Year: 1873




FELLow-CITIzENs: Eighteen months ago III
this place we set on foot movement most memorable
an sef aud oost memorable in its Consequences and


vet tho result the immediate practical result OF that
movement has simply been TO transfer the pohtlcal
power OF this City and state from ono master 10 hoher
II is true that the quarrel between the knaves VINO were


then I'm the departments at the head OF ars ana ther
determination make one OF them the scapegoat lor
the others resulted in giving an honest Controller IN
place of Connolly; and 1t Is true Also hat tne power
af npbuc ouinion and the mpOssibility OF carrying
the weight which the Democratic party had then on It's
back aud the untiring and deermineI enors OF some
OF the noble men who belonged to the party aiorded
some Of the leading thieves an opportunity 10 sup OUT
of the places they had long disgracedi Dut Mayor
Hall kept his place and kept on dischargihg 'ho ues
mo 10 the time of the expiration Of his term OF ONCE


bere was no power 10 interfere with him. no power TO
disulace him. and he went filing the most important
offices in the city Government with people who hold
them today Aud If il had not been for the enor-
nifty OF the frauds perperated and the prospect OF con-
yicton and its legal consequences Tweed ana sWeeny
and Connolly might have been sitting In their places
this day for any LEGAL power you and had 70 remove
Them Nov, when this Tweed charter was proposed u
wasbbonght bymany OF the leading men devoted 10 tlel
party as you aud L devoted 20 our party, llat, Il
tIey PASSED that charter, they put all potcil soyer
eic1tv i'm abevance and the thieves ana roDuers tha
them Tbaf went op until in 1871 the people thought
that the way to reform was TO repeal the charter


go FIFTEEN DICTAToRs WORSE THAN ONE


desire to say TO You that this proposed charter puts
absolute power into the hands OF people who are Sc
lected for long termby officials who are appointed by
Is men, Tweeds charter, as 1t called put that power
in be hands Of single man. have heard 1t said that
If the Mayor of the City Of NewYork is TO possess the
nower of appointing and removing the public o1cers nc
viii be the Dictator Of the city. We'll gentlemen, ne
We're n"u i''he' he does wrong he ia much sooner
leaCSed r5acSc you ~ can can cut of his head quicker
in2n You can een dPp'IGs5 Gs!o an" the power
of striking or the heads Of only Ave IN any one year. Tor
this charter proposes that only five of them shall go out
in any ono year and 10 will take you three years to
reach the power which Is doing tle mischief. lAp-
pause But Mr. Hall was very small spectseie o. a
dictator, very pltiabe officer Tor tueh position a;
that aud behind him were his m2 ters Tweed ana
sweeny. And behind these 10 men YOU WI VII nIG i u
knot, cabal OF pOAticlans VINO WI - .io % ~, >
this power without the responsibility dentlemen' tnt
the absolute power OF ming your oIces, Du, Htu n
means Of holding them TO any Iespohslpint VIZ. ~
Offices you know where to look ana 10 PM tAo ro
spCnsbility; but where are you gong 70 pui llo
arc appointed the term of two. four ana SIX years,
leaving the term to the Mayor, and beyond Ms
power TO removed You have been told to-nlghI
that tho MAYOR is TO have the power TO re
move In connection with the Governor. why WIN
With this powcri As it has been said here tonight this
charter invers all the principles OF municipal govern
eminent that whipl tie h,Ty't ia .' 40 ,o
ornOr OF the state. What do you suppose arc thG pos
given 10 The Mayor in this charteri You will hardly
believe the only power he possesses Is to send es 90
10 he Board of Aldermen and summon the heads OF 'he
departments for consultation. ~,


mat is a literal statement OF the charter, except the
ht 10 do what the Aldermen shall join in ana the law
shall direct Is not that, as Mr.. Ch0atc mas said an
exhibrion Of dummy = Wnat IS the use OF Mayor az
nh II he h not these things II he is 70 have 40 power
at an and only TO offer feeble obstruction 10 tho
wicked acts Of other meni lie might as well be dis
nensed with altogether. Now YOU cannot have
good government except 6y g.. getIYlng
viii not have IL by any machinery by any checks or any
contriyances OF that kind. You VIII not have an honest
Mayor uuess you have honest men to pu nm hGre ana
YOU will not have an honest MAYOR unless sou have an
honest ana efficient public sentiment behind him and
tine means call him TO account II there IL not honesty
in the people then there no hope good government


Now We had begun TO question here whether the ma


Ory Of the people in this city coald bo reed upon Tor
good government but since the occurrences Of few
years ago people have begun 70 believe dat ihe people
will arise and put down everything IN the shape OF bdi
government and resist any attempt to fdsten bad gov
cTnmeht upon them


MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS II SPRING


Now, gentlemen, do not mean 10 dettin you with any
protracted discussion of the particular facts OF this
Charter There is one thing, however which is not
ferred TO in the resolutions read tonight TO which de-
sire 20 call the attention Of this meeting 10y supple
mental resolution, and that is the absolute necessity for


good government in this city, that municipal e,ec
tiOns should be separated from the general political
but / discover among the resolutions which
have been presented TO Yon lhat subject mas been
omitted The only objection which Is made to that The
only given H. that the people Will not
out az separate election. tbnh the experience OF the
last is months Is tumcent answer TO mat that the
fire which was lighted IN this hall will continue to burn
until II l. burnt OUT concede that t1ere Is additional
expense about this election, but what IS that to city
which spends about S130O1oOO annually cOncede that
IT will be more difficult for the political managers TO
arrange their plans Tor such an election But there is no
safety until it is taken out OF politics and from that
infamous maxim that 10 The victors belong the spOis.


Let me say word IN closing, upon the attitude OF the
parties l protest against the Republican party being
held responsible for this Charter know That IL IL Is
adopted we shall suffer the consequence The OF
Tanmany created such stencil IN the nostrils Of all
that the people turned instinctvey to the party
that opposed IT, know tat the parry 10 winch nave
always belonged Is 10 suffer the penalty Of the wicked
ness OF a few local leaders, II such Charter
is 20 be imposed upon the city IL Is not the work OF
the great mass OF the Republican party. You know all
party IS one OF advanced IDEAS, OF great moral conyic
tiOns 1t is not the party OF men who for the
places ana ana VINO uo HGt care ~at becomes
OF the prpclpes that Is uue that place ana patron
age and plunder worth more 10 political party than
the good will and respect and confidence OF the OF
NewYork then indeed II Is too late TO hope for good
government and all that honest men can do con-
is the work OF a few men. You could count them
yOur two fingers Their retense IL that they cannot
agree win the mayor, DO you hot Know that Il is
elected Reform Mayor OF the city, will enter
into any promises beforehand as 10 the distribution OF
the offices Now that is all. That Is what they mean
when they say that he Is not to be trusted.


He Is not TO be trusted by them because he will not
make any bargains with them; speak TO Refonners.
1 speak as Republican to RefOrmers. l acknowledge
party by the votes you have given TO our candidates
say TO you that ought TO that responsibility
that trust and their promises, If they undertake
pose upon you such charter. You may ask what
farsighted politicians they would that the most
fatal mistake the party could ever make would be in
with its interests into the hands OF few selfish greedy
ohice-seckers. offer for your adoption resolution
fayoTing elections III the Spring.


SPEECH OF EX-GOV. SALOMON.


Mr.. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW / will
,I,a utsatf fh.tY ID,