New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-10-27
4 C1RyIydL or FRAUD.

4 CARNIVAL or FRAUD
With the exception of tho time that Tweed
was at the head Of the Public Works Depart
ment there has never been so much corruption In
the city government rs during the last few years.
There has been what might be termed almost
carnival of fraud. 1t followed quickly upon
the succession of Hubert o. Thompson to
Tweed's place. First, there were large dcfal-
cations in the Dock Department; then in the
Law, Finance, Public Works, and Excise De-
partments In the Commissioners Of Jurors
office and in almost every branch of the City
Government-partcularly where Thompson 3
friends were IN power. The Sheriff's
office was shown to be in thorough
" rotton state, vast sums having been
secured by its incumbent without legal warrant.
The former Registers had carried away the
public records presumably to cover up their
illegal charges and the County Clerk had with
held large sums in fees which belonged to the
city.
Has any one been punished for these crimes !
Not single person. Has any one been brought
to trial 2 Not one. Why7 Ask the District
Attorney, appointed by Grover Cleveland at
Thompson's instgation, which official was a
and has been making speeches for him in Mas
sachusetts and other States. Ask the District
Attorneys chief assistant, John X. Fellows,
who has been devotng months of the time for
which the city Is paying him large
salary to the work of making campaign
speeches for Cleveland. Ask Jimmy" Fitz-
gerald and the other assistants who have been
doing similar work. And then ask that bigoted
partisan, Everett p Wheeler who has been
making ridiculous the cause OF Civil Service re-
form by writing untruthful letters to the Pres
ident. why he does not call the attention Of the
Governor to the fact-which, however. he well
knows-that the District Attorneys Office is
being used in most unScrupulOuS manner to
get votes for him tor President.
More than year ago John b. Carroll was
indicted for forgery concerning transactions in
the Finance Department. The District-At
torney has never brought him to trial. In
Thompson's department many thousands of
dollars were stolen. ira c. Bellows, Robert
Mckay. David L. Aiken, 5. $. Schoiield,
Michael Quinn and Johr i. Dolan, all
employees under Thompson, were In
dicted year ago for grand larceny
and forgery In connection with those frauds.
The cases were transferred to the Court of oyer
and Tcrmncr, in which Judges Davis, Brady and
Barrett have been sitting at different times.
The Judges were willing and anxious to have
the cases tried, bu they have not been brought
forward bv the District Attorney, although he
and Mr. Fellows and the other highly paid
assistants have been able to scatter
themselves over many states TO advocate
the election Of Grover Cleveland
~ .,..tlI ,.y
that. while County Clerk. Ihompaon withhold
~ 1000 oI the rily'H money, he hiH mover To-
turned one cent Of that Aun II wna proved
lhnt his political nssocihloa Ia olico had also
withheld largo aums, mnkIns In nil nearly
100000, lhoro 10 u special law of the state
that makes II the duty of the Governor 10 direct
the Altomey-Gcneal to bring suits for the re-
coycry of those sums. Grover Clcycland's
attention was personally and officially called to
the matter six months ago. He has taken no
action. On the contrary, he protected
Thompson by vctoing the Tenure of
Office bill, and approved bill to repay him II
large sum of money for employing lawyers to
impede the legislative investigation into his
Office. He hcapcd h0nors upon Thompson's
head BY having him selected rs the sole
representative OF the party in the State
on tho National Democratic Committee.
Sheriff Davidson was protected for
six months by tho pigeon holiug of the
charges against him. In fact in every way the
Governor has shown his sympathy with these
culprits, and has not lifted his hand against the
reign of corruption in the city departments, ex-
ccpt to approve some reform measures forced
upon him by Republican Legislature.
What Is the result Of this tcnillc condition
of the city government It's cost to the tax
payers for the present year Will reach nearly
81, 900, 000-$32 for every man, woman and
child Of it, population. The per capita cost of
the Federal Government, with its enormous
enailments of the war, is only So. The city
expenses have increased eight times faster
than its population! And the men and the
party responsible for tins are posing before the
country as reformcrs! Thompson has nomi-
mated Governor Cleveland for the Prcsiden
and cx-Mayor Grace for the Mayoralty, and cx-
poets the city he has plundcrcd to support both
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FICTS FOR CARPENTERS
According to the census Of 1850, there were