New-York tribune., 1886-02-24
Mr.. rosHAY And Thh 4LDEPMEN.

MR. JONH1l AN Inn di/IEJtI Il -
The Senate Committee have not yet brought
to public view the confessions anont which
we hear 50 much talk. If they delay the dis
closure too long, sccpticdl people Will begin 10
thnl that neither they nor their counsel Adyt
anything of the sort IN thcr possession. vi
course il il possible that some timid member oi
the famous Board of Aldermen has tOld all he
knows But, us the rosOlute and undaunted
members say, what has any wCah-krced Alder
man to tell II is certain that when the
services Of the City Fathers at that notorious >
o'clock meeting in August, 1854, were pild
Tor, the payntaster did not call them together
with the sound of trumpet and hand to each
his stipulated fee III the presence OF the others.
Such things are not done at street corners, III
council chambers, or in the presence ot W.T.
ucsscs. ANY Alderman who was brbed could
tell who blibed him, but what more could he
tclll
SO it is not surprising that most OF the men
whom public sentiment nolds 10 be gully still
keen their conlposure. Now If Billy Moloncy
we're to tell all he knows, there might be quak-
ing. for "Billy's" persistent avoidance OF the
society of the Senate Committee indicates that
his experience has been much more extensive
than that of the average Alderman VINO attends
every session of the investigating committee
and hears all the testimony without tremor.
Sumo of the Aldermen VINO acted as leaders OF
ciuues and factions in the Board of ! Ssh might
be able to disclose more than the mere receipt
OF an individual bribc. Bat there Is no chance
of their giving way. Their bruws ar brass ana
then consciences like the neither mlIstpnc.
Some of them probably acted as distributors oi
the bo0dle' to lesser members OF the Board,
but any work OF that kind must have been done
priyiy "a nasty transfer with no eye To see.
Meanwhile President FOsnay denies that he
knows anything about any pdymtnts Gi any
sol to any Aldermen. Very good. MIR. Foshay.
Perhaps you took great care not to know.
But had you no suspiciOl. OF the destination oi
the bug sums whIch your cOparcener JACOB
Shaip was taking out in cash and dsposin2 ot
in some way-many hundreds OF thousands ot
doliaIs that were not spent On the road Do
YOU suppose, Mr.. Foshay, tnat sucn denial
will win you the respect OF decent citizens when
the testimony of yourself and your associates
has shown you daubcd with the slmlest mess
tnat for years has polluted the air of Ncw-iork
with ITS stencil DO you suppose that there Is
any intelligent person IN TINS community who,
having read the cNlucuCc OOldlu'u w 'ho P'h'
ate Committee, now doubts that the Broadway
franchise was procured by bribery You may
have kept your hands from actual contact with
corruption, but you We're IN the tnlck OF the
plans of the most INSCRIPTIONS gang that the
city has been cursed with iOryeals. Could you
have supposed that the action OF the ALDERMEN
at that o'clock meeting was honestf step
down, Sir. FOshay. You are marked for llio
with the brand of jacob Sharp.
A great publ, wrong has been dcne and
great many peopl are now busy IN trying to
set things right. But some of them are sadly
lacking IN sense. There is nothing 10 bo gained
in this matter by Mysteries or double leads. No
gpod can be accomplished by VIVID fables about
imposs BILE @confcssions" or by ridiculous
stories about a Philadelphia syndicate bring
ing about an investigation which WAS called tor
last year by every influential paper IN New
York The truth is not TO be got at 10y
foundeIing wildly about in hctiOns as to the
origin, motives or achievements of this investl-
CATION Le1 the Senate Committee proceed de-
Gently and in order, but with relentless earnest
ness. Let them exhaust every source of IN
formation But meanwhile we could spare a
lutte of the din of tom -tOids and gongs and Wild
Hungarian music with which the air Is Dlled.