Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1884-02-28
REFORMING NEW YORK.

REFORMING NEW YORK.
New York has been holding one Of
her big Cooper Institute meetings in
behalf of the new policy of depriving
the board of aldermen of the power of
confirming city appointments, so as TO
vest the appointing power exclusively
in the mayor: without the advice and
consent of anybody. Just now this is
the untried panaeea which is to cure
the evils of the city government in
that great and confessedly ll-governed
city. The pretense on which this''"re-
form" is put forward is that by this
means the responsibility" will be
brought home to the mayor, this means
that in case Billy McGiory should be
appointed to some prominent field of
usefulness in connection with educa-
tion or the public health, the indig-
nant populace OF the city of New York,
or that genteel persjen thereof which
meets in Cooper Institute. could, to
adopt the forid rhetoric of Douglass
Campbell, one of the speakers at the
late meeting, take the mayor by the
throat if need besand say, Thou art
the mani" Another speaker, Judge
Noah Davis, declared that in the event
of bad appointment the people could
drag the mayor to the Tarpeian rock
of eternal infamy." All this does very
we'll for rhetoric att Cooper institute.
But, alas. Douglass Campbell! would
have no hesitation in accepting n fee
for the prosecution of any private citi-
gen who should be found impressing
his digits on. the mayors throat as a
means of rcctifying his policy in mat
rers of municip9, administration, and
Jude Davis would set aside tie
verdict of any jury AZ Inadequate
that found less than $40, 900 damages
against any mob that should propoS"
20 pitch the mayor, in the absenSe OF
a Tarpeian rock, sa! from one OF the
towers of tise Brooklyn bridge.
New York city, ever since 1885, whon
the suffrage''wa! extended to the non
tax payers and the mayor was made
elective, has been governed upon. the
one system OF allowing the pnupers to
control the voting through Tan,nany
hall, while the gentlemen do the growl
ing at Cooper Institute. Only about
one-twelfth Of the voters are tax pay.
ers, and less than one twelfth of the
taxFJayers give any serious attention
to politics, other than to meet at Coop
er Institute, which is the gentleman
growlery for the whole. city as Tam
many is the thieves granary.
The ;sM mediate ground of the present
growl from the gentlemen Of New
Yorksis that the single occupation OF
liquor selling furnishes working ma
iority of the board of aldermen, whose
chairman has four saloons, " and was
only elycted chairman because no 9th
or member of the board had more thar
three. But the board contains not
single legitimate merchant, manufact
urer, machanic, laborer, or clergyman
and only one lawyer.
Judge Davis, ex Mayor Grace, and
counscllers Condert. and Evarts al
thought such preference on the par
of the voters of New York for liquo
merchants as their representatives yer.
reprehensible. This being a funda
mental principle should have been el
aborated more fully. These gentle
men should have shown on what prin
ciple of social economy the eleven
twelfth who pay no taxes should vot
to save the money of the one e-twelft
who do pay taxes. Why should the
not regard the city as a golden goos'
to be pluclxed of its feathers in the
interest, aud those aldermen, wheth'
liluor sellers or not, ,as the best aide
men who send most feathers TO then
Judge Davis and lawyer Condert d.
nounce unbalanced bids. but the
should remember that without III
balanced bids it would be impossib
for certain favored contractors to <
Is 50 per cubic yard for digging di
which others are ready to dig Tor
cents. The non-tax payers are inte
ligentIy pursuing their pecuniary /
tsrests in the election of majority
liquor dealers to the board OF eide
n,n. .Jackals i'm the pursuit of hon
s,u;I not act more wisely than
.,act bears to guard the hives If tn
mould be gwen voice in the matte
ne bears would at least upset 6
nises aud receive the worst OF {
.,inging. while in the general scrainl
ne jasAais you'd have fair show