The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-28
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent. ]


well-known politician who has been
intimately acquainted with the po-
litical life of the city for the past
twenty years said: sin all my ex-
perience l never saw so contemplate
and corruptible Board as this. Why
they would do anything. A rich cor
poration can get anything done. The
electric light, telegraph, steam heat
ing and other companies have secured
privileges and franchises from the
city which are really marvellous, and
no one has to pay for it except the
Taxpayers. 1t is shameful state of
affairs. and it will grow worse from
year to year as long as the city re-
mains under Democratic control.
1t is refreshing occasionally to find
white raven. 1t relieves the mo-
notony of black somewhat. Such
raven seems to be Judge Geddes of
Ohio. In conversation with an Ohio
man whom met in the corridor of
the Windsor Hotel the other day. the
situation was put very amusingly.
"Geddes," said the gentleman, "has
openly announced that he wants the
Democratic nomination for Governor,
but he does not propose to scramble
for it. Now a Democrat who will
not scramble for anything that there
is an earthly chance of getting. from
an Ambassadorship to foreign coun-
try down to a Messengership in the
White House, is something abnormal
and will not last. / don't know what
makes Geddes so particularly nice
about things all of sudden, but he
will find himself woefulIy left. The
Democrats are noted for their good.
healthy appetites, and it would be
against nature for them to stop fight
ing for something to eat, in order to
pick out the daintest piece of meat,
place il on a silver platter and present
it to him with flourish of trumpets."
The Democratic statesmen at AL
bany are bewailing the demise of the
lobby. Its palmy days have long
gone by, and Legislators now find but
little to live for. The result of this
will undoubtedly be decreased sup
ply of the ordinary candidates for the
Assembly next year. When a man
of the calibre that we have been send
ing up to Albany for years has to
spend all he can raise or borrow, in
order to get elected, and then gets
nothing but his paltry 81 800 salary
for his term of Office, the patriots will
soon find that the game does not pay
and will leave it. Then honest and
honorable men will get chance.
The sensation of the week has been
the systematic raid on the gamb-
ling houses conducted by Inspector
Byrnes, by special order of the Police
Commissioners. The inside history
of this spasmodic movement is simp-
ly that Commissioner French whose
term is expiring wants to be reap
. pointed, and tremendous effort is
being made to hoOdwink the public
into believing that the police are do
ing their utmost to clear the city of
black legs. Unfortunately for Mr..
French every body sees through the
scheme, and his efforts will be de-
feated just on account of the excep-
tional vigor with which the matter is
pushed. The manner in which Byrnes
has been making his raids is further
more peculiar one. Not one arrest
has been made, but all the property
found in the gambling houses was
confiscated. This represents some.
thing like fifty or sixty thousands in
value. The smaller fry were the first
ones "pulled." The better establish
ments were not visited until twenty
four hours later. During that time
the astute proprietors who can take
hint without exactly being knock
ed down with barn door, removed
their property, and when the vigilant
police came there was no one in the
houses except perhaps colored SER
want, and certainly no suspicious fur
niture. OF course this excitement
will not last long. Two weeks hence
the houses will be going again. Every
body expects that.
Among the establishments visited
and closed was the famous one at S1s
Broadway. This is perhaps the most
noted gambling house in the country,
and among the victims of games of
chance in Europe is as we'll known as
the fashionable "clubs" in Paris.
During the war and Immediately
after it, play used to be very high
here. Even as late as six or seven
years ago there was no limit to the
stakes either at faro or roulette. tits
no rare thing to see twenty and thirty
thousand dollars change hands on the