New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-04
RECORDER HOFFmAN's PERQUI.
SITES AND INDICATORS.
From The Sunday Mercury.

SITES AND V1NOlCATOBSs
From The Sunday Mercury
IL Mr Hoffman q man OF whom any constituency
need be ashamed His record Is before the public and
has anybody found in II an item OF suspicious charac'
teri D. YES Mr.. Hoffman has had boy in his office.
salary attached to the position s4O The youth re-
cciycd ali he ever was entitled to, but sea more ought
TO have been paid him. Now. think Of it. citizens OF
who agreed to pay boy sl3 month, and did pay him
that sum- whereas the youth considered himself en-
titled to s27 more. The raking up 81 tue private
affairs Of candidate for office has usually been consid
cred breach Of the ordinances Of society but TO I've
guilty Of such misconduct and yet make nothing OUT
of the investigation, except to show tae pase'sss
character of the charge il to reach Level below uhe
grade OF honorable resentment. The character oil Ar
Hoffman is above tho reach Of vulgar defamation; ana
the petty and contemplate charge brought against MIN
shows to what miserable shifts his opponents arc re-
duced .. ..
Here you see distinct, definite line ofdeiense
that Russell J. Briggs was employed ny MIR.
Hoffman at Sl3 per month, and was paid &C.
cordingly-that he thought himself entitled to
S27 per month more, hence made trouble and
left or was sent away-aud that there is nothing
in question but the "prvate affairs of can
didate for office. The vital facts that $40 odd
per month, at the rate Of $500 per annum. was
taken from the City Treasury by Mr.. Holman
as this boys pay, whereof but 80 per week was
paid to the boy and the rest retained by the Re-
corder-all these are carefully suppressed, in Or
der to belittle and pervert the matter into a
mere "private affair."" Will that answer'
But here comes The. Herald with totally
different defense by Judge Allen, who might
surely be in better business. Let us hear
him:
THE CHARGES AGAINST MR.. HOFFMAN RRfuTED.
To the Editor Of tn, HeraId
As friend of Recorder Hoffman, have care
folly inquired into the false and sanderous accusations
against him. first appearing in The rEBl NJ; and. as
anticipated have found that there Is not the least onn
dation for the vile accusations brought against him.
On the contrary every dollar appropriated by law 70
the payment of clerks and employees NJ his once mas
been paid TO those entitled and not penny has ever
been appropriated to his owl use or diverted fro its
proper object. To any who knows him. rcutaioh
Is unnecessary and To those who DO not denial mny
be proper Judge Hoffman has refused TO notice the
charge regarding 1t as one unfit TO be made and nm
worthy TO be answered; but. az friend. deem IT
10 The public. WM +. ALilN.
What is the charge Recorder Hoffman
deems "unfit to be made, and therefore "un.
worthy to be answered ~ 1t is contained in
two atfidayits, by Geo. W. M. Briggs Gather
and Russell J. Briggs (son) affirming that the
latter was employed in Mr.. ioiimans office at
81 per week when Mr.. Hoffman was chosen
Recordcr-that he was required to sign two
successive warrants for his monthly pay from
The City Treasury at $40 odd per month, but
that he received but - per week of the amount,
the residue being intercepted and appropriated
by Recorder Hoffman. This il the charge
which Mr.. Hoffman pronounces "unht Ia be
made and unworthy ~ be answered" lie must
allow us to think otherwise.
| Judge Allen evidently agrees with us 80 fnr.
He feels that Mr.. Hoffman cannot afford TO have
it believed that he did az the two Brgrses swear
he did-so he broadly asserts that "eycry dollar
appropriated by law TO the payment of The
clerks and employees at his office has been paid
TO those entitled" Now, this either means that
the $40 odd per month drawn from the City
i Treasury in the name of Russell j. Briggs wa
paid I o bis father or TO himself. or it was in
tended to deceive. Mas it 30 paid
The aftdavits Of the Briggses, father aud son,
have been several days published If they have
sworn falsely, they are both guilty Of perjury,
and can easily be convicted of it. II is the sim
: lie duty Of the Recorder to have them arragned
convicted and punished. But who believes any
I thing of the sortl Who imagines that, if the
$40 or SO per month had actually Injured to tho
) Briggses, and not any Of it to Mr.. Hoffman
they would ever have trumped up and sworn tC
a lie so easily exposed and punished We, GER
tainly, do not. Nor, We are confident, does
, Judge Allen. For if there had really been sc
; conclusive refutation Of the charge, it would
not have been left TO him TO make it.
-"Why, you don't mean to SAY the Recorder
is rogue, and has swindled the City, do you =
No: We rest on the facts, and leave them t.
suggest their own comment. Judge Hoffman
We presume, is, in his own view, an honest maj
and faithful officer. Honorable men have don,
such things before, and will do them again
But this we do mean, that the kind Of honesty
required for the reform and publication Of OIL
most corrupt and proAigatc Municipality differ
widely from that evnced by Recorder Hoffman
in this matter Of the Briggses.
a SMALL SAMPLE or A GREAT