New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-03

;sts The aspersion. of the conservatives upon
their more radical brethren, therefore, seems
very like a boomerang. :. ~. -s...
The pleas of, guilty which Delaney and
Caffrey. two of the Phoenix Park murderers,
made in the Dubiu court yesterday place the
English authorities in bard portion. II these
men are not punished with death, Irish pat
riots will undoubtedly raise the cry that they
were bribed to admit guilt under promise OF
pardon, in order that the Government might be
justified in the sight of all people for its course
toward other innocent men charged with
completely in the Phoenix Park murders
and similar crimes. And if, on the other
hand, Delaney and Caffreys are hangeu OIL
June 2, the Government will be denounce" 40
mons.rous in its cruelty IN showing no ienlenoy
toward poor wretches who voluntarily thr""
themselves on the mercy OF the Court nu'
these men were told that the Crown heid OUT no
hope of pardon If they did plead guilty; III"
Justice (harsh as it seems to say III ana es-
pediency, TOO, call for the infctIon OF the iuh
penalty of their crimes on these assass'ns'
There mig hit as we'll be no law against murder
If men can commit it and then escape punish
ment by turning informer or pleading guilty.
The worst fears of the Republicans concern
ing Congressional apportiOnment in this State
are now realized. The legislature has passed
a highly Objectionable bill, which gerryman-
ders the eight districts in this city so that the
Republicans do not now seem to have even
fighting chance in any one of them. In the
De Witt bill there was some attempt made ut
fairness toward opponents, and one district In
New-York City which was naturally Repub-
lican was allowed to remain 80. This
measure the Assembly pass d, hut the
Senate. where one would naturally look
for broad spirit OF justice, showed
the narrowest partisanship, and refused to give
the rights of Republicans any consideration
whatever. The result is this bill which,
so far as it affects New York and Brooklyn. MIR.
Jacobs fathers. The number of bad measures,
bad nominations and iniquitOus jobs the re-
sponsibility for which this Senator has assumed
lately is something appalling The small
majority by which he was elected TO the
Senate at the election year ago indicated that
even then the voters were beginning to find
him out it is to be hoped that by next cleo
ton his character will be so thoroughly under
-
1t begins to look now as if the Governor were
the only power at Albany which the tiEens
of New-YOrk could look to for protection
against the schemes of the politicians in con-
nection with the Aqueduct Commission. Timid
members have been whipped into line at last,
and the Assembly has passed to its third
reading the Aqueduct bill, which has
already been rushed through the Senate.
No attempt was made to amend il.
in order TO bring it into harmony
with the demands of the Cooper Institute
meeting. 1t is entirely partisan and political
as it stands at present, and contains no practi
cal safeguards against iobbery and corrup ION
of the worst kind. The intention of the roll
ticians is to have it voted on to-day at noon.
1t seems likely to pass SO Indifferent are the
legislators at the Capitol to honest public
sentiment. The Citizens Committee uniortu-
nately will not reach Albany until late this
mornng--tOO late to influence anybody per-
haps except the Governor 1t is only just to
say, however, that the men who rushed the
bill to its third reading yesterday probably
would not have paid any regard 70 the pro-
testations of the committee. But Mr.. Cieye-
land, who has so earnestly declared his
belief in local self-government, now has a
chance to show that he meant what he said
Let us see il he will aid the residents of New
York in their attempts to get new aqueduct
without being robbed of millions for the
benefit of political leaders.