Reform Under Democratic Administration

For two weeks we have been trying to find room for the letter of acceptanoe of Gov. Robinson, ono of the most sengiblu documents ever appcaring in print. It is an appeal to tho botter class of people of the Empire State to stand firuj ngainst the strong opposition which would, if it had an opportunity, reverse the etninently wise and economie policy lidopted by his predecessor and i'ullowed by liiuiself. We are compelled to bridge this truth-telling address into extracta. He Bays : "I do not regard the nominatiou fis iu anysensoa personal tribute to myeelf, but ai an approvul of the earnest ftud laborious ifforts which I have made to uphold the supremacy of tliu constitution and laws, to arrest vicious and extravagant legisbuion, to punish derelict offioia;s, to reform and purify the povernment, to protect the rights of 11 classes of citizens, to reducá expenses and taxation to the lowest practical point and to relievo tho people fruni all uunecoseary burdens. The work of reform howover vigorously carried on, is unavoidably s!ow. It encounters at every step the hostilit y of those who reap the rich rewards from lbo abuses it seeks to correct. Ovorjitid, corrupt and lawless ofiicials siand at uil times in its wny. Thoy band together to buft'et or to buy cvery public oiricer wbo seeks to do liis i'iill and honest duty. ïhoy make costly tbe eff'ort to ;x cute the law and punisb its transgifssora. But notwithstandiog these llimlruiíueS, UIG CílUKO I1HH UltlQÖ Sucli progress in tbis State that it ia difficult now to comprehend the condition in wbich we were five years ago. It is not possible to fully appreciate that wbich has been accomplished except by a com]) irison of the situation then with tbat of to-day." Is it any wonder tiie cormorants wbo fatten upon loose legislation and lax fiovernment unite to defeat a candidate honeet and bold enougb to make public rieclarations like the above? I3 it any wonder the taminany ring, tbe canal ring, the custotn house ring, the railroad ring, the insurance ring, the State prison ring, juin hands to strike down faithful officials who stand in theii way,as have Tilden and Kobinson ? ïïow the canal ring was pluncterng the State is established by the followiDg extract: "In 1S74 the expenditures on account of the cañáis exclusive of the canal debt and interest, reached thu enormous tttnount of $3.842,892.75, and of this Buni $2,373,425.92 was paid frora the proceeds of a direct tax. Ia 1878 the amonnt paid for the same purpose was only $903,347.52, the whole of which was paid frora the revenues of the canals without any tax, and with lower rates of toll and hptter service than were ever known before." Reform in canal management is simply wonderful, and would hardly be believed did not figures prove incapable of lying. The old system of irresponsibility, tossed frotn canal commissioners upon the canal board, and back, gave way to one superintendent over all the water arteries, and held him responsible. The result of change isapparent, savin over one million of dollars per annum This is proportionally sraall comparec with the reform in management of he four ptison, ïl Clov. Xjuinsuu Hitys : "In 1876, the year preceeding the new ■management of the State prison=, the cxcess of their expenditures over earnings paid by taxation was $704,379.80. Nuw the tnxpayers are relieved fom an.y tax on that account, the prisons are substantially self-supporting, and show greatly improvcd methoda e.nd discipline." Under the formcr method of oonduoting the prisons, by inspectora elected by the people, incompetent men were designated who gave very little attention to the duties of their position, trusting to agents and wardens almost entirely. In less than three years the above large deficiency is reduced to nothing. Herein is pcoof of the differenco between running public institutions by pohtioal incompetents and buinmers that hang upon the skirts of both parties, and an experienced, capable head like Supt. Pillsbury. Both he and Supt. Clark of the canals are appointees of Gov. in8ou. Itead what he says upon the general subject of taxation : "In 1871 the State taxes were $15,727,482.08 ; iu 1870 lliey were only $7,G78, 103.64. "Atthe close of tho war, in 1SG5, the Rtate debt ainounteri to $51,041,537.86. It now amounts, after deducting the sinking i'uad, to only $8,130,720.09. "It gives theso resulta in brief to show the advantage in pursuing the policy of pnyiiiíí debts instcad of creating them, and the benefits arising trom rotrenchuient and reform in all branches of the public service. " "Besides the great reduction efiboted in canal and prison expenditures, legislative appropriations have been vetoed during the last three years to the amount of $1,534,015 30. "It is proper to add in this connection that of all the appropriationa thus arrestod by the executive during the last threo years, not one lias ever heen passed by the legislatura over the veto - statement which is also true of all tho bilis on which vetoes have been iuterposed." These grand reforms have cost the place of inany sinecurists who are now loud-mouthed agaiust the re-election of Mr. Robinson. Tho men who have got their hands almost in the treaeury of the State, having secured the passage of their corrupt bilis by the last three Eepublican legislatures, were met on the executive threshold wrth a veto. These reforms testify ín no unmeauing phrases to unswerving loyalty to tho interests of the taxpayers, who ought to rise in their might, throwing party prediliction to the winds, and re-elect him. who is their dearest and best friend. And it ■will be a sad commentary upon the intelligent and taxpayiug people of tho State if they fail to reward one who has done so uiucli for them. Hor does the Governor claim he has done more than his duty. Read : "It is not olaimed that the Governor and tliii State officers nnder wliose administration these results have been attained are entitled to any special credit therefor. They have simply performed their duty, in obedionce to the reauirements of the constitution and laws This is what all officers aro bound and sworn to do. They are no more entitled to extraordiuary credit for it than any citizen ia entitled to applause for not being a thief. Bat it does concern the peoplo to know that thoso who havo oarried on these reforms and achieved these results have been true and faithful tö their truüts where othors have .rayed them by gross nejjliger.ce and nfaithfulness, and the question now ibmitted to the voters of tho State is vhuUior thoy will abandon it. tor the irofuse and corrupt expenditurt!? of ormer times, with tiieir LDevitabla atindaut of increasing and bardensome ;axation. I havo myseli' no doubt of ïeir decisión." In ondorsing the resolution adopted, ie Goveruor has these pertinent obserations on the John Kelly tribe of policians, and their corrupt Couklingite ohorts : "These principies lie at the fonndaion of our aystem of' governmenfc They re cardinal doctrines of tl o Democratc party. As I early learned und have lways triod to f'ollow them, in public nd private life, it has been my contant elfort iu the past, as it wil] be in lie future, to uphold and enforce thom y all legitímate ineang. While the arty livea up to them and maiut.ains ,hem with firmnesa and fldelity it wil! oinmand the support of all good eitïeus. If it falls belovv a high standard to ngago in a mere scraiuble tor tbo spoils f office and the dripjiingsoi au uncloan dmiuistration, it will loso and deserve to lose the confidenco of' the people. "It should constan ti y be borne in mind thatthe approaching eloction concerns State affairs exclusively, and is of great and unusuul impórtanos. It is the first eleetion in our history for the choiee of all the elective State ofiioers and both branches of our legislature. lts result will, therefore, touoh very closoly the hotue interosts of our people, every one of whoui, high or low, rich or poor, has a direct interest in the just and económica! management of the State government. We must beware of the fallaey that governmental burdens rest only on the rich. They are most grievons to the puor and laborins classes. TM! oum .11 caruiess or cornipc puulic oflicers falls in the end upon thosa who work from day to day to pay the rent and bny the food. The dollar ad-led to taxation comes at last out of thcin. The dollar saved to tho State is a dollar added to iheir liltle stock." To cvery mechauic, and every laboring inan the truth of those last five short sentences should come home with convincing focce. What hasbecoine of the muoh-vaunted civil service reform oi' this admimstration? Ex-Lieut-Governor Noble of Wis., holding a position in the N. Y. custora aouse, desiring to stump the state for CorneH audtammany askedSherinan for permission so to do. He reciAved the followinganswer : Sir: Your application for leave of absence is hereby granted. Icordiully npprove of your talnng part in the Cornell :m(l Hoskins onmpnign, and will do all in my power to favor Iheir election. I have no objection to the Government emplo3'ees making contvibntions to the fund. Yoursuggesiion that Iahould take part in the campaign by speakinginseveral of the proniinentcities in your State I will an9wer at some future time. Yours rfspectfully, JoiIN ÖHERMAlf. Mr. Noble will be absent a inonth or more speaking iu behalf of the Republioau ticket, and his pny will go right along. Thus the peoples' nioney goes to pay Kepublioan orators. Sherman self is doing it, and why not Noble, and other government employees? On Lis return ir om Europe the friends of Eev. Dr. Tallmnge gave hiui an ovation. 5,000 persons crowded his tabernacle and as uiany inore could not gain admittance. One maniald "tlie Brooklyn presbytery had tried io stab and bury hirn, but no assembly could successfully do either." Another said "be was too big a man to be poyketod hy ;i little presbytery." The speaker " weloomed him back to his ecclesiastictl shooting gallery." Tho celebratcd divine asserted he feit like saying as Daniel O'Connell did when he got back to Dublin, " How are your boys, and how are the wonien who own yon r" After a running sketch of his visit to England, Mr. T. said: "In the name of God, I declaro the banns of eternal marriage betweenEngland and the United States, and what God has joined together let no man put asunder." Every whisky crook from McKee of tho St. Louis G 'IJic-Democrat, who has just been pardoned from a year in jail tbr crookeduess, down to the picayuno backwoods distiller ; every robber of a Freedman'8 bank ; every metnber of the ring that profited by plundering the Indiana ; every man who received a por tion of the millions of dollars stolen by the District of Colunibia, Boss Shephetd ring ; every person who got a fat take through Kobesou's recklessexpenditures upon rottun navy hulks; every custom house official ; and each person who profited one way or another through the venal rings that ewarmed and thrived during his administration, is hurrahing now for Grant. Why is it V Again and agaiu when the suit against our nominee for President in lSTli, alleging def.iult in non-paymen$ of income tax has beon called, Mr. Tilden's attorneys have been prepared for trial, but the prosecutiou askedfor postponeinent. It is palpably evident that it is not the in ten tion of the administration to bring the cise to trial until after the next election. If an opportunity is offered to prove hiinself not guilty and that shoukl be the result of the long-pendiugaction, the ltopublican polilicians would lose ono of their main shibboleths for tho campaign of 1880. The case carne up iu New York last week, Judge Choite dunyingthe motion of Mr. Tilden's attorueys for a bilí of particulars. The government has an Indian war on haud. On Sept. 29, an engagement between our forces and the Utes on the Colorado resorvation resulted in the killing of major Tiiornburgh and a dozen men of hiscommand. Secretary Sehurz says tho responsibilily of the Ute outbreak can notbelaidon the government which has acteJ fairly and honestly by these Indiana, but on the miners and settlers of Colorado, who have gradually encroached upon tho reservation of tho Utes, who saw their lands slipping away from them, and at last became desperate, with the result already chronicled. The fact has leaked out from Washington that after Mr. Welsh's resignation, the President intimatedto Seoretary Kvarts that he would like him to beccme minister to tho court of St. James, and signalize himself as a diploniatibt iu thü adjustment of tho Canadian fiehory difficulty. Mr. Kvarts thinka he is in Bouiebody's way. AYhy tbo N. Y. Time defenda Mr. 'ilden f'rora charges made by Cyrus W. "ield, bas boon si myetery. Tli6 Sun exilains in an editorial that Mr. Jones, ditor of the Timen, had business relaion3 with Mr. Field that turned out unbappi:y. Mr. Jones was satisfied Mr. i'icld abused his confidence ; in fa et he clares Field lied to him. Whereupon Mr. Jones encountering Mr. Field in the 'reet proceeded to pull bis uoso. Now, f Mr. Field lied about Mr. Jones, would Mr. Field hesitato to lie about Mr. Tilden, to carry a pointP Monnt Vernon, Ind., is a bankrupt city. An officer went there to colleot a 105,000 judgment against the city but was unablo to discover anything tolevy ïpon. Anticipating a wiit oí' mandam us to be served upon them to levy a special tax to pay the amount, members of the city council resigned, and the city jovernment is therefore abandoned. - What the outcorne will be is a matter of considerable speculation. Considerable ill feeling bas been raised among the'Greenbackers in the state over the recreancy of thtir chairman of the state coramittee, Moscs W. Field, who has been stamping in Ohio for Ewing. A consultation of leaders was called at Jackson on Wednesday to consider what had bettor be done in the present exigenoy of the partj . Booms are coming along in rapid succession for the Republfcan nomination for goveruor. Thero am Uins fan tf leu out: Thomas W. Palmer of Dotroit ; Ooi. Grosvenor of Jonesville ; E. G. D. Holden of Grand ïtapids ; John T. Eioh of Lapeor ; Cha3. T. Gorhain of Marshall ; and oui ovvn iellow-citizun, R. A. Bcal, Baq. Il'iyos' traveling troupe is almost lost sight of since the mararaoth circus went on exhibition on tho Pacific cost. The General roached home a Httlo too early. Gen. Grant it is said, swore off, when he landed at San Francisco. Will our dear old Zachariah -50 and do likewise? Eeturning from California, Col. Forney says everybotiy in the west, Republicana, it is supposed, is for Graut.