Year: 1872

Inc lOilOWlhg appear 20 the voters Oi new YORK
has been issued by Charles O'ConOr and his late
associates In tho prosecution Of the ring frauds:-
TO THE ELECTORS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK;


FELLOW CITIzENs--A monstrous system OF fraud
and peculati0n was ascertaincd to exist among our
public officers previous to the last annual election.
But the discoveries were 80 recent that sufficient
time was not afforded fer the fun development Of
proof, and the sphere Of crime was hastily assumed
trct few crafty individnas residing in ni he CITY CITY
OF New York were deemed the culpvits little fault
being imputed to other persons or supposed to ex-
was not drawn to the root OF the existing evil
virtuous enthusiasm arose In your capital city,
benefits heye resued ae
almost trely 0vcrlO0ked-that is to say, the ne
cessity or general movement throughout the
State in favor OF having


PURE AND ENLIGHTENED LEGISLATURE.
With very few honorable exceptions the legisla-
tors elected at that time proved to be rs little
previously been chosen. No beneficial legislation
was obtained. All attempts in that direction
these ev times were ali s
press by one inadvertence has largely con-
tributed toward an existing popular delusion
comngs, as they were called, the law-makng
power OF last Winter was denOminated ''the Re-
form Legislature" This Indicated that the men,
bers generally had been chosen on an impulse In
favor OF reform and In its interests. Such not
the fact. There ls an evil tendency in such mis-
none, they gain general credit. Thus were men led
TO think that, IL q reform Legislature is SO in
capable OF good there can be no utility In striving
Of the legislative element In connection with re-
form was not generally felt or acte0 on. Even in
the city OF New York 1t was not well attended to at
all points. Some OF the most noted individuals
aimed at by the movement would have been as


Or the pace
large conception that law-makng In its singleness
and entirety should be purified, did not make itself
sufficiently felt in the canvass In TACT IL was not
fully developed.


THE MOST NOTORIOUS VILLAIN


among the detected was actually returned to seat
III the Senate by an enormous majority. lie had
too much sense of shame to take his seat, and
majority OF his compeers in that august chamber
had too keen recollection OF their own former
career, and too acute a sense OF his consequent
power over them to take cOgniZance OF his crimes
or OF his contumacious absence. His seat was not
declared vacant. An instance OF even greater de-
hnquency has left Its stigma upon the fame Of the
Assembly. The weakness Of q blush did not there
exhibit itself to mitigate the dark record We trust
The exciting interests OF Presidential election
have diverted from this subject the attention OF all
those persons who are in the habit Of leading the
electoral body Unwilling to assume their place In
any degree while anything could be expected from
t9eir rd%d acton we have long deferred This appeal
lief from any quarter against the mischief Of


CORRUPT LAw-MAKING


Were 1t promised by any existing organization, or
could we resist the inward monitor, that in this
entire default OF all other agencies pronounces 1t
moral obligation to act, we would not now be





duty. BY somewhat accidental course Of events,
growing out OF the public excitement in the last
Autumn, three OF the undersigned, together with
Mr.. Evarts, were selected as unofficial aids to the
Attorney General In prosecutions against the pccu-
iators. In the absence OF the gentleman named,
his law partner and friend been selected by his
associates to act as his representative and In his
place. In virtue OF this claim to be heard we ad-
dress you and tender our active services as CEN
tra organ OF your efforts to obtain a reliable House
OF Assembly. We venture to consider ourselves
capable OF thus serving you in this peculiar emer-
gency. We are OF the most adverse views in rela-
ton to political questions and in relation to the
prominent


CANDIDATES FOR HIGH OFFICES.


Each OF us has, however, entire confidence in the
fairness and good faith OF the Others AS an assur
ance to honest contending partisans that our &C.
ties or special political ideas, we pledge ourselves
to act each on his own unbiased Judgment, and
also trat no resolves shall be announced by US. ex-
cept such as are the result OF an unanimous vote.
The necessity for action OF this kind at this time Is
Imperative. The surprise or their sudden over
throw last Autumn struck the official maletactors
with terror; nor did they soon their self
possession. Otherwise they would have accom-
plished during the last session much more than
they even ventured TO attempt. They are now re-
invigorated and FULLY prepared Confident of
ability to control the Senate, they have formed
their plans for securing venal Assembly; and
be made this base attempt may be successful. The
statutes which gave


THE DETECTED swINDLERs


their vast powers were procured from Legislatures
In which their chief sat as aw-maker. 1t Is con-
ceded by all that these statutes were mainly pro-
cured by bribing State Legislators with moneys
rined from the public treasury. The precise cost
OF vote In the horrible shambles where they
were thus purchased was almost as well known as
the prices current OF merchandise. the legisla-
tive department OF a Commonwealth is its motive
power. Its operation is like that of the vital
rent in the strong mans veins-it represents the
impulses OF tine sovereign people. 1t Is


THE WILL OF THE STATE.


corrupt majority in our Legislature possesses
In actual practice vastly more power than the
English Parliament. Few, feeble, and utterly in
efficient against robbery OF the public treasure,
are the restraints OF our fundamental law. Such
a majority can render practically powerless the
Judiciary and the Executive. The influence OF the
latter Is singularly narrowed by our present con-
stitution. Fewer votes are required to overcome
veto than to adopt law on its original passage.
II corrupt men can continue to control our State
Legislature, their domination must remain un-
bridled and in anamazingly short space oil time the
MoRTGAGED TO PUBLIC CREDITORS
pretty nearly, If not quite to its value for moneys
raised on the public credit by our officials and
mainly applied to the uses OF themselves and their
fellow citizens throughout the state ought GER
tainly to lay aside oil interfering interests and
affiliations, all businesses and excuses and en-.
deavor at the ensuing elections to secure sound
lawgvers as the only peaceful remedy for existing
or impending evils. In districts where the repub-
tonabte @ Candidate for ' AssembIyman Belonging to
that party should be put In nomination. the honest
democrats IN the district should


DECLINE TO NOMINATE ANYONE;
and, acting as a balance OF power, they should
tender their undivided support to any honest re-
publican candidate. These same views should be
applied and acted on conversely In districts clearly
democratic. Thus. when candidate OF doubtful
character was presented he would generally find a
respectable opponent supported by all good men IN
the district, without regard TO any variance in
their political sentiments Public facts afford, to
certain extent, q convenient guide In


THE CHOICE OF CANDIDATES.
Having been In the last Assembly should be re-
garded as a ground for hesitation and inquiry in
regard to most persons who may tender them
selves as candidates. II services shall be ac-
cepted, we propose to meet daily henceforth until
the election. We will examine the position OF
every candidate for the Assembly throughout the
State, and with all practicable promptitude will
make public declarations OF the result over our
signatures. Our course will be As follows: =


!. Where, as for instance In the case Of the two
gentlemen now in nomination for Governor, all
the candidates for the Assembly In district
are morally unexceptionable we viii make no OBJ
servation.


2 Where some only, OF the candidates are OBJ
jectonable we will recommend those who are
worthy OF support.