New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-20

it may be- 70 q strict accountability Nit'ho" .
party may degenerate finally into Ring as well as
any other-thero are some cities good deal larger
than Summit which have had that expert
ence to their cost. Having obtained power, the
independent men are as anxious to keep II
as il they were the creatures OF party
caucus, instead of mere private caucus. In fact,
they develop Tor dwin ilel into party OF them
selves Nothing can com pensate for lack of inter-
est on the part of honest and intelligent men IN
public affairs. Their active presence will do much
to keep right whichever party they may ally them
selves with and the door IS always open for q Doll,
whenever bolt is right and truly expedent.
There are two stories of bribery anoat which
affect the memory of George ID. Prentice, late
Editor of The L0uisriIle Journal, and of Governor
Brownlow, late Governor of Tennessee. IL Is
affirmed that Mr.. Prentice for the Of $4,000
to him in hand paid by secessonists, agreed to
take his newspaper in 1881 over to the cause OF
dissolution. For some purpose. 1t is proved that
Mr.. Prentice did receive the sum of $4,000. sent
it to Canada, and lost it afterward in a
speculation. But it does not appear to be proved
that tho money was paid to him as a bribe while
it was affirmed that no was in a somewhat peculiar
state of mind at the time, having notion that the
secession of Kentucky would force the North to
compromise the matter, and "the Union could
then be rehabilitated with additional guarantees
TO the slave interest," If Mr. Prentice ever enter
tanned such ideas these, it is matter of history
that he abandoned them. In regard to the
money payment, Mr.. Paul X. Shipman,
Mr. Prentice's intimate friend, believes that,
If it was made at all, it was for some other
purpose. Perhaps the best explanation Is that Mr.
Prentice was likely to reflect the sentiment of the
last man he conversed with" Governor Brownlow's
name has always been considered synonymous with
stalwart integrity. Now it Is said that he received
from various railway companies, or rather rail-
way men, the sum of $1,000 as bride to
secure his inhuSncs in obtaining the bonds
of the State for the Of companies
in which they were interested. MIS- Brownlow
says that the money was paid to her, by gentle
men who were grateful to her husband for bringing
about the surrender of certain railways in the hands
of the General Government to their original cor
porators No bonds wero issued while Governor
Brownow was in Office. The services winch per-
sonally the Governor was enabled to render at
Washington to the companies were very great-It is
claimed that they were not at all official. Still. it
would have been better if 10 such transaction had
taken place. Under any circumstances, it would
have been wiser not to have taken the money.
Anew reformatory for women, governed aud man
aged by women, such rs is cOn5emDllted by the bill
introduced into the State Ass mblv, will be at
least an interesting experiment. If the prison should
be established it would 20 far, if Successful to re-
flute popular idea that women are harder upon
their errlng sisters than men are some foundation
for such belief may be laid by the sharp and decided
way in which women express themselves; and also
IN the fact that for various reasons nat
nrally led to defend their characters by severe
criticism of each Others offences. But we do not
think thatthis feeling COTS much beyond words
Societies of women for the reformation OF women
have been among the most efficient OF our charlta-
bic institutions; nor have We ever found their
MANAGEMENT to be deficient in prudence and skill.
There is another opinion chat women are deficient
in executive ability. But, begging pardon for the
collocation. if they manage nome 1t Is not easy
TO see why they may not manage "a prison, when IS
really, for the time the home OF the inmates. There
are. we believe, refOrmatories for women in Eng
land in which the prisoners are almost entirely
under the control of warlens of their SEX.
Many reasons will occur to the reader for wishing
that the experiment, should it be tried, may prove
success uI. To put women prisoners almost alto
gethor under the care of men Is somewhat anon
alous, and plan which, if possible, should be
avoided.
Since Mr. Hayes has given some indications Of
having fitted himself out with n stawar backbone,
the Democratic budozers begin to weaken. The
threatcnngs to starve him ont OF the position
which he is bound by his constitutional oath to
defend grow fainter and feebler. 1t evidently
begins to dawn upon the Democratic intelligence
that the Executive can endure this sort of thing
about as long and as comfort ably the more noisy
coo rdinate branch. 1t is coming to be understood
that the people are thoroughly satisfied with our
system of government a. it is that they are quite
as impatient of usurpatIon when it from
Congress as when it comes from any other quarter,
and that they will sustain the President
IN the full exercise of the powers with
which he is clothed us earnestly as they
would defend Congress or the Courts from any I'M
constitutional or ilegihmate assault upon their
rights or privileges This is plainly the why
the Democratic leaders are meekiy suggesting
compromise" 1t is preparation for backing
down aud out. The Republicans masters of the
situation, and they will be liable to make the most out
of the gross bunder of their adversaries in forcing
an extra session.
1t is always hard to convict man of perjury,
and the amount Of false swearing which is con-
stantly heart In places where oaths are admins
tered is depressing to think Of Cohen DAVIS who
was used to establish abb in the case of Free
man and Bernstein, the incendIaries in this city,
has been found guilty and goes TO the State Prison
for seven years. He might have been sent for
twenty, if he had not been sixty years old and
asthmatc. Judges ought to remember. and we
suppose that generally they do, the dangerous
and demoralizing character of the crime of
perjury. 1t strikes at the very foundations
of Justice. 1t may intlct unmerted punishment
1t NAV save the guilty from the least retrlbution.
To put him under oath is about the only way of
getting he truth surely ont of a witness and when
peridry is committed and is not detected, tribunals
are not seld III unwittingly betrayed into sub
stantial injustice. The swift witnesses in the city