Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-23
TIE REMARKABLE MOVEMENT IN Kew
YORK,


The recent Investigations in New
York, legislative and by Grand Jury,
have disclosed a state of facts in
which there is nothing especially new,
but nore the lees are the facts start.
ling. They have illustrated anew, as The
Hour puts it, the evil of permitting ma
tioual politics TO enter into the question of
municipal administration. The Hour says
''thatthey should bekept entirely distinct"
and it goes so far az to add that it matters
little what are the political faiths of
Mayor, Controller Commissioners Of Pub
lie Works, Register or County Clerk, pro-
vided they are honest men and administer
the affairs of the city for the benefit of the
city. It regrets that it seems to have beeu
accepted as necessity in the Republic
that every municipal corporation must have
Its bosses.
There is no necessity for them, and The
Hour will probably live TO see Che day
when their rule will not be tolerated and
when municipal affairs will be conducted
on business basis. But the present evil
is not chargeable wholly to party, for the
unscrupulOus viii enter the municipal field
under any administration if the citizens
in deepest interest neglect city affairs and
consent TO their being conducted by the
spoilsmen. In New York it has developed
that the real sovereign is John Kelly. But
if there were no Republican or Demo.
cratic municipal orangizations John
Kellys would still develop if cit.
liens continued to permit the ele-
ment they represent TO parcel out the
Offices and divide the treasury at pleas.
ure. We would divorce politics from mu.
nicipal government for the benefit of
party, as well as in the interests Of cities.
In New York it is shown by the pend.
ing Investigations that even Mayor Edson,
reputable and highly respected merchant
as he is, received his office by bargaining
for it with Kelly, the Taumany chief. As
a consequence the spoils had to be distrib-
uted among that sachems warriors. The
County Clerk of New York, keenan,, is
shown to have been ignorant of the law
relating to his Office, and to have malad.
ministered it In the Sherifi's office bills
were brought to light that were paid for
transporting prisoners who had no ex.
istence save in the imagination Of the
thieving officials. We cannot begin in this
space TO even enumerate the rascalities the
investigations have disclosed. They have
resulted in establishing two facts that not
even the boldest politician of the metrop.
oils ventures to deny, and concerning
which ali the great leading papers are
agreed-firss, the cause is the boss rule
and the spells system second, that the
only remedy is charter reform. Accord.
ingly, the telegraph informs us, there was
held IN the great city last week one of the
most remarkable of mass-meetings. It
was attended by 1000 Republicans and
1000 Democrats, who were united for
once for a common end. The meeting was
led by the best men Of each party, such as
ex-Secretary Evsrts, ex.MAyor Grace,
Judge Noah Davis, Mr.. Coudert, Mr..
Cooper, Mr.. 0ttendorier, Mr.. Choate,
Judge Russell, Mr.. Babcock, F. P. Olcots
and others, who stand above reproach In
their respective parties The purpose of
the gathering was to declare a sentiment
in favor of an amendment to the City Char.
ter, so as to take away from all the de.
partments the appointing power and con-
fer it exclusively upon the Mayor, whom
the people will hold responsible for the ex.
ercise of this stupendous trust. 1t is need.
less to say that the meeting was unit in
tbs direction, and now comes the news
tina ,uch has been the effect that the lower
hoa of the Legislature by a very large
M, ity has passed the bill asked for and
t.. seems to be no doubt that it will
soon be the law.
This is heroic treatment it is applying
the knife at the root of the cancer it will
cause such an upheavAl of the vicious