New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-31
THE LATEST BROOKLYN REVELA1IOyS.

THE LATEST BROOKLYN CIVILIZATIONS.
Reform in Brooklyn gets new and encourag-
ing impetus with the close OF the year. Not
only has the long pending Britton investiga-
ton come to an end which promises immcdi-
ate relief, but inquiries into fraud IN other
departments than those of justice result in
the arraignment of other officials whose
powers have been abused.
The report of the Committee OF the Kings
County Supervisors on the frauds committed
i'm tho Board of Charities and Corrections-or
"corruptionsn as it is already deslgnated-is a
most amazing document. If We are to accept
as true all it states, then it is very clear that
the accused Commissioners have been stealing
from the county under the pretense Of charity
to the p0or-have, i'll fact, not only violated
their official oaths in consenting to or in neg
lectng to expose the apparent frauds, but
have been violating the common decen-
cies of life in deliberately committing theft,
under the prctense of doing good. We shall
not conclude that all that is now said is true;
we hope, indeed that the Commissioners have
a GOOD defense; wo shall wait in the expecta-
ton of discovering that, like the Sheriff who
was lately charged with like Offenses, they
have been betrayed into their present
position by some faithlcss subordinate like
COnraddy. But it must be confessed that
the charges are grave; the arraignment of
the Commissioners is positive: and on
this statement alone the case is worthy
tho attention of the Governor. Briefly,
the allegations show that the Commits
sioners have been paying somebody"
for
than they were worth, and that Kings
County has fed her paupers on supplies in
ferior to those furnished the same classes in
New-YOrk, and has been paying nearly if not
quite twice as much for the goods. The Com
missiOners arc distinctly charged with being
privy TO these frauds, and Governor Dix is
urged to take some action against them. We
must say in conclusion that the charges as
presented, if at all sustained by evidence,
warrant the Governors interference.
The report of the Committee which has
made pretense of investigating the conduct
of the Coroners is brief and without value.
1t was intended to "whitewash" the Coropers,
and it has done so as nearly as the politicians
dared to do. 1t is pretended . in the report
that the charges against the COroners were
made from this office. Such is not the fact,
but we are willing the report should read so.
But while thus asserting we may say that the
Committee has never applied to The
TRIBUNE for. any evidence. Supervisor
COe, who was not of this Commit
tee, did ask to look at some evidence
collected by TRIBUNE reporters to be used in
libel suit in which THE TRIBUNE is inter-
ested in Brooklyn, and this evidence was
given him. But not one of the witnesses
named by us was called, nor indeed were
any Others examined than those presented by
the Coroners themselves. When it comes to
trial in q court, whore only legal evidence is
admitted, We imagine the result of the lnves-
tigation will appear very different from what
it does to the Supervisors, who are now giving
up political office.
We call attention to the report published on
another page relative to an interview with one
of the indicted ballOt-bOx suffers of Brooklyn
whom Mr.. BrittOn has frequently said he
could never find. 1t is remarkable state
ment, aud one which will explain to the cit
liens of Brooklyn why the resolutions of their
indignation meeting of two years ago have
not been carried out. The fact is, that not
one of those indicted was prosecuted after
Mr.. Britton came into Office, and any enter
prising individual who will take the course of
the reporter as described will be able to en-
counter any OF these ruffans in the most pop
ulous quarters of Brooklyn.