New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-12
FOR MUNICIPAL REFORM
ANOTHER COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY.
4 MOVEMENT TO HAVE SPRING ELECTIONS AND
BETTER CITY GOVERNMENT.

lent around among bankers presidents OF corporations
md prominent business men OF this city, setting lol
that the condition OF the municipal government oI tnS
,ity demanded action from the business men oil New
York that the citys revenue had been squahuereu'
nearly 81 900 having been lost throughbad manage
entand the recent revelations regarding Excise matters
and the corruption surrounding them made IL an
tive necessity should be taken 10
this state of affairs There were about twenty h'i' "
Unknown men signed to the circular and can was
made for q meeting on Saturday. Among 'uo nam
attached to the call those OF James A. NeIn1 .
Robert b. Roosevelt James W. Gerard, John Foley ana
Joseph j. O. ODonohu. In response To this lh'la''o"
dozen business men met at the Office OF Mt Nermlye Oh
Saturday. -. -
One Of those present said last evening: "IhisH
tooyemcnt for municipal reform 1t is no spasmoaic AZ
iar WeLknown business men OF this city nave oecH
Watching our municipal government with anxiety ana
sbin il high time that it taken ont o the hahus vi
mere speculatOrs. Taxation Is becoming enOrhous anu
alarming The city has lost hundreds OF thousands III
dollars The head Of the City Government is ho' VIC
belieye even a citizen, and one of the departments
IS run by man VINO when he became Commissioner Oh
Pphlic Works did not know two streets in the CITY, Ana
what was he before he here We were TO nave an
era OF reform when Mayor Grace was electeu' hIu
what have we now Is it reform for him TO make MI
Iylps his conf entia business associate CITY ChahoeF
Iainl Is it reform for him to retire such man as
Thomas b. Asten from the Board Of Estimate ana Ap-
portioumont! And Board is one of our OBJECTIVE
points In this movement. The business men VINO arc
moving ia this matter demand proper representative
IN that Board. Mr. Asten fought there for honest ap
,roprations but he was not the kind of man TO please
IT,. Grace.
The primary object which we have in view is spring
.ectons The deals which have been based on smulta
beous elections for city and the state TO say nohn
Of Presidential elections have made attempts al soo"
government impOSsbility. Let us nave spring eeC
tions and then We handle our municipal reforms IN
ala
is il reality in sympathy with reforms After that Is
accomplished we get a decent Excise Board ana 90
AWAY with the corruption the police force such Us
,os lately been testified to- Every department Ill tins
atty needs overhauliuc and it will be done
What will be your method of proccdureE =
That matter discussed fully yesterday W" pro
nose to organize another Committee OF seventy II VIII
he composed OF w,1l-known men, men wLo nave cH-
pressed their sympathy with this movement ana VINO
mean what they say. Oh, you may DC sure 'nis
Is no idle thing; in dead earnest committee
Of i've was appointed which will select the seventy men
80 serve on the general committee cannot give you
their names yet The Committee Of Seventy VIII De
pubclv announced this As soon as that Is done
arrangements will be made for public meetings 10 uc-
bounce the present state Of affairs and to agtae 'ne
public mind TO demand a change. Agitation VIII oe
kept up relative TO spring elections committees ap-
pointed TO push the matter at Albany, and strong anc
determined effort made TO sccuEe legislation when
will give rs the change in the OF nicpal elections
FOR tho coming spring. Committees will be appointed
also to wait upon both candidates for the GoVernoshp
TO obtain their pledges in support OF sprns eecons'
No stone will be left unturned to effect our purpose
WAS question Mayor Graces relations 10 Grant
a Ward discussed at the Saturday meeting y
at was most emphatically The point was dwclt upon
that he dealt heavily in Grant Il Ward paper
iad the belief expressed that ME- HIdce
ad come out least 100000 ahead on those trahsac
ions This OF itself the striking feature OF ta'
business Mr. Grace director OF the Marine Bank
ana so was J. Nelson Tappan, and 50 was Ward. The
atmosphere OF the whole thing was bad shre"d 'usl
ness man who gets into such surroundings docs not 90
TO take shield he knows what he IL about 10 you
know that the city nearly lost S2OOOooo instead o
~ 100000 through the deposits Of its money IN The
Marine Bankl The Sl,OOO,OOO was saved
only by the prompt action Of some business
men OF the city at the time OF Tue
failure H. Perkins, jr The president ol the import
ers and Traders Bank, at the Clearing House ana
~ " check 100000 OF the Marine Bank pNap!e |"
the city, and ne for James d. Fish and made MN
furnish securities AMI notes secure the cheek lh"'
was one item saved These points have all been under
consideration and this movement IL set on 1901 /"
.trike AT the root Of the c' IN our uunclPdl govern
rcnt The plan do away with deals, to foriliy the
government and 10 secure an honest anu OuS'Hc7''A
management OF oar city"
"Uavc Won foupd tins sentiment general among hr.i
,oss men that the time had for uprising Of tic
business men Of the city -
Most certainly; and the feeling Is most prononhccd
Men who have the COOL Of the city at heart regard tht
revelations regarding the 'diyvics IN The matter Z"
licenses most disrIccful thing The trouble with tho
police seems sti Where brbes are offered
aud accented as the testimony has shown, what can on
call the state OF affairs except aO0mlhaulc' lhei'
Is a remedy for these things and 1t can De OBTAINED
and applied ii upon that theory that we are proceed
.rr Ju,t think how the way viii be cleared
~ spring elections. We will have only one thing i'
concentrate energies Oh then good lhunIcl ~ ON
.r Cltilens who think OF good government than
81 mere party names can uute tnelr am ~ i,,
SIaXor who knows what reform means whatlJ shnui'
ne aud how to carry out its intent ana VIII 90 IT, lneI
IN heads OF dcparncns Will be selected without refer
Cucc % dIcGcring and deals.
most important body. The Mayor - ltS mead
You observe his influence there u he "iSEc9 10 dCh1
hr ca do 90 hv upoing with another member o
fc Board Now we wish a representation there. Just
viii he "a matter for future determinations But we want
man there who has a keen for Jobs ana conp~n-
sot"". and viii sec that The city's money not sqnan
dcrcd Another ann will be a pure JulcidI{. we Wdhl
men whose moral atmosphere Is al tieht Ihdl VIII O'
borne in mind in the coming election .,,. ...,
What is tAe prospect Of the success OF this move
The time IS ripe for 1t ard bSngyr bn
that success will surely crown tho effort SOmc
tnns must be done. knew that those Wio have nave inc me
in hand are determined men anu IheS nS" & -,
ccivcd prompt and pronounced cEcOuiaSehrht lIoI ~
pr,nret citizens of this city IL all walks 0i ne u
seems If terrible lot OF rouehhes' dd ueeH tuIic @
M here OF late. IL Is enough TO MAKE hnNIhcS' We
You would he suIl 10 a,1I nov pro-, q,
their xpressio tell you 1t Is my solemn conyc
that within TWO "ccA5 lIt .'tS win '"N
this matter. | know what am talking aDou,
hrIeVe As inc COllhIl
lee OF seventy is announced. We bhal
rrncecd 70 business and shall a@Itatc Hslat" aG
ntiI we accomplish aim. IL Will be crusade of tht
Tweed order over again. ii could Only tFc you u'
names aud The EXPRESSIONS Of the men III ts movement
yon could form a definite idea thdt business wa
meant" -. ...o,,.,. eo;,
YESTERDAY: lyon may rest assured tudt hcfe Is
deal in this movement ! have heiIu IL , az.
cussci downtown within lew uaD5
and opinions have been Outspokcn, rcGar1!es
of puty that there good lea that i rotten IN pen
marx that should bc dealt with AT Oucc expect ina
mis- movement i real live thing aud means all tat i
pretended for it, IT,.
Another said: {" observe that John Foley is inter
cstcd IN the movement. lie Is rather enthusiastic a'
thiS whole matter may hC OF his rciO-m schemes
sun the committee Of five has been appointed ana
VIII the Committee OF Seventy. We shall sec VIVA