New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-05-14
TILE ALnERNEN IND TIE cHARrER.

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have sent committee of their august body
to Albany to argue with tine Governor against
the Omnibus charter, which they pronounce
crude and uninteigiblc and in many par
ticularS injurOu, 30 the best interests OF our
city" Criticism upon the workmanship OF
the charter, coming from such a source, viii
demand attention ii not respect, and indeed
we have no doubt the delegation will ma he
itself heard and felt at the State capital, be-
cause Pulluy himself is going at the head Of
IT, Puroy is Il representative municipal states
man. As an individual he may not be modest,
OF useful or NICE but as a specimen Of the
abstract Tammany Alderman as distinguished
from the concrete man he is perfect Ii anybody
is going to Albany to tell the Governor what
our Democratic Aldermen think about Il
charter which cuts down their salaries, by all
means let it be the frequent and pcTyading
Purroy. 70 him q bill which lops off a
fragment from the absurd pay Of the Common
Councilman, even though it leave him the
grossly extravaganza allowance Of $4,000 a
year, is "crudc and injurious yet we suspect
that it is perfectly incIigible.' We are
much mistaken in PmrOy if ne do not convince
the Governor that in one respect at all events
the tendency of the charter has been al
together in the right direction.
1t should bc well understood at Albany how
ever, lust who the gentlemen of this City Hall
delegation are and for whom they are quail
fed to speak. They are careful TO describe
themselves as the elect Of the people the true
representatives of the desires Of the voters, and
the official Spokesman Of the local authorities"
They are none OF these things. They do not
know what the wishes of The people are. They
are not IN sympathy with any considerable por-
ton of the intelligent and thinking public, and
they have 30 commission to speak for any Of
the local authorities except the fourteen
Aldermen including themselves, who voted for
their appointment. 1t is a hidc0us error to
suppose that an Alderman who owes his posi-
ton not to the fee choice of his constituents
bat to The workings Of the Tammany voting
machine, represents the opinions and interests
of anybody except the little knot OF wire
pullers who caused his name to be printed on
the regular ticket. As a general thing he and
his constituents are quite ignorant OF each
other. The Alderman does not work for the
people of his district because aS a rule he owes
them nothing and expects nothing from them
They do not make the nominations. They vote
a. they are bid by some unseen committee,
and candidates of the PuIroy stamp, having
made it all right with these nominating
powers, float into Office on the tide Of the
party majority. When they tell us aftcrward
that they have been "elccted to represent the
"pcope Of the city" they talk humbug. They
cannot believe in it themselves.
What they understand 10y an Injury 10 the
d" best interests of the city was curiousy
illustrated in The talk respecting the appoint
ment OF the committee. They had examined
such Of the provisions of the charter as an
pcarcd to them Ineligible" and they dis
covered that in the process OF rctrcnchment a
number OF Democrats were turned ont OF IN
necessary Offices, and the Aldermen were de-
! priycd OF part of their prcpostclous pay.
We DO not hear Of any other objections which
they vcuturcd to make to the bill. The in
forests to which il is hostile therefore are
| the interests 81 a score or so OF tdX-cOnsumcrs.
/ 1t has been subject OF load complaint
among taxpayers for several years that
the city is p.lmg NJ debt, constantly
running behindhaud, annually spending
more than It's income notwithstanding
the steady and rapid increase Of taxation.
| Unless there i, "a severe reduction in our out
law municipal bankruptcy is only 4 question Of
J time. Bat the moment Ii is proposed to con-
solidatc certain department, of the govern
mcnt so as to get rid ol Offices that are not
needed, and to rctrcnch in other directions
where we are spending more than we can
afford, Mr.. PuToy and his comrades sol
emily resolve that the Legislature is "paIti-
"san," and selfish and hostile to the in
forests of our city;" and of they go to Al
/ bany, to protest in the name of the people,
and " the local authorities We do not sup
pose they viii do much harm. Other Demo
Gratis, Of hot,- % :actcr have spoken in quite