New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-17
NOTHING DONE YET.

miscroscOpe to discover any results whatever.
Pull yourselves together. good citizens, and take
look about you. For weeks and months last
year you read each day a continued story. tell
ing in detail how the municipal government. or
dained for your protection and the punishment
of crime was in ~ absolute possession OF. an
organization Of la&brcakcrs who did not pro
tcct. but proved upon YOU and, so far from pun
ishing any but the most fragrant crimes, habit
ually prostitued the law and its machinery FOR
the maintenance Of system Of pecuation ana
the most degrading forms If corruption and
blackmail You were Mortified at the dScloS-
ures For you said that with the detection and
apprehension of criminals intrustcd To vcnal
and brutal police force, their prosecution com
mitted To officials chosen 10y Il political organZl-
ton largely made up Of the criminal classes.
and their punishment Dependent upon the in
tereSt or caprice Of ignorant snd incompetent
Police Judges. themselves shameless lawDrcak
crs-you said that in such Il condition Of affairs
nothing was safe; that all the standards Of
honor and uprightncss, Of CleannesS and de-
cencv had been thrown down; that in such an
atmosphere Of filth and pollution neither so
cial purity nor personal probity nor any whole
some attribute could long survive You rose NJ
when the air was saturated with the noisome
exhalatons Of great cityS shame; ana win
the simple instinct of self-prcScrvauon' NOT on
account of politics or parties or leaders or iic-
TONS but just because you wanted To I'VE III
city where YOU and your wives ana your CHI
drcn could be safe from thief, blackmallcr
bully and thug-you said that business must
stop
TO the number Of 154O00 you went 10 the
polls in November, and by 10000 majority sig
nifed your desire for a sweeping overthrow or
the dominant party in this city and radical
reform in our municipal government More
than that: your story had gone out through the
State. awakening sympathy for THIS rogue-fd-
den community and arousing wrath ana lndiG-
nation against the parry which permitted us
name to be used cover for criminal con
spracy and its organization aS Il trysiing-place
for robbers and sanctuary FOR crime. The
voters of the State supplemented ana reinforced
you so that at the closing Of the polls in No
vember you had the backing Of loo,oD majority
in the State for your demand for municipal re-
form That night you could count on having
elected not only Reform Mayor and munic-
lpal administration, but Reform Governor and
Legislature by almost unprecedented maJorties.
1t was great triumph. You were greatly
elated by ii. You had "A right to be. But do not
deceive yourselves. 1t was not, in any sense
except as the conclusion of the merely inathe-
NAUTICAL process OF counting votes result. You
had accomplished nothing Of permanent value.
You had uttered your protest: earnest ana
vigorous: you had made your demand: out
spoken and unmistakable. But that was
all Has anything been done since then:
Perhaps you will say yes ana point To
the passage Of the Power Of Removal bill,
True: that is 50 much TO the good. Remember
| though that it was wrestcd with difficulty from
a Legislature which, to your surprise. you found
reluctant. and much more intent on helping
themselves than helping YOU Under its pro-
visions you seem to have gained something IN
two or three changes i'll official circles, only one
| of which is notable as being in the direction OF
| reform in what you are most vltaliy inter
ested n-the Police Department. Sheehan has
gone out Of the Police Commission. What OF
| It! His successor Is powerlc>s against one
straight -Tammany and two PlattTammany as
sociates AS yet you have scored nothing worth
| mentioning.
Nothing done and everything you hoped for
| and thought you had secured, waits. why:
There is no need to ask The Power OF Re
moval bin was held back AT the order OF Mr.
| Plat, with the open and unconccaled purpose
of making deal with your needs and your
| Impotence, for patronage for that gentleman
retainers Your Mayor refused the alternative
and waited till your opportunities overcame the
I reluctance of the Legislature. And now he IL
| under the same pressure TO make terms ana
assent 10 conditions with Mr.. Plat before any
| further legislation in your behalf shall ne on
| acted. This purpose too, is unconcealed; IL
openly avowed. The Mayors hands are tied by
threats Of all sorts OF complications and eInbar
rassrnents unless he yields TO Mr.. Platts dica-
ton or succumbs to his Establishments. Mean
| time out Of the LeXow exposures Of rank scan
das, and your indignant uprising against their
authors has come nothing worth mentioning 10
your advantage or the promotion Of reform
| The procession Of perjurers who stood up before
| the Senate Committee and with brazen audacity
| svore falsely have gone unwhpped Of justice
| and still wear the uniform they have disgraced
| while their superiors enjoy immunity for crimes
| Of which the Whole community know them 10
be guilty You are impatient Of delays and
| clamorous for the Mayor to go forward and do
| something with such powers as he has under
| the Power Of Removal act Your impatience is
nniust and your clamor III timed Mayor Strong
knows better than any Of you what difficulties
| are i'm the way and what traps and pitfalls are
set for him by the hired attorneys and paid
advocates Of n discrcdited leader engaged In
a desperate effort to save his own belongings
out of the wreck Of a system in which he has
! long been a secret partner
Turn your attention 10 Albany, fellow-citizens.
First undecelve yourselves, II you think You
have yet accomplished anything in the way Of
| reform; and Their make the gentlemen at Al
bany understand that you want what YOU voted
for last November; that you want it without amy