Year: 1872

AnSS 0no "iue, open thor0ughfareS are the
only security; for human power is powerless
before an immense burning mass, and human
devices are insufficient while there is food for
the fame The only remedy against the de-
struction of cities by fire is to build so that il
will be impossible to burn them.


The Committee OF Seventy At 1t Again.


The Committee of Seventy are said to be
tinkering away again at q charter for the city
of New York. Last year they tramped to Al
bany with their bellows and furnace, and ham


mered away at cumulative voting, minority
representation, mixed commissions and other
old pots and kettles all the Winter; but the
bottoms fell out as fast as they were put in, the
handles came off one after another, and every
thing they touched was bound to be full OF
holes and cracks and unfit for use, tinker away
as much as they pleased The time of the
session was thus wasted and an excuse was
afforded to the Legislative scalawags to make
their profitable bargains and to carry out their
corrupt schemes. We see no prospect of any
better legislation at Albany next Winter than
we had last Winter. The Senate is the same.
and many Of the old notorious Assemblymen
will be back in their places. There will prob
ably be as much trading, traficking and ras-
cality in the State Capitol the coming session
as ever before. But, at least, we should NOT
be subjected to any more of the exploded ex-
periments and impracticable projects of the
Committee Of Seventy. They can do no good
al md IN Hn hor
The notions of half score of visionaries will
never give us good, sensible, efficient char
ter, and as the committee has outlived its rep
utation it had better now keep its meddling
fingers out Of the Legislative pie.


There WILL Of course, be propositions for
but they will come from the New York repub-
ican "Ring," and, if passed at all, will be
put through under the party lash. It is in
tended to revive the dead caucus system,
SO as to compel every member to
vote as party leaders desire and
not as his conscience dictates and his oath
of Office requires. The object Of the amend
ments to be thus forced through will of course
be to get rid Of the few democrats and objec-
tonable republicans still remaining in the
city departments and to hand the Offices over
wholly to the new republican ''Ring." There
is no objection to this; the republicans who
have won the victory demand all the spoils
and are, according to party morality, entitled
to them. They will take the Fire Department,
the Police Department, the Health Depart
ment and all the other fat Offices and positions
of patronage in the city, and will then be
wholly responsible for the character Of our
future government. This will at least be an
advantage over the present disorganized sys-
tenn, with constant squabbling and litigation
going on all round. If there were any honest
desire to give New York a good city govern
ment independent of political considerations,
it would be easy enough to accomplish the
work by the passage Of new charter, making
the Mayor the actual head Of our municipal
affairs, with absolute power over the subordi-
nate departments and direct responsibility to
the people for their faithful and efficient man
agement But no such reform is contemplated,
and the fight in the Legislature will resolve
itself into one over the spoils alone. The best
thing the Committee Of Seventy can do is to
stand aside, and not again incur the RESPONSE
bility of having aided the lobby in their cor
rupt and selfish schemes.