measure Of re
lief would have been justiiable il he had
made it the occasion Of pressing upon the
Legislature, at that early stage Of the session,
a thoroughly good measure Of municipal re-
construction. But he did not wish the COST
gan bill showed aside 70 give place to better
but to give place to nothing. The Governor
vas like the dog in the mauger, who
would neither eat the hay nor permit the
1 oxen to eat il. His sole aim has been to staye
4 Of tie subject and carry It over to a succeed
4 ing Legislature, although AZ virtually admits
its great Importance by preparing the elabo-
rate Message he intends 70 send ia at too late
a day for any practical action. For this set
80 ~ 70 4 80 - '---.
ous7l' ~ 0''''' oi'0 - -" = ~
Ps4sou-' 800 4 10y '0-is'
ooiA i''o'--i
uon -
II WI ~ ~
si0's ~ ~
0'i'ae''' Il ~
excuse - oIi''7''S III = 80 1850,
De.'is w 1i'a7 ,ea '-,'u.o Il ~ Psisoii'i
ia'oii''''ii = 'O''o 0o''0'''1' 49, NJ 80
ela'40 Pay - t''',0
i1a',''-. 80 $3.50. $500 7 ~
governor ~ .i'1A''4s 1870 i-'oiin II ~