New-York tribune., 1890-06-01
ment designed for the welfare of the city as q
whole
THE rsSSrTT COMMITTEES YORK.


Upon another page of to-day'S TRIBUNE is
printed a full and clear statement OF the iac'S
nrovcd in the investigation which the Senate
committee on Cities has been so ably conduct
ing during the last few weeks INTO certain de-
nartmcnts Of the city government. The com
mttec has now adjourned It's sessions Tor the
summer. and this seems an appropriate tlme
70 present a summary of its work 1t has been
, work of great thoroughneSS, fairness ana
,sofulnoes senator FaSSctt did not come here
rs partisan leader looking to find mere par
tisan advantage from the inquiries he was di-
rected TO make. He came as a patriotic GU
izen. engaged upon u labor which might be
made of enduring value 10 the cause oil @oou
government He has shown himself personally
rs a sincere and liberal man, conspicuous!
fair-minded and anxious only to promote the
best sort of municipal legislation III the nope
of real and permanent reforms ii such f-
sults are not to follow such exposures aS nave
boon made. il seems idle to hope that New
Yor,, can ever be wrcstcd from the saloon
locncrs the criminal classes and the dirty pol
;,i.;,rs ,vbo now reign so riotousy over II.
rho iniouifics which have been uncovered
in tbc Sheriff's Office are of a kind peculiarly
DANGEROUS
pcrating TO all decent people. 10 THINK ina,
departmcnt dealing with the personal Liberties
and the business affairs of the people Ill most
intimate relation. is colossal machine Tor cX-
tortion arouscS ones utmost Indignation. Inc
sheriff is the executive agent OF the courts
He enforccs their DEGREES. he makes Good tholr
intcrccssons He is the arm upon which Soci-
oty dependS for the carrying ont OF us ludlclally
determined will In a city like NcW-l ork win
IFS immense population, its uncountabic wealth
and lis world ld-cmhracng interests. II there Is
one officer, who. more than another. nccdS 10
hc honest. jealous, efficient and impartial thc
Sheriff is he. Bu the reverse OF all this Is me
character which this investigation has proved
to belong to that officer here. lie i honest
when it isn't to his interest 10 be otherwise.
He is Jealous when his industry Is especially
paid for He is efficient only IN the hope oil
cain and a.tial only in the neglect oi those
nooplc and their interests who viii not submit
10 his cxtortionS The facts submitted IN proof
If this Indictment are all undcnicd-cycn adj
mittcd. but in the face Of them the men whom
thcv di>crcdit continue 10 hold Offices oi public
trust and To boast of their political power.
Equally odious with this has h"on the spec
taclc presented by the Excise Commission -
laid bare by this Investigation. II calmly con
fcSsc, through its agents that 1t has done ahSo-
lutcy nothing to justify lis existence and th"i
almost everything it has done has been dis
tinctly damaging to the city wcliaI". Hu' 'l>
members continue to draw their salaries. Dis
closure does not shame them. No thought al
rcsigning has entered their heads They know
they have done nothing that they were not eX-
pcctcd 10 do by those who put them IN Office
and 10 whom they look for "yIndication' ana
reward They are a part of great biS SyN-
fem Of maladmini>trltion, which, thriving on
popular Indifference and neglect, feels itself
safely SnDIcmr.