New-York tribune., 1901-01-19
MhYORALTY CAMPAIGN, Tribune Office, New-York.
WHAT NEW YORK MUST IA CE'
CONTROLLER COLER SAYS 1T WOULD DO
PEOPLE NO GOOD TO ELECT
A SAINT AS MAYOR.

Montclair. N j.. Jan. 1S.-Controer Bird s.
Coler of New-York spoke before the Outlook
Club, of this city. tonight. His subject
THE City of New-York." His address was
defence Of what he called the greatest city in
the world.
The great city. he said. to-day stood in the
glare of conflicting and confusing lights. No
matter what the cause, the dark spots in the
city are being held up to view, and the bright
spots are lost sight of The city of New-York Is
at present in the throes OF one of those peculiar
convulsions which break out in all great cities.
But while New-York was being held up to the
view OF the world in its darkest light and it's
worst side exposed the hotels were full of Wis
itors from other places, business went on as
usual and the city strode on toward her mani
fest destiny Of becoming the great world centre
to which she entitled.
\ widespread opinion OF New-York was based
upon a few facts Corruption and vice were held
up 10 the gaze Of the world. but the develop
ment Of the city and its culture were forgotten
and unnoticed. The prevailing opinion that
New York was a wicked city was the result OF
the efforts Of few whose intentions so
good that 10 them everything beyond their own
shadow black From what being said
about New-York it would appear that she had a
corrupt government and an incompetent govern
ment and that vice and crime ioureshed the
streets and everywhere. Every evil place which
fiourished with or without police protection. each
snkhole OF crime and moral degradation was
being pointed out. and her own citizens seemed
to vie with each other to see who could paint
the fair city the blackest.
But New-York was growing and prospering
Her schools and her churches. her libraries and
her charities. iourished faster than did vice.
Every daV and every hour hra{ps and v-aaItb
poured into the city TO help build up and enlarge
it. The government of the city probably was
not perfect There might he lack OF public
spirit. or morality might be low In places. but
it was only these bad things that We're present
ed TO view while the good was hidden
A city into which the art and the genius the
brains and the wealth Of the country centred
could not be wholly bad. The city had within
a few years performed the feat OF molding
ninety separate municipal governments into one
harmonious whole. and to-day she stood the
premier city of the New World, the second
largest city in the world and making giant
strides toward the day when she would lead
the whole world in everything. When she
reaches that pinnacle, there will still be men to
call her wicked. New-YOrk growing better.
not worse. Her revenues aggregated three
quarters of a million each working day. She
spent more Tor education. more for charity, more
for public improvements. more for the benefit OF
the people than all the other cities OF the coun-
try together Her expenses approximated those
of the National Government, but nowhere in
the world was much good done and so many
improvements made.
There complaint because the salary list
grew bigger year by year, but II must be re-
membered that 80 per cent OF the salary list
either statutory or mandatory. In this was
New York's greatest danger If the taxpayers
selected a saint as Mayor and saints to the
Board Of Estimate and AppOrtOnment. it would
do them no good for the law must he obeyed
The citizens of the city will soon have to face
the danger of the employees of the departments.
These men could go to the Legislature and make
hot how he Rh aNhc TJt.h
The danger would come when these city en-
ployes became so powerful that both party
machines would be afraid of them. and they
could go to the Legislature and obtain blank
signed check upon the city treasury.