The sun., 1873-09-01
PrBLIC OPINION.
The View. OF "a Veteran Reformcr.

WI TflWtIi VI
the Kings County Insurance Company. and also
President of the Committee OF Fifty or Rink
Reformers, was called upon at his residence at
Carleton avenue last evening, and very freely
convcrsci with the reporter as follows:
Reportcr-I have called, MIR. Backhouse, to
Get your views, "a II prominent and influential
citizen, regarding the recent development In
the city's financial affairs.
Mr.. Backhouse-I don't know that have got
anything to say about f.. 1t IL a bad affair aud
a disgrace to the CITY,
Reporter-Ftom your knowledge of public
affairs, gathered from your services "a member
Of the Reform Committee Of Fifty. were YOU at
all surprised when the announcements was made
Mr.. IIackhouse Not al all have known for
a long tine that the city money was being used
by the Ring and our committee ha- ~ shown.
Ii was only question Of time when the eK-
posure should come.
Repotter-Du you consider that Mr.. Rodman
is the only guilty man la this husinessl
RING coNCERN.
Mr. Backhouse-As to that ! can't say. The
Trust Company is merely Ring concern. got up
b. enable those fellows to handle the public
money. They had 1t there among them to do
WITH IL ~ they pleased. DO you notice that at
the time Of their suspension they made no state
nent of their assets. nor have they since. They
reported certain sum Ia gruss ~ assets but
they had given was never stated. II they would
make "A detailed report 10 would be seen that the
principal customers OF the concern were mem
hers of the Ring. TIE bank was got up 10y
tho Ring. The Ring men form the Board
- Trustees. with few respectahle names sand
Nicned ia. They made Rodman Secretary and
Daputy City Treasurer 40 ~ to have control of
the CITY money, and It Wa all run in the rang
Reporter comes the city 10 have 20
much surplus money On handf
TuE Evils OF RSC MANAGEMENT.
Mr. Backhousc That is one u the evil
brought about by Ring manage mcut. The money
collected THIS year cannot toe used until
II a"clWuiates In the Treasury and is used -
the Ring a. % source of power. ~ 10 they make
alliances with wealthy and re- pectablc men.
Why, sir, they won't place n penny u this
are represented ia tine management OF the bank.
Thnk u from three "a -iX millions ~ dollar
,aq @,G5 "a NE na1 %S ia ss" 6.n &26a sr.Tsr 9nd
committee OF Efty couldn't induce one Of
th,se bank men t. accept position on It (;
toe Kus got up its meeting and created
IT. Cnmmitt,e Of one Hundred. nomiualy Tor
~ith tue luhgs artaii.ements, and all thc.e
ltuh men at once came iulwttd und TOOK POSI-
H't al the contributions lett US without any
thing To- work with, anu 50 defeated all reform.
hep"rter-Do you ihnS the authorities will
honestly prosecute this case against Rodmhnf
WORSE THAN THE OLD TAhMAsY RING.
Mr.. Baokhouse-It don't look so, surely. De-
witt, the tity Counsellor who began the pro
the Assistant District Attorney, Is hcCue's
nephew. McCue II a leader In the Ring and the
principal man o. o. the Trust Company, Then
fcnd Rpdman- all men OF the same feather.
though nominally differing IN politics, You see
our Ring here is worse than the old Tammany
Ring, because IL takes in all parties and manag-
es t. control the wealthy and nominally respec-
table men as well as the mere ufhce-hOlders.
You can't always discover its raminc ations, or
e'faIg RlpnTirf ' win mi. defac.,on 0se, the
Sir. Backhouse-I don't think It will have
much effect one way or the other. II Ia n small
sum, and We have got 10 pay II. II Is what Is
not discovered that costs US most and gives us
more tausc for uneAsiness.
,Reporter- How will these disclosures AFFECT
the fail electionsy
Mr. Backhouse-They ought to give strength
To the reform movement, aud think they viii.
The people Will get their eyes opened one Of
Mr.. Backnouse gave the reporter a very full
idea Of Ring operations, which Il necess sarilly
omitted to-day.
An OGlcer Of the Trust Company Interview ed.
SUN reporter conversed with one of
the trustees of the Brooklyn Trust Company,
who Is also connected with the Dime Savings
Bank. He stipulated that his name should not
be used. The city, he thought, had nothing TO fear
IN the future from recent developments. Their
elect would be to make the city's credit strong
er Thinking men were suspicious IN respect to
the citys funds. They imagine that things are
worse than has been shown The exposures will
make everybody more watchful What has been
pos -ihlc will he made impossible, and confidence
will be increased. The cltys credit always was
good.
1t was quite generally known that the affairs
Of the Trust Company were conducted loosely.
| was one Of the trustees hopelessly in the mi
nority who objected to leaving everything to the
President and Secretary. We warned and cau-
toned the directors but our fears were laughed
down. Every one had implicit confidence
m Mr.. Mills, and MIR. Rodman had his
friends. An examination Of the books
was begun before Mr.. Mills's death. when
we heard OF hls doath had learned
that his account was oyerdrawn about s7b,OD.
In meeting of the directors We asked Mr.. Rod
man whether this was all. 1t Is not ALL" said
he, and he showed us 10y the books the full
aqh Ne 'ne@ fsMea have have ySE tSkGh
least / have borrowed answered he :" "tA,m
gentlemen, but have DEPOSITED ample Sc
value WAS more than the overdraft but of
course he shouldn't have done u without per
OF the kind that would steal money and spend
II In trip tO Europe or IN expensive living.
II a million dollars OF lirooklyn bonds were
put on the market tomorrow they could not be
bought at par. Every d llar would be taken
At premium, 1t is lucky foT the city that Mr..
saved the city The city will not really lose
dollar, but it will Kill him; am sorry that the
man. may .Ii although @ % think ' i was right. Re could
save his'bondsmen much trouble VI he would
only ten how the money was taken, and all
Mr., Chaunoey, who has.done so much for tho
city and the depositors OF the Trust Company,
defaloaton in the city funds. OF course,
his first duty was 10 examine the
assets and we were very, much SURPRISED 20
books had to be examined. The company held
all the city money that appearsi on the COM
panys books. II would have been by chance
made uIhgOYeII. AluDlm