New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-22
FIFTH AVENUE CONFEREES.
HOW OUGHT INDEPENDENT REF0RMERs TO
VOTE?
pARRr. GOODWIN RYVfEWs TnE POLITICAL SITUATION
IL IL L Z, b

g,,f.ro,,,. held At tbs Fif;h Avenue Hotel in May
Last lo,irs T., say - word 10 il, members and CON
s.tuent am led to it by tie fact That several Oh
my colleagues have already expressed opinions Oh
thc political situation with which ! cannot agree
But more powerful motive with me Is the be!ioi,
that while the action of the Conference has had no
little influence in Shaping recent events us anne
rents may do intnity of greater good II they VIII
continue 10 in the spirit which brought them to-
Gether. and which is zen N the manly WoruS Vi
their address 10 the people.
IHH spIRIT OF TIE CONFERENCE.
The call for that assembly, it may be remembered,
was sent 10 men of all parties who were lntere.tod
enough in the correction OF Acknowledged abuses 10
cast OH their party trammcIs and to act in a body
a. reformer, NJ Carl SchuTz, who initiated Its
proceedings by brief speech, SAID that, iii Issuing
the inytations mo inquiry had boon made a. to any
mans party connections and oy as to the sincerity
OF MS faith" Ii was accordingly formed OF no pro-
fessnd politicians, but Of gentlemen OF distinction
in the various walks Of life, who preferred country
TO party, and whose single aim Wa TO robukc ana 10
roIoye that fearful decay of civic virtue when had
GENE partly out of the war. but mainly from an Ut
ter peryersou If politics. both in theory and prac-
nce President Woolsey, on taking the CHAIR re-
marked that "for the last ten years the country
had boen growing politically worse, and that those
who had acted With tho dominant party had iFe-
oucutIy had reason 10 blush with shame fOT its lead
ers." In address subsequently adopted by the COR
ference, ~ the declaration cf ilS thought, more
largely described the painful condition of things III
these words
nat, election IL approaching under circumstance
or peculiar Significance. Never before IN our hIslur
ms the public mind been ~ profoundly aflaltl W hl
apprehension 81 the d,rgers arising from the nee
OF corrupt tendencies aud lrcti - IN or Iolti.Il NE
end never rs there been ester reason tor IT, We W.
DO, display here dea tie G.tresslaS cata 81 inc
disclosures vine Tor several yotrs have ioiq""o pr
another in rapid sGcoessl Jon, ana sem 20 nave I,'
scarcely single spa"ro Of our Pniucri ni' u'1yr
National CoDsrass. speak WIN tHripie p'i,c''' nv.
sui they are gln- 10 tho Sc9ut.itrs cGholuo' or
republic century old, and just issued nom we ohy
rrat vii conflict We have bad 20 dc lore j. 50 strong
IN resources aud organization mat ~'1nl, III th9 lo
ri1st RANK Of Inc great powers Of hr earn ana ~
win a these srniid results record, cannot DC dt-
Did ,hi ~ no aafr during the centur now behnd as
selves; ana that he centennial anniversary 81 re Dec
laration Of l4dop-hieucc, IN 30 nny t--i,,' '' ~
to be III re,psots not without ssA-ieprchc" anu ~
cal lie Is ,he cause.
THE Evils CcIrLArNED OF.
The thoughtful and conscientious men VINO gave
uttpruca to this description had long observed the
growing indifference to sound principles and tire
growing dcgcnoraCy IN practice, and they asked
themselves, WnLt is to.be done They ha0 seen,
ONLY a ieN years ago, in tho metropolis ot the con
tiuont horde of bandits possessing themselves OF
almost absolute power by the mere force OF party
machinery, and after g)rgirg themselves Win
pIlndcr to the amount Of fifteen twenty millions
OF dollars fastening thccOwu creatures upon l'gi,a-
times. courts, and tho Executive char. They bad
seen the Judiciary bench occupied by vulgar and
y.uaI scuuuliels who gaze away their decisions a
flyo-s to accomplicos iatierors or who sold them
more or less oponly for gold. They hd seen a Largo
number of the representatives oil the people m the
National Legislature, many OF tho.1 prominent
e;r.,s accepting gra'uities III the shape oil
stock from the gigantic mOueYad corporations
10 which tLcy had voted, or might be called upon
TO vote, enormous Subsidies ont ol the ilouc
lands a YIco-fres lent OK the united STATES lail-
in nto disgrace because ot bis cohphcity' Ih'y
nae seen those s3ne manVeIS OF congress, Win
,th,r.. at limo when tue MACON WIZ grooming
under a excessive taxation voting themselves sal
aries Tor s.r,iceS when tuey had never rendered
from - 900 b. 5000 oarhl and only giving 'he''
back, when they were sTan b"cA at al, WIN re-
Irotauco-sometin"s IA amog""uss ways th't
would admit Of fitnro recovery ana at tHe IT.
hUs' of an outraged owhion ana az ''>'sh""' r''''
they had seen the Southern H''''- recently j" ''-
volt, seized upon by TapIci'1s uilvr'iN "Ho Oh
the prorNt protecting the f.Ehis 81 iic freedmen
outraged all tEs rights and all iie de'hh-l"' Oh cil-
.iizco society, ami those oneo hr11~nH8 commune
ties, now struggling t. recover ui"i ''aI Pi'"p''"S'
subjected to u" c-rdati'n7 oil al 81 'e'' '"',"p'
lhoy MAJ sean '''' h''1I'V' 90 '''', ''' '''
by TIC N''''"' I'-'''', ''' -
htols' WI" H'7'I' l'''''7 '''' i',' 90
the lroDc by h'ap.hH "'D' "'" '""'.''" "P',, 40
people, thrcueha shameless P'i'ei''"l Oh ia '''
duties Of olice. They ha@ seen Widespread COZ
spnaey Tor drfrapting the revenue "itA Is pnhci-
pal agents IN t"a venue departments '"' ~,
s'i-t' Ia the "Hi'o ii'g'' d .''' ''.'' -'