Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-08
lancdster tntel!leenrer.
A Dirty Business.

A Dirty Business.
The misgovernment of the munich
pality of New York has long been an
exemplar of the fatal connection be-
tween local and national politics. Its
city affairs have been controlled upon
issues whose determination was regu-
lated by an appeal to considerations of
general political intrigue. 1t has been a
standing complaint that New Y ork city is
ruled from Albany and that Albany looks
to Washington. Recent events
have shown that the New York
Assembly waits for the senatorial
nod, and influences radiating from
the national capital determine
questions Of purely local concern.
All New York has been aroused
at the filthy condition of her streets, and
a mass meeting of her citizens, unprece-
dented for respcctability and influence,
demanded their cleaning and pointed to
the mayor as the proper responsible au-
thority to do the work. To control the
patronage which this work would secure
for their party. Senator Conkling and
his ponies Lave determined to vest it in
officials Of their stripe, and have exerted
successful influences to get the lower
house Of the Legislature to kill a meas
ure devised to secure ready relief to New
York city and approved by citizens
committee Of which two thirds were
Republicans. All the potent agci4-
cies of the CameroE-Conkling kind
of political machinery were exer-
cised to defeat the will of the people,
and to leave exposed to danger their lives
and property to secure a partisan end.
OF course the effect viii, he "a serious IT.
action in the state against The Republi-
cans, and the Democracy will profit by
it. But the much more important les
son which this incident will succeed in
enforcing is the carl!ira. Democratic
doctrine Of home rule and The imperti-
nence Of dictatiOn from federal and
state capitals to the government of
municipalities. The cleaning Of New
York streets is a purely local work that
ought to be conducted on wor.1manlike
business principles. and Mayor Grace
has given evidence that it would have
been SO done had lie had chance. 1t
is withheld from him and the vast Ina
terial and moral interests of New York
are affected disastrously, at Conkiing' S
behest; to secure patronage for the Re
publican party. The people of great
cities will not tolerate this sort OF thing
much longer. Philadelphia has made
short work of il lately and will cut to
mince meat Cameron s chances Of get
ting even Il Legislative delegation from it
hereafter. The people Of New York
have fresh occasion to put on the harm
ess for their fight for freedom.
IT mas been suggested that in accord
ancc with an old joint rule, provided for
such cases as the present, wherein the
Senate, by the voice Of its Republican
majority, fails in executive session, to
act on the president appointments he
call it into conference with lim 1t Is a
good suggestion. Garfield should act
upon it at once. To hear him call the
senators OF his party to account
and to hear them take him to
task w"i,id he interesting ard edifying
to the whole country. In the most nola-
bic case of his alleged treachely and of
their offensive senatorial dictation iG is
claimed that lie promised Conkling and
Pratt to make no appointment Of col
lectOr until he had consulted them and
that he broke his word. 1t would lie
well for him to inquire and them to an
Swer before the public what truth there
is in this accusation and or what ground
he should make such promise, or break
it after he made it. Let the president
come into the Senate and demand that
the business which he summoned it to
do, and which the Democrats are anxious
to dispatch, be undertaken at once. II he
is The harassed man whom Herald cor
respondent. plausibly represents him to
he, it will be well for him and it may
gain for him much popular sympathy to
have a recital of his troubles Oh the
floor of the Senate. This special session
has been called for his business. and yet
the senators of his party refuse to trans
act it. They seek to levy the bIackmall
of patronage upon him as a condition of
their doing it. Surely debate on the
essential question involved between Gar
field and Conkling would throw light on
an important matter, and mayhap set
tie an issue which portends more anI
more danger to every succeeding presi-
dent.
Mr.. CONkLING mods and in the New
York Legislature, according to the Hlr-
ald, a bill '' framed in the interest of the
people Of the city. with simple wish
and view to secure the efficient perform
ance Of a plain and easy function of mu-
nicipal administration, is defeated and
set aside because it does not suit the