New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-03
WHAT JOHN MORRIssEY SAYS.

naught set down IN malice
WHAT JOHN MORRISSEY SAYS.
Oh, as to those things you printed to-day Well,
that's the old story. you know. They have printed
such things every time I have been a cam
didate for Office, and Tweed was the last
who brought them out. He doesn't seem to have
been satisfied with that. and so Tweed's lawyer
brings them up again. IL doesn't make any
difference now If had my life to live over again.
[ would change a good many things not even
Tweed ever accused me of being a thief | was
wild young fellow, and as young man | have
been in a good many wild scrapes that am sorry
for but | never stole anything, and no man will
say ever broke my word. | Will answer you any
questions you want to ask me about all that, but
what want to do first is to tell you why am run
ming for Office.
Iwouldn't run anywhere else. You couldn't give
me a Certificate of Election from any other district,
| wanted to run in John Kellys district if
l ran at all, and to let the people
of that district say squarey whether they wero
in favor of man who had honestly tried in the Leg
isature to stop squanderng their money, whether
they in favor of man who said that it all mad
to be spcnt-whether they were in favor of man
who pushed the reform measures in the last Leglsa-
ture, or in favor of John Kelly who did his best to
defeat every single one of them.
WHY TAMMANY FIGHTS Nm.
When went to the Legislature | made up my
mind knowing great deal about the city gov
ernment and the people vino held office I'M
der it, that there were many eXtravagancles
and wrongs about it; that while John Kelly and
the Tammany people pretended economy they didn't
mean it, You recollect their meeting at the Mayors
Office 1t was only farce, because they said there
was no place Tammany Hall could see to make re-
auctions in.
Now when went up to the legislature with men
living in New-York willing to give up their
propcrty to the city rather than pay the
assessments they to be relieved on one side
and Tammany Hall on the other side, with
its payroll Of $1O,5OO,OOO and saying 1t
could not be reduced, there was but one
side for any fair man to take, in my judgment.
| took that side, and it led to the Inauguration Of
all these measures to reduce expenses introduced
the resolutions aguegatng all the bills in relation
TO Observation-Disclosures were about ninety of them
taking the of them and putting them tOgeh
err This resulted in what was called the Omn-
bus bill. From Monday morning to Satur-
dav night there were at least from ten to
thirty men from Tammany Hall using every
effort to defeat these resolutions. They taxed
the different departments here for money
to do 1t. The result was, we had TO call
the House for two days. When | took that
position, with the help | got from the Republican
party.-and | couldn't get any other since
they made them all party questions
Mr. Schell, Mr.. Clinton, and other
prominent men in Tammany Ha-they went before
the Governor and asked him to veto it, They went in
nerson and made speeches. The reductions in the
bill which | introduced amounted to very nearly
| $500 900 alone. That was only commencement.
| WOULD Run IN JOHN KELLY's DISTRICT OR NOT AT
ALL.
| made up my mind then that would run. If |
ran at ALL in John Kelly's district. believed was
right. and | wanted to go before tho people to see
whether they would sustain me, who advocated all
! these measures, sustain the man who tried
TO defeat them all. 1t was matter
of pride with ME moro than anything else 1t was
not for the sake of office. 1t only, in my judg-
ment. question of continuing a simple duty which
had commenced, and l had pride to see whether
the people were with me-
was too sick to be meddling with politics. and
had no business to 90 into It. But was IN hopes
that by the time the campaign fairly opened
/ would he all right and wonld be able
TO go among the people. After / accepted the
nomination | was in hopes Of getting better
but instead of that have been getting worse, as
you see to-day.
now THEY FIGHT MoRRIssEY.
"Waat sort Of a fight they making against
you'll"
There never were such efforts used to beat man
in the world a. they are making now. They are CO.
ercing everybody they can. There isn't man that
sells liouor In my district vino is not threatened
with the loss of his license If he votes for
They have called on every department which these
reform measures of the last Legislature affected
and they are going through the district every night.
Money! There's no limit to it-no limit to 1t it's
only a question of how much people want, Ny
Judgment Is they won't beat me. am great be-
lever in being right | am also a great believer in
the people. Why, there are 60 or 20 per cent of
thinking people in my district. l don't see how a
man who owns property is going to vote against
me. no matter what his politics are. don't go to
the Legislature to steal anything. People who
know me know that-they know that would stop
them from stealing if | could do no more. have
never in my life received dollar politically either
directly OF indirectly in any way shape manner.
only my salary. have been in politics twenty-five
wears in the city of New-Yofk l never had dollar
from the City Treasury, directly or indirectly.
he HAS FOUGHT But HE NEVER STOLE.
"What about these charges they makef 7"
Why, the article IN your paper to-day goes back
thirty years when was seventeen years Of age. OF
course, have committed many folles, but never a
dishonest or mean thing-neyer in my life. l was
| never charged with such thing a. larceny.
When was q boy in molders shop, pretty Wild
fellow used TO get into tracases but was never
| charged with O dishonest act can tell you that