The New York herald., 1876-12-24

their affairs IL . great wrong which
has parallel in municipal history, and It's consc-
quences were demoralizing wherever their influence
felt "what first done" says Governor ILL.,
den his special message to the Legislature Of 1879
apparently at least protect the rights Of the mi
norty or OF individuass What was first done for
the sake Of good government in little time to
be for the purposes ol interested individuals
cIques. Differing In politics, AS city aud state did,
party selGshness and ambition grasped at patronage
power, and the great municipal trust came to be
the trahc Of The obbcs Institutions wholly un1t 10
any object OF government y civilized
munity and OF their structure capable OF
nothing but abuses, growing INTO crimes against the
communities which they existed such ms the Board
OF Supervisors. erected IN 1857 into existence
under the motive power of the division OF the spos.
which they parttioned between their conriyers, CON-
bining equal numbers from both partes.n
REFORMING REFORM
II to have been OF tho people well
the politicians during these twenty years oil reform
and reforming reform,
- My nature is subduea
To what Il works In like the dyers hand:
Ply me then. and wish were renewed
Resulting IRON the inability 10 act with effect dur
Ing these many years, the habit OF acting ut all
los. to inc people respectable men lost all Interest
ton Decay OF civic training followed forced exclusion
or voluntary retirement from participation IN local
government Everywhere tyranny aud debauchery
by utter hepiesncss. The commissions had
been established in the name OF reform, aud at last
apparent 10 everybody that II was necessary 10
reform the refoi mcrs The remedy which had been
obta through appeal TO the legislative power
Albany was found 10 be- worse than the disease Re-
cure had been had something like the old sys
Tor the appointment OF local officers under the
OF i777 and abuses and wrongs oil local
followed greater than those which
the people appealed The evils weEe not alone in tho
tyranny OF the COMMISSIONS and She corruption OF
the CITY Hall, but even 10 greater degree In tho
centration Of much power at Albany. The LcgIs-
lature assumed new powers and continued enac,menis
expcing oiiical from olce merely TO put another
in place. il further, and placed ali tho
powers of municipal administration in whatever hands
most likely 10 obey The mandates and fill the
purses Of the leaders in this nearous traic. II
only natural that effort should be made reform
work such reforms and that tie attompt should
be made n the direction OF the restoration OF local
sell govSrnmen the principles Of which had so long
rnE CHARTER OF 1870
1t the result OF this appeal that the charter
oil 1870 adopted. As is now well known this
charter was only Of piece with the legislation which
preceded IT. Tho purpose OF restoring local sci-gov-
ernment TO the city Of New York osienlatiousiy
paraded by ts advocates, both among the democrats
and the republicans But II was the consummaiion
OF the villany from the which the city nad then
been suffering for fifteen years. That OF the
Legislature OF The most noted in the history
OF the State. Holman was Governor, Tweed was the
leader OF the Senate, swceuy was power IN tho
metropolis. The Young Democracy, as u wing OF the
democrats from this city called themselves. loud
and boisterous clique 10 the Assembly. There was u
feud between Tammany and its foes was extremely
bitter. Creamer led the fight in the Senate and kcr
aud others In the Assembly. John Morrsscy
the generalissimo OF the Young Democracy. itwus
an unequal fight, and yet the leaders werc con-
fell Morrissey's forces he sat table the
Dcavan and discussed the division OF the spoils tho
city with Harry Genet, when the charter, which the
Young Democracy had framed, passed the NOR
When the morning came there was defeat, utter,
anu sold like sheep In almost every seat there were
treachery and corruption II Was tho greatest victory
whcn bribery ever gained, and IN consequence OF It
q hundred men infamous to-day. A DAY or two
afterward, on the night when Judge Joseph +. DAILY
Albany TO tender 10 Tweed tho surrender OF
Peter Coopers Citizens association, that eminent
statesman reported In tho newspapers to have
pledged himself Jacksonia phrase that New York
should havo q good charter The "oid man"
tainly said New York deserved u good charter ana
should have il, but The promise couched words
of shocking and barbarous profanity As II turned
out, the ..good charter' was more terrible curse
than the curses oil the Boss s'lt long docu-
ment" says Governor rilden in The message before
referred TO, sfull OF minute regulations copied from
preceding laws but It's vital force and real object
sided Ia u few sentences" I"
rYE PROVISIONS AND xFYEcr THE CHARTER.
The charter whose scope and purpose was aptly
described in these words oi Governor Tiden tho
pendent enactment which ever passed legislative
body Ii proessed to be In the interest OF reform
Intended to promote the restoration OF local sei-gov
crnmenl while II kept the irresponsible COMMISSIONS
existence and stripped the elective councils OF all
legislative power IL vacated tho existing Offices ut the
end OF days and gave the power 10 nil the
cies 10 the Mayor without restriction OF any kind
quartet composed of Tue Mayor. Comptroiler Commis
siouer Public Works and President of Park
Department was made the real municipal legislature
they responsible 80 no one their Official
duct and even the power OF removal, which previous
had always reposed In the Govcr repealed
IL objected to this charter ut the time that tho
offices thus constituted fer all practical purposes
commission and that the elective power by the poo
pie annuiIed and rulers set them without
their consent Those objections irultiess how
ever, and by q subsequent amendment all tho powers
OF taxation and expenditure well of legislation
and administration were given 10 the quartet slow
unanimously that assed-by what barter o the
municipal trusts and corrupt use OF municipal money
and how within month" SAID Governor Tildcn,
sthe officers placed by legislative act without tho
terventon OF a new election In supreme DOMINION
1000 900 people divided up ST. 900 900 oi pretended
was the cumination of vicious system which ended
only with tho downfall OF the Ring. An oigarcnv
more hideous than that OF the Thirty Tyranls at
Athens the Trumvirate at Rome lad been cstab-
shed aad II was only dragged down by the weight or
which came With IT, even The evils OF lesisa,ion have
not YET beeh eradicatcd.
ru. CHARTER OF 1879
The charter Of 1873, under which municipal az
fairs now conducted, Is only modification Of the
charter 1870 Some OF the obnoxious principles
OF the nrst charter are retained IN the second The
Mayor, Comptroller, Commissioner OF Public Works
and President OF the Department Of Taxes ars for all
practical purposes, gslalve quartet 1t still leaves
10 Tho Of departments the power Offices
and saiares and the quartet may and do levy
true, is now removable by tho Governor, und
the heads Of departments by tho Mayor, sub
iect To the written consent OF the Governor
but these about tho extent Of the advantages
which the present charter possesses the
one. The hrst framed to SUIT tho purposes OF the
Ring, under the second IT Is always possible TO
form ring. 1t tsa tinkered charter, and is, and
while must be unsatisfactory. since 1873
repeated attempts nave pecn mude TO tinkef ~ SIN
further, but they fsed because change, wheo
IL Is made 1t oil, must be radical, we'll considered and
satisfactory Under tho recent amendments to the
constitution be made applicable nike all the
cilies OF the state 10 must DO suited to the
and meet the xppre<elon OF the people. As yet no
comprehensive wa3 considered system has been
proposed until ole has been reported examined
aud agreed the charter o 1873 with all It's faults,
It's many obnoxious provisions and It's oisarcnical
principles OF local adm nisraon will probably remain
on The statute books tnc fundamental law Ot the
metropolis
ooyERNoR rILpES's MESSAGE on MUNICIPAL REFORM
No clizcn OF this city State Is better qualified
discuss question municipal reform than
nor TiIden In his political lilo he made icipal
administration . speciality, and was the foremost
ana powerful agent In breaking tho
Ring Observing the utility OF any partial parti-
san Ieqisation and not being inclined to tamper with
tho government OF the metropolis and the other
great cities OF the State. but expressing his profound
interest IN necessity OF constituting system
rhich WILL meet with The preal tanns nI TIM