The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-02-16
OUR LETTER FROM BROADBRIM

I DTA/ALoHJW
Knights ofthe Golden Fseece-The Fungi.
I ON Gotllam's Body Politic Fun OF
'Change-Broadbrim's Willard Prophec,
Veriliesa-Anotl,er Bold Burglary-Deatf
Ofa Well Known Journalist-3illy Nc
G1ory's Fall.
NEW YORK, February 4, 1884,
EDITOR CHIEF:
II the renowned Jason had been search
ing for the Golden Fleece in 1884, instead
of B. G. 1000, he would have given Colchis
the go-by, and would have sailed straight
for the Island Of Manhattan. Talk of
Golden Fleeces, why, we have fellows here
who can fleece more gold than ever Jason
thought Of. We are rejoicing at the pres
ent time in several official Investigations,
and three of our city officials were put
upon the rack. The question was put to
Office. He modestly replied that he had not
kept an exact account, but he supposed
about $4,000. He was asked if he OK
pected to get it back, and with smile that
was child-like and bland, he acknowledged
that he did, with interest, and being fur
ther questioned acknowledged that his
annual income from his Office was over
$15O,OOO. Another individual confessed to
$4,000, and third to $4,000 Yet it is
safe to say that if either one Of them was
out of job, in any respectable business
sidered expensive at $1,000 year, and no
shopkeeper would have permitted them
behind the counter if there had been So
in the till. When further urged by the
committee, they put the question which
immortalized Tweed: "What are you 60
ing to do about it?" What can we do7
John Kelly has an army of 10000 mer-
cenarles at his command. If his Demo-
cratic colleagues refuse to obey him he
turns for aid to the Republicans, and as
general thing he gets it. The Republicans
in New York city are insa hopeless minori-
ty. They catch here and there an Assem-
and occasionally an Alderman, in
some of the swallow tailed wards. In the
districts where every man owns his own
house they may stand some chance, but
where they stow fifty families in a tsne
ment, and sleep and eat twelve in a room,
you never hear of them. It is right here
that the question of public plunder comes
IN: every official is expected to retain
large army of mercenaries-fello who 90
clad in purple and fine linen and feed On
the fat of the land, and whose only service
is IN smuggling an opponent, illegal voting
or stut1ing ballot box. This fungus on
the body polite is not new. It is one of
the entailments of a corrupt political sys
TEN, which we have never been able to get
rid of. Every Alderman and every public
officer seems to find it necessary to find
among the rufian class. To
such an extent has this become the fashion
chat almost half the hotels in Gotham en-
ploy prize fighters as bouncers to get rid of
1isagreeable guests. But bcdy-guard of
ruffians seems to be one of the necessary
sequents of every prominent politician,
and as these fortunate gentlemen have q
great fancy for fast horses, fast women and
blazing diamonds there must be some
money in the affair to keep the thing aaoat.
This may afford clue as to where the
hirty-fve millions go to which are called
or in the budget of 1884.
But, while our city officials have been
somewhat shaken up by the exposure of
heir enormous gains, we have been hay-
ng a little pleasurable excitement on
Change, wherein certain bears wished
hey we're bulls, and certain bulls wished
hey had the courage to be a good deal
'ullier than they were. About the time
hat everybody thought that the bottom |
lad dropped out of everything on Change, |
nd the only question was if there was any |
,ottom to drop, little Jay put in an ap- |
on Broad street on Tuesday: and |
ley, presto fly! the Wizards went up like a
'alloon, leaving the street lined with dead I
nd wounded bears, while the bulls, With |