New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-04
son because Mr.. conkling does not personally
OPPOSING REF08M ~ THE CITY

Affect hlnl,
OPPOSING REFORM ~ the CITY
The tedious debate in the State Senate last
week over the provisions OF the Mccarthy
charter were enlivened by some &c lsue
touches. The best thing said, perhaps, was
the epigrammatic summing up of the duties OF
a sIperfuous superintendent in a municipal
department These were said TO consist OF AZ
tendance on clambakes and primaries and the
drawing Of bis salary. This aptly and with
out much exaggeration expresses the nature OIL
the service which the city gets out of no small
number Of its servants. When Con-
troller Campbell took hold of his de-
partmeut he discovered and rooted ont
several of such worthless feeders at the
public crib Aud a cear-headed, practical
economist like the Controller could weed out
almost every department IN the city III SINH
lar way. TO the great advantage OF the tax
payers, and to the loss OF no one but the
holders of the sinecures. The superintendent
of political clambakes and primaries grew
into an extensive and fourishing industry in
the time of the "Forty Thieves = it expanded
enormously under Tweed, Sweeny and Con-
molly; and the efforts of the Commit
tee of Seventy the charter OF 1913
and all the schemes OF reform which
have been introduced in the Legislature from
that day TO tins, have not been able to de-
stroy or even to cripple this profitable branch
of trade. 1t rises superior to panics and hard
times. Though the wages of stone-cutters ana
street-sweepers may be reduced the salaries
of political parasites suffer no change. The
reason is that these devourcrs of taxes are
never without champions at Albany. No rot
ten bureau, no cumhrous and inefficient sys-
TEN, no shameless holder Of sinecures, is ever
without n defender in the Legislature. Too
MANY of our Senators and Asscmbymcn have
found it to their profit to supcrintcnd clam
bakes and manipulate primaries themselves,
and too many of them have friends in the
city departments, whose most aIduous LABOR
is to draw their salaries.
The debate on the charter last week was
full of suggestions to those who watched It,
Every step IN the direction of lcssening OK
penses, OF consolidating bureaus, OF making
municipal government less costly. more simple
and more effective, was fought stuhbornly.
No one was astonishcd to find Senators B xby
and Hogan among the olstructloulsts, but II
is surprising that Republicans from whom
better things were expected, should have fol-
lowed their lead in opposing r"trcnchmcnt.
These Republicans should remember tllt there
T. M surer way of destroying their political
future, in he Republican party at least, than
by opposing the reduction of city expense.
Anything IN the WY of reform ha- a hird
ish; in this / yi>iiurt. ln The Assembly .
seems that there - % band of " strikers
known as "thc gang Such fellows were
formerly called 1.-THE Black Horse Cavalry
But by wha'cver name they may be known,
they seem 10 be- ho'd.r and stronger than
u,ua! this year. And though there may be-
no gang" IN the senate. there is certainly
group OF stubborn opponents Of measures dee
signed to improve the condition ct this city.
In both houses the influence of men whusc
aims IN poli,ics ami legislation ore mean and
unworthy is uHpleasanty conspicuous.
The worst example OF this influence appears
IN the >chemny 70 defeat the viii of the
people in reference "a thc streets. IL Is JAIN
tai 10 see snch q man ~ Ass mblynin llamil-
ton yield 70 such an influence. He uid have
had no understanding of tie feeling among his
constituent. when De voted 90 amend tie
Strcet-Cltaung bhl in such wa as 10 rem
der n worthless. We hor~ Dos this time that
he has q better conception Of what thr best
sentiment of the immunity .mAnd. and viii
20 back TO Albapy prepared TO vote ior thc
scnate bill without amendment. Tho r.
pnblcaus VINO voted to defeat the plan
of the Citizens Committee have made
a serious mistake. But It il moi too late to
correct 1t. II they are manly enough to
Acknowledge their error and to carry ont me
wishe. OF the voters WHO sent them 10 Albany.
their bluudcr will be passed over hgh.y. II
they persist IN their unwi,e ami reckless
coursr. they viii not only con,i.n th,m- Ives
to deserved obscuuy. bat they Will cuIanger
Republican success next tall. Ihcy viii Doe
cast aside b. tac men who have made tool, of
them, and in their disgrace viii suffer thc
sung Of feeling that their betrayal az trust
and the evil they have done have proatcd
them nothing.