The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-31
Governor Tiidcn's War on the Canal
Ring.

Governor Tiiden's War on the Canal
Ring.
Every honest man in the State without dis
tinction of party applauds Governor Tilden
for the assault on the Canal Ring in his bold,
vigorous Message and nobody doubts the
truth OF his startling exposures. From the
beginning We have not had the slightest fear
that he would not be warmly supported by
the people, but our confidence in the Legisla-
ture was not sanguine, and the events OF every
day tend to diminish it. 1t would be scandal
Gus if, after the revelations made by the Gov
ernor, this session should end without any
thing being done to prevent q continuance OF
the frauds or to punish their perpetrators.
We dislike the look of things at Albany even
more than we did two days ago, because we
find still stronger reasons to fear that
the righteous attack of the Governor
will not be vigorously supported by
the Legislature. The members of the
Canal Ring are cunning. They have
wider connections than appear on the surface;
they will exercise diabolcal art of impugn-
ing the motives of the Governor and exciting
hostility against him on oIher grounds than
his attack ON a corrupt combination to plum
der the State they will leave no stone I'M
turned to undermine his influence in every
open and every insidious way. In such
contest it is the duty of the people to give him
their strong and unfinching support, quite
regardless of everything that may be said by
the allies Of the Ring to impugn his motives.
The people do not care whether he is aspiring
to the Presidency or not. They know that
most of our distinguished public men have
coveted that prize and they have too many
reasons for wishing that Presidential aspirants
had never attempted to strengthen themselves
by more Objectionable means than exposing
and denouncing corruption. man who
seeks the Presidency by such methods selects
the most honorable path an ambitious man
can pursue We wish there were more Presi-
dental aspirants disposed to rest their claims
on their zeal for public honesty instead Of
making alliances with combinations of plum
derers. The people will regard all questions
respecting Governor Tilden's motives and am
bition as impertinent. The only question the
honest masses will consider is whether the
Governor is right in this particular contro-
versy, and on this point there is no room for
doubt. Whatever the Legislature may do or
fail to d. the people will give him strong
and nearly unanimous support.
But we have profound distrust of the
Legislature. Its attempt to set two different
Investigations on foot is a piece of overriding
that betokens insincerity. They Go not really
want Investigations, but postponement and
have proposed these investigations as q pre-
text for staving off Legislative action. 1t is q
dishonest man9uvre for consuming time,
and the moro time they can waste before the in
vestigations are started the better they are
pleased. The investigation resolutions of the
Assembly were passed promptly enough, but
six days have elapsed and they still hang in the
Senate. What the ring members OF the Legis-
lature desire is sham prerence of investigation
to enable them to gain time, but real in
vestigation is what they do not want; and
having already succeeded in diverting public
attention from remedial laws to legislative
inquiries they now wish to impede these in
quiries, and the prompt resolutions of the
House stick in the Senate. We trust the zeal
of the people may make up for the slackness
and covert hostility of the Legislature, and
hope that the meeting in this city tomorrow
evening may be so large and respectable as to
assure the Governor that the best classes in
ing indorsers.