The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-23

his name Is James y. Reed Inc wniAon
confidential clerk Of Josiah Caldwell, he now
stands to that patriot in the more endearing
relation Of friend. He it was who sent the
famous 'Favo" despatch. who wanted
Colonel Scott to pay for it, and who finally
paid for it himself with friendly zeal tenn
pered with economy that is positively
touching. After Mr.. Reeds explanation
we suppose that individual thinks the whole
matter is clear as day. Unfortunately 1t Is
not It seems to be the misfortune, II not
the policy, of Mr.. Blaine's friends always to
leave something for the gentleman from
Maine to explain. There is always Thin
BILE left for him to turn, under which 'the
little joker" may be hiding. When the Pro-
fessor turned up his sleeves and pro-
ceeded to read the Mulligan letters
to the House he left the unpleasant i'm
preston that several ''little jokers"
had been struggled out Of sight into
the pocket of his assistant. Among those,
however, which hoped out on the table was
Blaine reminder to Fisher about the ser
vice he had done Josiah Caldwell in his rul-
ing as Speaker, and hence we can perceive
how Caldwell would be unlikely to refuse
SO small a favor as to retransmit cablegram
generating Blaine. The great point which
Mr. Blaine and his friends desire to make
now is that the telegram from Caldwell to
Proctor Knott was not bogus; but the
difference between spontaneous tes-
timony from such man and the
cooked composition that came bear
ing his signature is obvious. It was Of
no particular valueas evidence any way, and
Mr. Knott might fairly have announced its
receipt; but there was evidently something
about it which instinctively troubled the
Kentucky statesman. He thought it was
bogus, and it has only turned out to be the
next thing to it Well might the simple
minded panegyrist of Duluth wonder how
Blaine knew all about the despatch he had in
his pocket, when we find the shifty
friend of Caldwell, who Matched the
whole thing proclaim that he knows not how
Blaine came by his knowledge thereof Far
be it from us to impeach the veracity of
John Smith, but for all the Table Noun
tain truthtulness of this excellent being we
are tempted to fear that he must talk in his
sleep or that he is so diaphanous in compo-
sition to the eyes of all Blaine men that they
could easily see through him and know what
he had been doing without the necessity Of
his uttering it.
Mr.. Blaine cannot aver that his friends
have lacked zeal in defending him. There
has been, in fact trop de sslc. He set them
the example. 1t would not be enough to
everything had to be done with view to
theatrical effect. His record, as far as it
was exposed, brought some ugly things to
light but in his super-adroitness he has
always left the impression that worse re-
manned behind. We can dismiss Mr.. Reed
with smile, but the republican party may
bless its stars that ''in the economy of Prov
idence," as the wooden nutmeg rhetorician
phrases it, the identity of "Favo" with
John Smith" and Of John Smith" with
james C. Reed, who elsewhere ''tells in SIM
pie language what he knows about the row, :"
is not matter of much consequence in the
canvass of Hayes and Wheeler.
Twenty-fsur Millions for Public Works.
If our people would know how to make
New York metropolitan let them study the
example set by Paris the other day, when
her municipality voted twenty-four millions
of dollars for public works. Yet Paris within
the past generation has been punished and
plundered as New York never was in her
history and we trust never will be- There
were the exactions of the Empire, the vast
schemes of Baron Haussmann, the fine i'm
posed by the Prussians when they captured
the city, the damage done by the Prussian
bombardment, the siege Of the Commune by
the Versailles troops, and the destruction by
the Communists themselves. With all these
burdens the people of Paris see the wisdom
of keeping their city at the head of cities,
and they now vote twenty-four millions for
public improvements.
Here is New York. which for years has
been falling into decay, like o Castle Rack
rent, and all because the plunderers, headed
by Tweed, have given place to the garroters.
Tweed robbed New York; his successors
would stiAe it. There might be q hundred
improvements which are neglected. The
streets are filthy; boulevards run into q field
and suddenly stop. Streets which were
ruined by contractors in wood and pitch lie
undisturbed in their ruin. Rapid transit, the
crying want of this city for twenty years, is
checked and for the time destroyed. The
upper part Of the island, which should be rs
attractive par: of our city as Bayswater or
Eelgravia is to London, is rapidly lapsing
into its former condition as a common. The
city has come to standstill.
And yet New York might be made the
most beautiful city in the world. Paris, in
all her glory, could never compare with New
York if our rulers were not q dynasty of
blockheads succeeding dynasty of thieves.
If Paris can spend twenty four millions why
can not we do the same-or even smaller
.r,r,2 We bova Tho rnonev We have tho