New-York tribune., 1890-05-22
prLPLT TLEU OF T1NNANI,


the fashion. What clcrgymcn say about world
" things is sometimes ovcrWeghtcd Win 'he
donuuciation stirred up by constant warfare
with the enemy of mankind. BUt the haru
words used on sunday by the Rev. licbcr New
ton in his sermon on municipal corruption were
entirely justified. and he deserves crent Ior
his vigorous and ouSpOken criticisms ol a
monstrous evil. Unfortunately. he was unable
70 tell us anything new Overburdened tax
novorS have long groaned under the oppression
of the "body of adventurerS or bandits. VINO
Use the mechanism Of municipal government
70 enrich themselves" DwellerS in Ncw-l ork
are only too familiar with the eScapadeS OF the
rwccdS the ThompSons and the JachneS to re
card the minor flights Of rascals like the con-
,ic,od Deputy- Sheriffs with more than passing
indignation. They know that the streets are
dirty and ill-pavcd that valuable railroad
franchises have been corruptly surrendered
that the harbor and docks of the greatest
American seaport are in a state OF diSGraceiuI
neglect They know that the initiation OF the
smallest reform is simply the summons to frcNh
dcprcdationS of an army Of political thieves
who regard the machine as a bcneficcnt lnNti-
tu,ion for making robbery lawful. And their
condition is accurately expressed in the oit-
quoted defiance Of the champion tmef oi an
What are YOU going to do about it?'
II is hardly true aS DR. Newton suggests
that il is within the power Of the city GOV
ornmcnt Immediately 10 remedy such evils aN
tho huddlinc in tenement houses and the gen
cral ovcrrowdng Of our necessarily conce>'cd
pop,1a,ion. Ills Instances Of reform in foreign
ritio, are hy no means applicable n TINS cry
or this countrv The leaning 10 eccentric
yicvS i'm tho matter Of land and taxation with
which he i, generally credited j. also manifest
in his proposed remedy for the physical made
ouocv of Manhattan Island. No other great
city Is similarly restricted aS 70 it~ growth sim
piy locau>o no o'ncr great city happens Ia hc
built on q long and narrow island and II every
foot of available land were taken ont OF th"
hands of Spectators" and covered with work
mons houses thc crowdlng below Harlem
would not %" apprcc1hy diminished. But
there is no such CRYING necessity for sweep
ir, change ~ existed for example. in Glasgow.
90 which pr. Newton refers Our streets are
for the most part wide and open. The ltm'>-
phcrc 3, neither dcfcd by foe> and smoke nor
bu, our Lv high and oycrhangluc buildings
ffffIINl~ IfN--Ilf"l~ llk' lii''-' ~ INV m ''..'
qualtcI, Of European towns. The Hunter is
Point ,mcn, cohhlc,toncs and the rattle OF
ID, elevated allroads are the heritage Of uch
aud poor alike. and it D, 4 mistake to supp"'"
that thc pafornal theories If Gcorscl~m can
safely alter conditions Whirh time alone may
hc trusted 20 correct
I'm other respects Or. Newton properly char
actorilcs ihc evils char.oahlc "a an un~crupu-
Ion. nng government. such aS that which has
for ,o long been saddlcd on this city. 4 the
recent Investigations have shown the theft 81
public money is after all mere incident IN it,
system Of crime Moral taint has been made
= necessary passport "a Office. \ capacity for
unbu>hing fal>chood j. only lc,, >cr'IccahIc
than a natural disposition 10 cheat and oN'"r
and the greater the ease with which one
.coundre can di-houor himself 10 shield the
di.honor Of another the better his chance Of
plclclmcnt among those with whom The worst
chine J., NOT even that of being found ont. In
/ ,c,tigatl ON, are good things in their way. In.
I thanks - our defective system. they can do
little more than di>pacc one set Of foguc~ 10
make room for anothcr: and it j. doubtful
whether any incubus with such An amazing
/ vitality and such sturdy iarultN of oppression
ever existed outside Of Manhattan Island II
/ IL unfair to attribute these structure, 70 PARTISAN
motives. Livery honest citizen is directly con
/ ccrncd ia thc stories of so 900 Aldermen and
/ SO 600" godfaihcrs" which. in the words Of
/ Dr. Newton make mp our " tale of shame We
/ wonder thai border uilians can single handed
/ torrorizc 4 Western town. OF that drunken
| Florida Mayor, can hold an entire community
| IN ,uhicciion But Ncw-lork', history }, IN
/ rcallt, one of ~ ahicct submission 10 vicious
! rnlc and a, bamablc resignation under outrage.
We notice that DR.. Newton proposes next
| sunday 70 offer solution of the problems h"
/ ha, pointcd out The subject i, a large one.
| The best and most effective remedy Is un-
| doubtcdly the encouragement among sensible
men Of a spirit Of unalicrabc opposition 10 the
men and the methods who have made New
| York what she is The history Of Mayor
Grant. whose election THE TRIBUNE accepted
/ wi.hout hostility. shows the hopelcssncsS Of
! expecting good from the best of the Tammany
nominees and if independent Democrats will
only bring themselves 10 acknowledge this
fact. We shall be spared further humiliation IN
! the shame Of our city officials.