The Rock Island Argus., 1884-03-10
sROTTEN POLITICS.
ssGath's'' Comments on the Political
Condition of Gotham.
Jury Fixing" and Other Reprehen-
sibie Practices Tweed the
Victim Of Vicious
System.

not to exist in the United States. |
1t can be found, however, in the |
city of New York, in the Ludlow street Jail |
The condition of the city of New York is |
beneath the contempt of any civilized popu- !
laion, as far as its government goes. Not |
single point has been struck here by the legis- |
ative committee from Albany, but it has !
been shown full of rottenness, ignor-
ance, servility, nepotism and all the
concomitants of the worst form
of government in a rich metropolis
A contractor has just been sent to jail by the
legislature for refusing to state the figures
and facts concerning his employment. The
water taxes Of New York city have been
Systematically stolen, and the fact was only
blundered upon a few months ago, when it
came out that the candidate of the county
democracy, who was supposed to be our
best living exponent of reform, had known
nothing whatever of this stealing under his
very nose. He resigned his Office and
lett the country. The recent ex-
pcrience l have had around the courts
of justice Of this city demonstrated that New
York is perhaps the most despotic spot in tho
world for man to be unfortunate in POI
tics is mixed up here with every kind of
Charity and commission, and the selling of
our offices of every description goes on like
the selling of mules and horses at the drove
yards. A man who wants to be mayor of
New York has to raise or put up from SIS 900
to 100000 One of the best mayors we
nave had of late has said to hi friends
that the campaign cost him $l00,000
and it resulted in his com
p'ete disappointment; and although he
was Catholic and an Irishman by birth, he
has addressed his fellow-citizens sjucs, telling
them Oh his experience to take their city out
Of politics and to give their mayor unds.
puted power in order that his subordinates
piay be faithful men. 1t was formerly the
habit for a judge, when nominated here, to
he exempted from assessments by politicians,
but that is all given up now. Judges arc
picked out just as other politicians are, and
run FOR the offices that comprise
term of years and hiSHl salaries, and the COM
mon assessment OF one of these iu iges has
got to be about ST., 900 to $50, go The jury
system is generally believed 10 be rotten 20
the core. When a man is tried on a civil or
p.lIer suit here he has only two peremptory
challenges. Consequently he sees como
forth at the call OF names q set Of unem-
pioyed, unknown, repulsiye people, most
Of whom have got on the jury list 10y being
out Of employment, and they hang around
expecting to be put on the lists and their ex-
penses paid until they have found sonething
else to do Many of these people ere them
selves .iSS.,dar penalties or apppehensons of
punishment. fno- .1-.Z-ttii5Ssdr u is refesrel to
every day by the New York papers; often
some expelled Or discharged petty officer
around the prisons or courts who knows the
/ ropes and how the names are put in the Jury
box, and who has no fears of being picked
/ up if he goes around among the iurymaa
/ after they are sworn and shows them
/ how to vote, and leaves their compen.
| satiOn in another mans hands for 0hem
| Some of the judges here are upright men,
who very much dislike to exercise the IN.
! paralleled power Of arrest lodged in their
/ hands by eli laws or despotic pVedjuiices.
| Others send me9 to jail with real appetite
! and gusto thought is apparent to everybody
| that many of these prisoners are merely I'M
/ fortunate business men. Indeed, there is nc
/ distinction whatever between a real bank
| ruDt and a fraudulent one, for neither has
! money. You come here from Ohio to buy
! goods, and perhaps you havs a difference
with sOms merchant as to whether you have
bought his goods or not. You may refuse to
take them after they have been sold. An
order of arrest is Immediately obtained fol
you on the ground that you designed to leave
the city, and that you owe something, This
case has never been adjudicated at all, and
the charge may DO made and sworn to with
! out the least reason. You are at once arrested
and must find bail according to the will Of
| the judge, as frequently instructed by youl
! opponent Not long ago an order of arrest
was issued for ue by a notorious person here
and the bail was fixed at $40 900. 1t took u;
three years and half to bring the plaintiff
into court, when he had to be pred in almost
with crowbars. He got just enough damages
to ruin his business.
| When Tweed was in Ludlow street jail ]
| saw and talked with hun. He said his
| offenses grew out of the system of govern
| ment in New York city, whereby it was ut
| terly impossible to take care of as many peo
pie as wanted Office or patronage and admin
ister the city honestly, and that any politica
organization would at last break down uude
the weight of its supporters and parasites