New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-06
HILL, AS TWEED'S TOOL.
sr,vDIxG BY THE BOSS TO THE END.
OPPOSING REFORM LEGISLATION IN 1917 AfiH"
THE TnKFrs WERE EXPOSED.
...nnrsrnNnENT nE lie TRIBUNEl

houn
o0 :, f,no,opno County to-day " and he always mas
80, ,hst kind OF a man. 1t rams in the family hs
,wo brothers both served in tho Conieuera'o ii
hod no beep cid enough at that time TO take p"' u =,
,,o s6a,rs he would undoubtedly have been "S iuS
Cunerhc nd as was MIR. Hendricks. IL his own .0s
aud among his own people he has always peo - on
no a cold keen unscrupuous politician, deteiiH No.,
abi,, money no matter how. That de'eI'' -
,br.w him In with Tweed aud Patrick auu ~, ' T ,on
and led him into tho strike on the cana - - nv -,
rou sir he does not and mover WIN ''o -. oa,v 4,
those acts but woud 10 'Hs
he gets the chance. 4. horno ont by
This estimate OF Mr.. hlii ., oar,er from the
all of his public In his iegisa'io ,, ronoras
heoinpinc TO the end. as shown DS 'no P"e P,,, cot
nore no was defiant OF public crlticlsn' eo"''y a,
ing with the Tweed Ring IN le'l "TU wi,av now Of
90 .onnosed of d" Tom " Fields, D. u "io' -, w." >,
,,.ara,ic state Executive Commltteel' LIN
Cmuhell John c. Jacobs "Nick hausnVo -
rrsavory Excise Commissioned 1imu! -
:, .Ieck Frear and the remainder OF tne A"oo. ~ a.,
w. Mr Hnl became a member of the Legislature III
1871 he had already been active ~ r,s
49,. to extract $4,000 from the Pup''o
.a.,rv on account of the ancient anu
Notorious canal claims. But the money hau uo' 49,
concentrated and Mr. Hill was able 10 ge' 'n"'
With tha extraordinary allowance for lnteres" IL 10
,rr, be voted for the bill which gave an eH'I" "io"
once ON the fraudulent Black Rock CONTRACT Oh ooOs
- ua which appropriated nearly $2,OOo,Ooo TOT oio
o,oims No measure was too bad FOR Mr' lni W sup
ror, Tho New.York City bills which were passed that
session flied eleven pages OF the index anu Oh a "
,haw nm was recorded in tho Affirmative
Many of the New-York bills were 50 p"u
that even Governor Holman couiu NV
snnrove them. One Of the carly piiis
81 that Kind was introduced by "Dck" Flanagan ana
rovided for an additional clerk in each Dstrct Cou
in New-York CITY. 1t was referred TO the Juoeiaiy
committee OF which Mr.. Hill was MEMBER anu nc
voted TO report 1t favoraby Whatever excuse other
nrfi nc
Hill could have none as many OF the worst oi 'nen
came before committees Of which he was MEMBER
He was therefore. fully cogni'ant oi inc ehar"c-
ter of the bills, and they came W
fore the House with tho stamp OF MS "P
nroval This Flanagan bill sample After IL was
-, ,o the Senate that body by rweeds direction
omopded IT, and Hill again voted for It, GOvsrnor HON
man veoed the bill the samo day 1t reached hin' not
waiting to consider it. He denounced H. sIa'ns ta'
allowed each Civil Justice Of which there were ne' "
annoint another clerk at salary OF So'ooo' Areay
each iustice had OOO clerk stenoGrapher at S2ooo
and four Other assistants at 81 200 edch. Inc do'e
added: . NTH ,h
we'll known to those who arc conversant Win tne
business Of the courts that IN al 81 @ the business
Which appertains TO them Inc pill tnetctVto, 80 "a,
Tgned 1t, would antnore nor - tn9 would receive $4,000
Der annun aud it would add So4'Ooo ahhuaAy W 'H0
taxes Of New lork CITY, , .
This was, OF course, small steal Deslue inc Hu'"ei
ors ones the Governor signed, but it illustrates
the fact that while and some other Democrats madea
pretence Of docency, David b. Blu mace Eohe "Nne'
er He voted Of course, for the two per cent TAX levy
which contained the provision that nothing in luis ac'
shall impair in any affect the provisions con-
tanned in the acts entitled respectively IAN act to con-
solidate he debt Of the city and IAN act to
,onsolidate the debt Of the county Of New-Ior Inc
tax levy made show Of keeping taxes down 10 twopcr
cent but the acts consolidate the debts opened Inc
door TO an enormous issue OF bonds 10 take up
--,., -the-oid -eiaims for which revenue bonds
had been issued for other fraudulent purposes All
the numerous acts to authorize tie issue Of bouds with
ont limitation and at discretion OF Tweed and his as
soeates in the ring were supported BY BIZ ono oi
those bills gave Tweed unlimited authority 70
issue bonds to increase the water supply An
other authorized him to expend Sl,5OO.OoO Tor
hgh service ;" another authorized him to issue bonds
for sewers another authorized the issue Of aboat So
for parks etc. another authorized the Issue
of $50 600 900 annually in dock bonds and other bonds
were authorized pay for fire alarm telegraph Jimmy
OBrens bogus Sheriff claims for tie new Court House.
parade ground for such extraordinary purposes as
that OF the New York Railway Company. This company
was composed virtually OF Tweed and other members OF
the Ring city TO subscribe and issue bonds for
S5OoOooo OF the stock, but the other stockholders who
were given iull control were only required TO pay
I'm 10 per cent Of their subscriptions. The
classification system Of electing stockholders, which
had worked we'll in enabling the Erie Ring to plunder
the stockholders Of that read Incorporated In this
BILL to enable Tweed and his men 10 keep control even
though somebody else should have majority OF the
stock This extraordinary BILL perhaps the bodest job
OF the session. was reported favorably from the Railroad
Committee, Of which Hin a member. The act
denounced both IN and out Of the legislature but Hin
Noted ICE II regau.ss c tds ou'De"A VI p.oo ~
the city officials and judges. which have annually i'm
We're ali Supported by M The appropriations for sec
tartan institutions likewise supported BY him.
even that time, he was making bid foT religious
support somewhat similar to the bid he made In his
last 2S esGy aSsiy S %S ors nI MS way 10
The ring WAS Lavish in m It's rMG IN 5Gr RST
10 purchase the support OF the press In two years
nearly siOoo00 was paid to ne Arg,s Company for
interests Of that paper In the Legislature and it will be
remembered that Tweed testified to having made
indsnaftIy denied But be that ms it may. the large
payments for printing were made and and David b. IN
amendments TO the Registry law which practically
York City whether Togisterepor not.
When Mn back TO the Legislature in 1872 the
Tweed yauos had been exposed and he stood branded
But Tin" Campbell Tom Fields and
though in geatly reduced numbers Mr. Hill Voted
with them the entire session. as tho records show
supported the Erie Ring and tried to prevent the repeal
rupt judges One Of the first things tho Legisla@re dd
was to pass new election law for New-fork CITY so
" ds. ea IN IL oe s
wards t9aa 9aasO, the snF0 population
Election bill with the desperation OF who the
Penitentary staring him In tho face In that work David
i. Hill assisted Fields, making speech against the
bill II was passed in spite OF the votes OF Hl and the
Tammany men and Governor Hoffman signed 1t. II is
the law that governs elections In the City OF EewYOrk
at this time. and though the Democrats have at differ
ent times since had possession OF the State Govern
ment with the power TO repeal the act, II
has worked fairly that they did Lot change IT, But
David Hill. IN Tweeds interest. persstently opposed
the bill In the Legislature OF 1872 1t was deemed nee
essary that time 10 get rid OF Mayor Oakoy Hall and
the other members Of tho Ring then holding office
quickly possible. measure OF public safety For
that bill introduced in tho Legislature TO
provide for municipal election 10 May. David Il. Hill
fought that bill from its introduction until tho time II
was sent TO the Governor Like many other good
tutional grounds.