The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-01-25
GOTHAM GOSSIP.
Correspondence of the Democrat.

dy0f EdS0R fOSlLlOn.-Df1ccR .
by CircumStances.-A New Char
acter Needed for NeW York aDith
More individual Power for the
Mayor.-The Livingston Fleming
Breach of Promise Subtitle
Heaviest Verdict Of ats kind on
Record.-Causes of the Result
Brooklyn LYe.-Ihe Days of Bul-
lying Lawyers Ended.
The attacks ON Mayor Edison,
brought about by his nominations
for city officers have momentarily
ceased, and the public have an OPP
portunity of looking at politics from
the practical point of viewand judg-
ing the man fairly. 1t is charged
that MI. Edison has made a "Dar-
gain" with the corrupt elements"
of both Democratic factions, that he
has trotted out "%ancient" party
hacks, and the moral reformers .ho
have been left out in the cold, raise
their hands in horror and say "who
would have expected it," Now the
fact of the matter is just this, MI.
Edison as a business man and as a
practical man knows that the powers
of the Mayor in this city are very
limited; that he cannot get along
without a working majority of the
Board of Aldermen, that his patron
age outside of that subject to the
confirmation Of The Board Of Alder-
men is absurdly small, and that he
must get along a best he can with
that unseen political power which
stands behind the Aldermen, and,
unseen directs their movements
Mayors Wickham, Ely and Grace,
Mr.. Edson's immediate predecessors,
would not see this and spent their
efforts in striking their heads against
a wall. The result was that they
brought our city affairs into a sadly
mixed up state, and SO far from ben
citing themselves actually inflicted
positive injury upon their own selves.
Mayor Edison had TO do the best he
could with the material that offered
itself. His character will show it
self when it comes to face the people
he selected to keep in the harness.
This situation is not q very cheering
one, but it is the true one, and a
change cannot be had until we get a
new charter in Albany, which will
make the Mayor more independent
and therefore more directly respon-
siEle for his actions. This system
works well in Brooklyn, where May
or Low is now carrying it out, and
Judging by remarks of leading legis-
lators with whom l have spoken, the
time is not far off when such q change
viii be made.
The sensation of the week vas I'M
questionably the suit for $4,000
damages for breach of promise of
marriage, brought by Miss Mary
A. Livingston, against Henry Elem
ing a young millionaire. The de
tails as developed in the course OF
the trial were prulient in the ex-
IRENE, and of course the court room
in Brooklyn was packed to repletion
with curiosity seekers. The trial
resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff
for the full amount asked for, the
heaviest amount ever awarded in g
breach of promise caee in the his
tory of legal practice. Now, there
is no doubt that such a verdict weuld
not have been given in any other
city in the Union save Brooklyn
That city has not its like in the coun
try. 1t has more scandals to the
square yard than other large cities
have to the square mile. 1t combine:
the peculiar friskiness of Chicago
with the outward occurrences Of ;
Quaker town. Everybody goes tt
the church and yet everybody look:
as if he or her had e history. Out
side of that however, Mr.. Fleming:
case was grossly mismanaged. Hi:
lawyer Mr.. Howe who is very gooC
at saving criminals from the gallows
seems to have been at sen in this
case. He attacked the girl in TIT
most brutal manner. He called he,
q cyprian and the daughter of a cy
priar. On the statement Of a detec
tive who seer to be a paragon o
asinity, he charged with having KEEP
! an improper lodging house ten years
ago. Now the girl is not ~yettwenty
one and the detective simply ascrih
ed to her the doings of a woman BY
the lame of Livingston, who for tel
} or fifteen years prior to 1874 was
fashionable notorious character o
metropolitan shady life. Of course
the jury had to sympathize and sid
with her.
l Said q lawyer to me, q man wht
at one time filed the position ofjudg'
in one Of our leading State Courts
and who has gained many laurels b.
; his pleadings at the bar, "the day o
bullying a plaintiff or heaping viii
abuse on him, and treating him o
her in such q manner as to arousa
) all that is manly in bystanders ar
over. A lawyer who attempts to re
5 ly on such q method will not alone
: lose his own cases, but he will max,
, liable to prosecution. The spirit O
the age is in favor of moderation, AN,
it was high time that this spirit mad,
itself felt"
: An appeal has been taken from
= the verdict, and additional evidence
> against the character of the woman
has it is claimed been discovered
; During the trial it was charged tina
Miss Livingston had been intimat'
= with her mothers coachman, on,
, Alexander Cornelius. This person
; has now came forward and produced
y the letters alleged to have been writ
: ten to him by the girl. This 0
course will open the sluice gate:
, again. The spectacle is not edify
ing. And yet, strange are the work
: ings of a woman's mind, OF rattle
, feelings, this girl even now woulc
: marry Fleming were he willing.