Year: 1871




| The Message to the Legislature, which we
print this morning, has at least one title to
respectful attention which no previous docu-
ment of the kind, from the same author, could
claim. 1t really comes from an officer chosen
by a majority of the legal voters of Ncw-YOrk
to be their Governor. This first Annual Mes
sage, then, of Gov. Hoffman is q respectable
but not great State paper 1t deals with many
matters OF State interest in q partisan but
not always unfair spirit; and it essays the
discussion of some questions Of national con-
Germ with one eye fixed on the White House,
and the other on bis Tammany masters, with
a result not very encouraging in either aspect.
Gov. Hoffman thinks The last Legislature
| did many noble things. He does not emu
merate the enormously fraudulent tax leyies,
| the continuance of grossly dishonest railroad
| legislation, his own surrender to the Erie
! thieves by his signature of their infamous
Directors bill after its iniQuity had been fully
exposed, the Overtum of the Central Park
management, or the deliberate and open pur-
chase by Mr.. Tweed of a Legislative ma
| joTity sufficient TO crush the Yonns Democracy,
but of course he must reckon these as The best
the state knows them TO be the most prom
;nent and important acts IN the legislative re-
cord ba so highly admires He makes good
.uggcstiOn about a short session, and another
about the importance of having the tax
levies passed before the carnival Of thiev-
cry AZ the close OF the session, and
both win doubtless be taken for precisely
what they were intended, by the Legislature
which looks upon Gov. Hoffman as u respecta-
bic figure head, put up for the promulgation
Of inaue plattudes, while they 60 on with tho
stealing. The Governor does his best to de-
fend the Canal Policy which the officer
moro Immediately concerned so thoroughly
exposes; and ho makes an admirable
afiectation of doubt as TO the wisdom
Of continuing to work The new TammaDy Gold
Mine, known as the Capitol building. In his
talk about street railroads he gives deserved
hint to the Broadway opponents of quick
transit about the dangers their present dOg-in-
the-manger policy provokes; and his recon-
mcndation for change in the murder
Laws, though not sufficiently thorough,
is wise in itself, and tends III the
direction of reforms greater than he ventures
to propose.


Aside from these questions Of special State
interest, the Governor makes appeal to National
attention on three grOunds--as q Free Trader,
as Financier, and as an assailant
of the Administration for military inter
ference in State elections. The luster
of his performance is, in neither
case, likely to blind those Democratic
eyes that are already searching the Western
horizon for tho next Presidential candidate.
If an authority on Free Trade is wanted,
any Of the able Editors who ado the anti
Tariff articles" for The TTorld could teach
the callOw Governor his alphabet PRO-
tectionists are not likely to waste
time on hin. On finance tho Governor
does better. But it is his misfortune
that his chief financial fame is in
connection with Erie stocks the City tax
levies, and the ways and means for providing
the funds for purchasing the defeat Of the
Young Democracy. lie has gome sound ideas,
as that the way TO Resumption is to resume,
and some wretchedly uDsound and inconsistent
ones, as that it is necessary to hoard Gold
until wo have at least One-fourth as much
as tho amount Of our outstanding le-
gal-tcnders in the Treasury vaults, before
we can resume; but neither of his sets of
opinions is Of the least consequence. For the
lato election in this State the Governor re-
serves his main strength. What lie says
might be of some weight rs protest
against an appearance even OF that
military interference which all viii unite
in deprccatingj but, unfortunately, the
Governor has been heard on this topic before.
At previous election nc chose to
issue proclamation, strikingly like
this Message in its railing accusa-
TONS He was aftcrward asked to swear
to his knowledge of the facts he charged
and our readers will not have forgot