Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-09-27
The Republican Party IeespOn-
sibie FOR the Frauds tm .StiC
York Cifu.


The Republican Party RespOf-
sibie FOR the Frauds tm .Scic
York Guy.
We presume that no Republican is
quito ready 10 assert that municipal
fraud is a new thing which began
under the present charter. Up to the
passage of this charter last year, tho
city had been for many years under
Republican control. The most i'm
portant departments Of tho City Gov
ernmcnt were placed in charge of Re-
publican commissions created at AL
bany. But there was altogether more
corruption during the ten years i'm.
mediately preceding the passage Of
the charter than there has been since.
Tho Tammany ring grew up under
Republican rule, and supported itself
by Republican alliances. 1t took its
origin in the Board of Supervisors half
of whose members were Republicans,
and which was created by Republi-
can Legislature to carry out mercan-
tile views of politics on the principle
of dividing public plunder between the
two parties. The new Court House
and The Harlem Bridge were the first
great swindlcs charged to tho ring,
and these were Supervisors jobs. But
all the Democratic Mayors elected
within the last ten years enjoyed the
confidence Of the community. Gov.
Hoffman was Mayor for four years,
and nobody ever suspected him of
completely with any corrupt job, al
though he was in Office when the ring
was in the full vigor of its activity
The ring was the corrupt spawn Of
the semi. Republican Board Of Super.
visors created by a Republican Legis-
lature for tho promotion of corrupt
objects. Every person who has read
the Tribune and Times for tho last six
years must recolect that these papers,
especially the Tribune, have abounded
in invectives against the animal tax
levies for this city; but those corrupt
tax levies were regularly passed by Re-
publican Legislatures, and the respon-
sibility for them rests with the Repub.
lican party. Heavy expenditures of
public money naturally bred corrup-
ton; "where the carcass is there will
the eagles be gathered together. -
When the Republicans came into pow
er in the State, they very soon reached
the conclusion that this wealthy city
was goose to be plucked, and as a
majority Of its voters were invincibly
Democratic, Republican ingenuity was
exerted to devise methods for putting
the money Of Taxpayers into Repub-
lican pockets. Hence the government
of the city by Republican commits
sions; hence the halfand half Board
of Supervisors for dividing municipal
plunder; hence the legislative sane
ton Of egregious corruption in the
scandalous Republican tax levies.-
Under Albany rule the expenses Of
the city government were speedily
doubled. Nothing is more notorious
than the fact that our municipal poll
tics have been debanchcd by Rcpubli-
can legislation at Albany. The mu-
tua. accusations which the Murphy
and the Greeley men are even now
making of alliances with Tammany,
attest the completely Of Republicans
with the worst abuses Of our city gov
ernment.
When theprcsent charter was passed
its objects were well understood. Its
undisguised purpose was to continue
and intrench the Tammany ring in
power, and yet every Republican in
both branches Of the Legislature with
single exception in the Sena,e) voted
for the charter. Without Republicans
Of the Legislature had not come to its
rescue the Tammany ring would have
gone under In April of last ycur.-
The guilt or corruption of individual
members OF the ring is OF course charge
able upon themselves; bu. the Repub-
lican party is responsible for continu.
ing the ring in power and intruding it
in Office when it was on the point Of
perishing under Democratic attacks.
Let these facts be borne in mind !;
and also the further fact that the only
effective blows against Tammany in
the recent excitement have been dealt
by Democratic hands. Mr.. Tilden is
the Chairman of the Democratic State
Committee; Mr.. O'Conor is the most
eminent Democratic lawyer of the
country; Mr.. Havemeyer was former
Democratic Mayor; and Mr.. Green
has always been consistent Demo.
crat. Republicans introduced corrup
ton, and its only efficient opponents
are life long Dcmocrats.-Neio York
World.