New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-13
THE HARVEST OF DEMOCRACY
SIR LEpEL GRIFFIN RESUMES HIS TRADE
HORRORS OF NEw-YoRK-THE sUFFRA'h' i"h
IRISH, THE NEGRO AND THE FUTURE.


IRISH, THE NEGRO AND THE FUTURE
From The Fortniohay Rerie,o ,, r
II cannot be expected that the ara ; ga
American politics should ever become la, , au
nleasant garden in which English students may
wander with delight and contentment INC sun nv
ject strange and dstastein ana IRON tIsmppeves
fnrn from II with disgust. If but few .ed9cateu
Englishmen could explain the differences IN dogma
average American could do little more, seeing that
70 the eyes of impartial observers the only connct
hotween politcal parties is as to which should Oo
rain the larger proportion Of the spos OF victory
the fat Offices given to inscriptions wrepullerS;
iudgeships, the reward CT the prostitution Oh
3nsfice: and contracts by which the people pay
three dollars for every which is expended on It's
THE HORRORS OF NETWORK.
The City of Ncw-York has, for many years, been
one of the most striking and convenient liuStIa,
tions of what is known in America as BOSS rule, ana
The many millions that il has cost the people IN
waste, pecuatlon and undlSgnised anu unolqshI'g
robbery form the price which they have had 10
nav for the pretence of freedom. Matters are now
Tess openly scandalous than of old, but the same
SYSTEM is in full force. Boss Kelly, who sways the
destinies of NewYOTk has been able, from his near
connection with an Irish cardinal, to defend his
position with spiritual as well as temporal weapons
and the whole Irish Catholic population vote sOG as
he bids them. The result of generation OF thsTtg"t
has been disastrous The commercial capit5I Oh
the United States may now be fairly reckoneJ 'Gs e
size and population, the second CITY III ,ie Moiiu -
Brooklyn. New-Jersey and the suburbs DC Incl 1
within its boundaries. Its property is aSscsS'u az
Fifteen hundred million dOllHIs, HS l"i'iti' 80.
mercc is not far from billion nolIhnsi ,'IIiopo
domestic trade reaches many huhuieu ni i
But there is hardly European cily o. any nnp;
lance which is not infinitely It's superior III hunlc
ipal administration, convenience beauty anu ~ III
tectural pretenSions. With the exception Oh the
post-office and the unfinished CathOHc Cdtheulai'
(which is neither In size design cathedral AT all
there is scarcely building when TepaNs 4 WISH:
The City Hall, which cost ten or twelve mHhohs Oh
dollars is certainly worth inspection as an instance
of what swindlngOn gigantic scale Is able 10 accom-
pish, as is the Brooklyn Bridge which cost seven
teen millions. three times the original estimate
and which was further unnecessary aS q suDWa&
would have been more convenient ana nave cost
much less. Local taxation is crushln&y heaNE,
and 80 lnequitably assessed that the mllonhalles
nav least and the poor most. The paving on the
streets is rough 70 recall Belgrade OF refers
burg; the gas is as bad a the pavement ana II Is
only in Rroa1way and portions of FifCh-aVe. that
nm upsvstematic use Of the electric light creates a
brilliancy which but heightens the contrast with
IRON being a magnificent eXpansc of Wilderness IN
the centre of nothing. is ill-kept and ragged ana t
night is unsafe for either sex. The fares OF mack
carriages are four TO five times rs hlgh as III LOuuo
THT ROSS.
The police is inefficient arbitrary and corrupt, At
its head are four Commissioners. who are p0itl-
clans in the American sense and nothing more. lney
are virtually appointed by the Aldermen; VINO
have authority TO confirm reject the Mayors
nomination of heads of departments. Jhe Alder
men are in many cases persons to whom the dcScrp-
ton Of Michael Mulhooly might apply-pohticans
of the drinking saloons the tools and slaves OF the
Boss who made them and whose orders they un-
IpSltatlnglE obey.
CHANGED to be appointed, he has declared II useless
to nominate good men to office; and has lowered ms
appointments to the level OF ne cohhImhg Ai9el
men. The Controller, who is the hhanclal head OF
the city, expending between thirty and forty null
ions Of dollars annually, the commissioners OF TX
else Taxes, Charities, Fire. Health. ana Pu1ic
Works, are all controlled. approved and virtually
appointed by the aldermen, who are directed by
tie Boss. Even IA eleven police judges, who
should be the independent eXpOunders and en-
forccrs of the criminal law appointed by the
same agency, 50 that # Their origin be traced to
its first they are the nominees OF the criminal
classes they have To try and punish The result Is
that il is impossible 10 procure the adequate punish
,nent of any official however criminal, since he was
appointed as a political partisan. Gne or two IN
stances almost at random, may be cited in llustla'
ton of this While ! was in New ork policeman,
named Mcnamara, killed drunken but perfectly
quiet and inOflensivc citizen named John smith, by
blows his head and neck with loaded club.
There was no provOcatiOn, and even Newly FORK was
profoundly moved 10y the outrage although the
police are there accustomed to use their clubs on
even orderly crowds in manner which would not
he tolerated for a day in England But WINE a
verdict of murder aggravated manslaughter
would alone have met the merits Of the case,
Mcnamara found guilty of assault IN the thrd
degree, and sentenced to a nominal punishment
LIFE AND PROPERTY CHEAP.
In the ca,eof the numerous catastrophes on rail
WAYS and steamers IN and near New-fOrk due 10
gross negligence and causing the Wanlon slaughter
of numerous citizens. official has for years past
been punished. An inspectors certificate Is the only
guarantee of security of the numerous passenger
Steamboats, which ply on the waters of the city.
But in August last when the RlvcTdale steamer
blew up and sank, the boiler was found so cOrrodcd
that knife-blade easily thrust through piece
of iron which was originally an inch and u quarter
thick while the Inspector who had ccItlled that
the boiler was i'm good order stated, on inquiry That
he did not know that the boiler was c0rTodct
because lac had never examined the inside In
spectors OF this calibre are appointed to certify 10
the soundness of the boilers Of ocean steamers, and
The chief engineer of one OF these tOld me tuat Inc
inspector who had looked at the outside OF the en-
gineS and had signed the required certificate, when
askrd whether he was not going 10 examine the
fla hf,fle feS~ al q
animation would give him no information, rs ne
was altogether ignorant Of the construction OF en-
gncs OF boilers
Nor are public interests and private rights in
property more respected than personal safety is
secured. In London We see Mr.. BOwlcS hghtug
against railway which Is 10 pass underneath the
parks without once appearing at the surface, ana
even those who consider his zeal excessive VIII yet
admit that this jealousy of any invasion Of popular
rights is wholesome and admirable. Yet, IN New
YORK. elevated railways on IRON pillars level with
the frst-hoor windows have been run through many
of the principal streets without dollar OF compcn-
saton having been paid 70 any one III may be mat
the ultimate result has been to raise the rents of the
shops in these orough1aTes, but TINS does not alter
the fact that the original construction was an ont
rage the rights of private property and hdeOus
Disagreement of the public streets.
The caTcase over which the New-lOrk vUltureS
are now gathered together is the new aqueduct,
which is estimated 10 cost from twenty TO thirty
millions of dollars AID which, II the pTccedents Of
the County Court House and the Brooklyn Bridge
be followed, will probably cost sixty mill
ions. Here is pIiIe worthy of Tam
many and a contest-a mlne non IN robbery and
corruption for years 10 come: and there is no doubt
that, before the work is completed, many patriotic
Irish statesmen of the MuhOOly type, who are now
loaiing around the saloons a chance Of a free
drink, will be clad In purple and fine linen and
chcerfully climbing the venal steps which lead to
the Capitol.
The municipal administration of New-YoTk and
many of the principal cities is injurious not alone
for its mehciency, robbery and waste The chief
evil, aud which. like cancer, is ever poisoning
and corrodng the yet wholesome body polite IS
found in its contagious example. Theft and job
berry exalted as virtues which lead to wealth and
political honor, while honesty and wisdom left to
preach at the corners of the streets regarded by
none. The name of the people and manhood suf-
frage, and the popular vote, are used as wells TO
screen the shifts and frauds of wrepullers and
the elected of tie nennle is nfian mnre fhan the