New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-14
The Affirmative Side


Curran ticket, instead of being
called an anti Tammany one, thus
raising The idea Of mere negation,
should be called the ro-good-gov-
crnment one. He also asks why in
times past od-government city adj
ministrations have not so visibly
shown improved conditions as to
make return to Tammany rule un-
thinkable.
Perhaps too little stress has been
placed on the constructive side of re-
form. But the neglect is natural.
Before field can be sown to grain
it must be freed of briers and weeds.
The removal process is necessarily
slow. For nearly eighty years New
York was the spoil of an organiza-
ton whose motive force was appe-
tite It's government became a by
word throughout the world. 1t is not
in human nature to keep silence
about it. Nor, on the whole, is
silence wise.
But it is not true that betterers
have solely confined themselves to
lurid descriptions of the bad. For
nearly twenty-five years now a dis
tjnctly affirmative program has been
consistently urged. There is no deep
difference between what Major Cur
ran and his associates stand for than
what Mayors Strong and Low and
their associates stood for. There
have been backslidings, as New
Workers, like the Athenians, grew
weary Of the talk of Aristides the
Just, and Tammany has come back
10 power. But seldom has it dared
to undo all that had been done. A
great change has come. The city is
cleaner, morally and physically.
There is more efficiency and hon
esty. Except for the arbitrary con-
troll Of the courts such as marked
the Good Ground punishment of
Judge Talley, the Tammany grip,
while not removed, is everywhere
lessened. This change and its orr
gin are worth remembering.
AS to the low visibility of the pub
lie profits Of reform, much depends
on what is expected. 1t is the tragedy
Of New York's good-government
movements that they are compelled
to give their first attention to
cleaning up Tammany messes. Think
Of the rotten pavements Mr.. Nc
Aneny, when he became Borough
President, inherited Think of the
false bookkeeping that Mr. Prender-
CAST faced and the concealed deficits
ne had to meet before taxes could be
reduced. Think of the time con-
sumed, and necessarily consumed, in
getting ready forward action! In
the present instance, should Major
Curran be elected, his first business
will be to find q way to fill up, for
example, the s24,O00,00O hole that
Mayor Hylan admits exists in the
city's treasury.
Touching matters affirmative, it
may be said, despite the dirt Tam
many has left, that the masses Of
New York owe practically every con-
Siderable advance which they now
enjoy to the initiative of reform adj
mlnistrations. transportation bet
terment, public baths, tenement
house reform, the preventive health
measures which have reduced the in
fant mortality rate from 240 to 90
stese things and a thousand others
came not via Fourteenth Street.
Reform has been weak IN per-
Torrance even though budgets have
moi been notably reduced. 1t is
victory, while bad conditions are re-
moved and public services improved,
n keep tax lcvics down. Go over
Inc budgets Of the city for a quarter
81 century and you will discover
INC significant fact that the enlarge
ment has been by jumps, and that
anese occurred when 1'ammany came
bach.