New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-02
CASTLE GARDEN FOR TIE NATION

Castle G1RDEN FOR THE NATION
Tho old State Board of Emigration Com
missioncrs has assumed >picahc attitude
concerning the lease Of Cast, Garden. Their
conduct might be looked upon as extraordinary
r. any conduct could he deemed extraordinary
that * INDUCED in by this amazing museum
Of incapacity. scryihty and imbcciliiy. The
old commission was richly endowed with public
dcrision and scorn during the years i'll which
Il shambcd and Numbered along in its crooked
path of futile devices, petty SquabbleS ana
diotic errors. II was one OF the most lnept
and useless collections of eccentric and super
animated goSsipcrS and do-nothingN that TINS
much afflicted city ever saw. II maze so sorry
= mess of the handling of immigrants at this
mort that the General Government, III the IN
tcre,t Of common decency. and to rescue lew
fraypd fragments of the reputation OF the
American people in such matters, was com
nollod 10 take the business into its own con-
troll. II needs the Castle Garden property in
order to carry on the work smoothly and ELI
cicntlv. Bu, the baInaclcs of the Battery still
cling 10 the battered hulk which they have
been dcfacing and dciiling 50 long, and refuse
to give il up
The old Board ha. no longer the )eas' excuse
for existence. il had not been practical or
fruitful Of results for many years But now
il has no further prctcXt even for going through
the motions of doing anything Why should
thi, valuable piece Of property be permitted TO
remain in the hands OF a few scandal -mongerS,
whose chief object in getting together IN these
DAYS is 10 abuse those who do not agree with
them? Their only object is spite because they
have been deprived Of the halos which they
seemed to think were decorating their recedlng
brows when the immigrants were at their beck
and call They merely want to make the
Castle Garden property rs useless as they are
themselves. Commissioner stephenson ana
those Of his colleagues who side with him Ought
promptly TO withdraw INFO the total oiScaniy
to which a wcalicd public would long ago have
gladly consigned them. The full glare Of the
sunlight of publicity is too trying 20 their feeble
ewes. and the hustle of these hurrHlng and
practical day, fall, upon their dccaycd ear
drums with Earring and unwclcomc note.
Oblivion is ycauing and yawning for them.
Something must have gone wrong with
Recorder Smyth'S stomach when the proposition
of the Federal Government TO lease Castle
Garden was laid before the ~inkne-Fund
Commissioners Never amiablc AT best the
Recorder was peculiarly dy,pcpuc, petty and
pcrycr,c at that meeting. lie appeared to
labor under the impression that the dignity OF
the Government of these United states with
their sixty millions of people was very small
matter in comparison with the majesty and
pomp Of pride Of the mighty Recorder of tho
city aud county Of Ncw-lork. WELL perhaps
50. And yet probably Recorder Nmyth Is the
only soul among the sixty millions or more
who hold, that opinion. Indeed. he undoubtcd-
" belongs to Il minority of one in the universe
ON tina, issue. Possibly the recent disclosures
as 10 Tammany leaders made our stately and
auStcre Recorder more pecyish and frctiul than
usual If that is the disturbing cause he is
not likely to recover hi, peace Of mind very
soon.