New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-27
HOT NEW- YORK IS SACRIFICED.


Why shonld the interests of this city be
sacrificed to politics? Men are constantly ask
ing This ouestion who do not seriously consider
in what way this sacrifice takes place Whether
the matter in hand be Worlds Fair or a
Randi Transit bill, they see that politics gets
into it in some way, and they are told by al
most every newspaper in NewYork that the
blame dies entirely with Republican leaders.
But it might be worth while to look at the
subject without prejudice for once.
The city of Newly orll is lshmael 1t in
sists upon fighting the majority of the people
in this State. and the majority in the Nation.
Because of It's own choice, the city is most OF
the time hostile to the Legislature and to Con-
cress. II wants legislative favors all the time,
and has to 90 before committees and bodies OF
men whom it has done what it could to defeat.
That is not all. 1t sends to Washington and
to Albany some of the most worthless persons
that partisanship ever pitchforkcd into re-
spectacle positions. Now and then man OF
capacity gets elected. but in most cases the
Democratic organization selects persons who
have no other claim than their INSCRIPTIONS
services to Tammany Hall. and who strictly
represent the liquor-salOons and the dangerous
classes. 1t is not strange if they have little
influence Put the men ordinarily sent from
this city into any assembly room with the
representatives of the people from other quar-
tiers. without any regard whatever to political
relations. and the representatives from this
city would be comparatively insignificant.
The party in power in this city is Judged by
the men it chooses. 1t is Judged also by the
conduct of its elected officials. When Mayor
Grant. disrcgarding the wishes of the people
and the custom of many years, made the Police
Board partisan body, he showed what tho
machine behind him was and wanted. The
trickery in selection OF a Worlds Fair Com
mission, the careful exclusion OF Republican
influence or preference in a selection of Rapid
Transit Commissioners are of a piece with his
whole behavior in Office. In every respect he
uses public Office rs a tool Of party.
The Legislature naturally resents this.
Republican Congress resentS it. 20 II comes to
pass that this great city has less influence IN
the making of laws at Albany or at Washington
than many country towns having not a TWEEN
tieth of its population. There is nothing
strange about it. Whenever the city has oc-
casion to ask legislation, il is almost invariably
found that the measures offered are adroitly
contrived 70 steal more power IN the state
and in the Nation for the party which the
people of the State and the Nation refuse TO
trust If the knavshness and the partisanShip
are not seen on the surface, the country has
come 10 understand what TO expect from New
York politicians in general and from Tam
many Hall and Mayor Grant in particular and
trusts either about as far as one can throw
Trinity Church by it's steeple.
This city mixes It's own enemies. II pleases
to support Tamnany Hall and to employ that
organization TO represent it. The state knows
that Tammany Hall is completely corrupt. The
Nation knows that it is neither law-ohcyng
nor in its spirit loyal. There is a perfectly
lust feeling that the State and the Nation ought
not to he ruled by this corrupt body and the
maioiitios it frequently manufactures. The
intelligent and substantial people OF this city
know that they are plundcrcd Joy Tammany.
and cheated whenever they try TO elect better
men 10 Office So the city is always disirustrd,
always rgardcd as antagOnS'ic 10 the pubic
welfare. always suspected Of foreign loanings
and IN Amcrcan tendencies and never has the
sympathy or the confidence OF the majority OF
the peoplc. in the State or in the Nation. Can
anvbOdy wonder?