Year: 1869




produce good local government" 1t is, un-
fortunately, very much matter of party
opinion as to what good local government is


The democratic magnates fancy that good gov
ernment for the city means that system which
was developed to It's own ruin in the notorious
era of Fernando Wood-a system in which the
Mayor was possessed Of very considerable
power, and in which we were absolutely GER
tain to have for Mayor that man of all in the
city who was least fit to be entrusted with
power; system which nominally gave the
choice of their rulers to the people, but under
which the people had in fact no more voice in
the choice of their rulers than they have in the
choice Of the Japanese Mikado; system in
which the right of governing this city was in
the most absolute manner taken away from
the people and vested in the General Commit
tee of Tammany Hall. That system assumed
as fact that the worse elements are, in CON-
munity such as ours, the more active, If not
the more numerous, and that to be sure of
success it. must pander to these; that 1t must
take its views Of law. order, economy and the
liberty of the citizen from the standpoint OF
those who might wish for various reasons to
60 unwhipped Of justice, and must regard
popular right, not from the position OF the
honest masses, whose desire is to be secure in
person and property against all rufianly as
sault, but from the position Of the ruffian,
whose demand is that he shall have the privi-
lege to cut throat to-day and be discharged
| hru ola hail 10 nd
whose advocates in the State House and else
where find that 'popular rights" are delusion
where these privileges are denied.


The other party has different idea from
this as to good government, and so far as the
working shows it seems to be rather better
one. i accepts, however, the first idea Of
the democrats-the idea, namely, that the
people Of this city are not at to govern them
selves. Tammany Hall holds that the people
are not to be trusted with the choice of
the fear that the people might not always
choose Tweed, and Sweeny, and Hoffman and
similar arcadians for all the Offices; but it
supposes superior intelligence in these men,
in virtue of which they always choose one
another. The party Of opposition assents to
so much Of the democratic view as takes the
choice away from the people of the city, but
it differs in regard to the persons to whom the
power to choose our rulers shall then be
given; and while the democracy gives it to the
dozen men who form conventions in the coal
holes of Tammany Hall the other party gives
70 fbo Tarrsol olakr 30 Ckc@o A.
government Of this city by the State authori-
ties, the Governor admits that 'the highest
court of the State has pronounced it in ac-
cordance with the constitution; but he evil
IDENTIFY is not satisfied with the judgment of
the highest court Of the State. Indeed, he
seems to regard the highest court of the State
as tribunal of somewhat inferior authority
the prime fountain Of legal knowledge with
the Governor being party prejudice ''It is
generally admitted, he says, that the legisla-
tion in question is all wrong therefore it makes
no difference what the high courts say. No
doubt the public admires as 1t ought this de-
claration of former judge that general ad-
mission Is better authority on points of law
than our courts are, and admires also the pc
culiar grace with which man from Tammany
can denounce laws that he does not like as
partisan contrivances to secure power"


As to which of the two parties hold the
better view in regard to good government for
this city the people have the daily opportunity
to see in the working of our two systems side
by side. The democratic view prevails in that
part Of our government that is held by what is
left of the old departments-in the mayoralty
and in the Common Council; the other view
prevails in the commssions-in the Police
Board, the Health Board, the Fire Commits
sion, the Central Park Commission the Croton
Water Commission, DC. in other words, all
that part Of our municipal machinery that is
corrupt, rotten aud scarcely less than afro
cious in its disregard of all right, we owe to
the Tammany system, while to the commission
system we owe all that part of city govern
ment that is efficient, trustworthy and that
accomplishes the objects expected of it, These
are facts too plain and too well known to be
gainsaid anywhere but in a Governors mes
sage; and while the facts are thus we fancy
that the people will hardly agree with the
Governors demand for the repeal OF the COM
mission laws. II these laws have not given us


''good local government" they have given us
government SO much better than what we had
under the old system that it would be scarcely
less than political insanity to deliver ourselves
over again to the robbers of Tammany Hall.


The Legislature is bad enough, but IL is not so
bad as the political ante-room of State prisons.
.--s





No MORE SLAuGHTRRING IN THE Cry
rt. ~. ~ IA.