New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-10
Exposing ABUsEs IN OFFICE.

The Assembly Investigating Committee held
two brisk and stirring sessions yesterday. 1t
| is not often that committee can get before tim
a single day the Mayor of New DIRK, the War
wick of Tammany Han, who makes and I'M
makes Mayors, the chairman of the Democratic
conference committee in a great campaign, the
Sheriff of the County, and n number Of minor
witnesses The testimony which was brought
out was of uncommon liveliness and interest.
John B. Haskn on oath accused Mayor
Edison of buying the Democratic nomination
with pledges to make certain appointments,
and gave graphic account Of the conference
in Mr.. Kelly's house where the alleged promises
were given. Mr.. Edison met this with an en-
phatic denial. Now, on question of veracity
between Mr.. Haskin and Mr.. Edison, no doubt
the people of New-York would swiftly accept
the word of the latter. But the painful and
puzzling fact of the matter is that Mr.. Kelly,
when asked as to the truth Of Mr.. Haskin's
statement, refuse to answer. This will cause
general surprise. 1t was certainly expected
that Mr.. Kelly would deny in the most positive
way that there was any foundation for Alr.
Haskin's charge. Here was the chairman OF the
Democratic Conference Committee asserting
that under Mr.. Kelly's roof a discreditable
political bargain was made-the purchase of
the Mayoralty nomination by promises
of patronage-and the man most in
terested. after Mr. Edison, in exposing the
falsity of the story would not speak. We think
that Mr.. Kelly on reflection will realize that he
thus places himself-or somebody In The con-
ference-in an extremely unfortunate position.
A detailed account of the meeting-also
under Mr. Kelys roof-at which the bargain
for the election of William p. Kirk as Presi-
dent of the Board OF Alderman was perfected
was given III the testimony. This narrative
will not exalt the opinion of city politics held
by those previously unfamiliar with what goes
on below the surface, but, Of course, 1t was of
secondary Importance i'll comparison with the
MayOralty matter
1t was a bad day for the Sheriff's Office. Mr.
Davidson concluded to retreat from his untena-
| deposition as to the power of the Legislature to
examine his records, and put the best face he
could on his administration in reply to the
! searching questions with which he was piled
But some of his admissions showed the loose
ness and irregularities that exist in the Office,
while witness went on the stand who swOre
to most outrageous case Of extOrtiOn, practi-
cally amounting to blackmail, on the part of a
deputy sheriff. And Mr.. Davidson was com
PEELED to suspend two other deputies for infam-
Gus proceedings in divorce suit. Altogether
some of our well-paid Democratic officials will
draw long breath of relief when this Legisla
ture adjouns-that is, those of them whose
evasions or violations of the law have not sub
jected them to Indictment or removal.
Before the Senate Committee investigating
Al
was of a startling character. The Department
was called upon to produce the books showing
the original entries and other memoranda re-
lating to the 5000 orders given John Barry and
William Mcdonald. In answer to this demand
there was laid before the committee
scrap-book containing what puTported to
be the original papers called for. Mr..
Mooney, the head of the bureau thrOu h which
these orders were issued, testified that the
scrap-book was one that he thought had
been in the bureau for two or three years.
But by evidence in the book itself, and by
the testimony of the person who prepared it, the
fact was established that the book had been
wholly made up within twenty-four hours for
the special use of the committee. The papers it
contained had nearly all been written within
that time Other alleged original memo
randa were shown to have been likewise newly
prepared. In fact, Mr. Mooney was compelled
to acknowledge that he had been unable to find
the original memoranda particularly required
by the committee, and that it was probably
destroyed, if 1t ever existed.
This is a startling condition of affairs. Mr..
Barry and Mr.. Mcdonald were paid many thou
sands of dollars formaterial alleged to have been
supplied Mr.. Thompson's department. They
took bank-bills only for their warrants-used
no checks, and have no records whatever, and
likewise no memory of the circumstances attend
ing the purchase and delivery of the material to
the city. And now it is shown that the Public
Works Department is almost equally deficient
in records of these peculiar transactions. But