New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29
THE AQUEDUCT RING.
wHAT THE SENATE SPADE HAS UNEARrHED


REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE TOGETHER WITH SOME
REFLECTIONS AS TO ITS BEARING UPON MEN
AND EVENTS.
There fsn't quite much Of doubt and suspicious
In tho Democratic and Mugwump papers as to the
thoroughness ard resolution OF the Senate Invest''
eating Committee there was ten days ago. On the
contrary droll change In the complexion OF tne'r
comments has taken place, and they now appear 10
think that the committee is going too deeply into the
muck and miro Of their allied but Jealous politics.
This lsuehabe circumstance is due TO the sagacious
way in which the committee and its counsel have
worked UP the case. The Grace people and their
Muewump partisans supposed that fight was to Do
made upon David B. Hill, and OF course they were
only too happy to help along any enterprise Oh tha'
sort They unbosomed themselves to the commuters
LAWYERS unreservcdly but when they found that Inc
LAWYERS were also elicing information from the other
side they at once grew suspicious and said, In sinister
phrases that a committee made up as this coulo mos
he depended TO make a thorough inquiry. by tms'
n scarcely need be said, they meant thorough IN
ou,rv into Kill The converse OF this situation may
be applied to the psrtisans OF the "oVernor. ANY
made largo and interesting contributions 10 tho COM
mlttee's information, with the idea that IL "Ouio
knock out Grace They discover. when all too lato'
that both these masters Of practical politics must go
o., and down together and their souls flied with
bitterness The fury Of HILL Muller Co. against
GRACE Twins a. Co. Is hotter than blass furnace
while that Of Grace WINS & Co. against HILL Muef
g. Co "a hotter than another blast furnace, ana lnus
the dark angels rage.
No ipousltorial committee that has come down here
from Albany In years has known so accurately ana
fully what It intended to accomplish as this one.
Covernor Hill was right when he warned Mr. lvs thas
the exposure Of tho Squire-Fynn letter would provo
r,inous 10 the Democracy, for so shfowoy nan e9uo
weded his fate with that Of most nhuentlai Dehocra'
in the party that striking at him. Grace mad peroeo
TO wound host Of others and It was only mater Oh
time when they would get the chance to sriHe pach
The exMayor might have known that such an evil day
would surely come. lie might have known that thero
would be blows to take well as blows to give and
certainly mono knew better than he how thin
and fragile the coating Oh Mus"ump ia
probability with h which out by the com.
mittee are simply supplemental to those shown npoa
the hearing Of the charges against squire Two ys ss
ceosnrany for power and plumber in which the Demo-
cratio politicians OF chief Importance In TINS sa'e "er'
all concerned
There is no attempt to excuse tho acts OF these
notIcal iobbers They eliminate themselves In order
to crimnate each other apparently needless Oh neir
own plight 1t is said, indeed, BY their newspaper
partissns though Just what purpose fail to under
stand that all this rascaty is to be laid at the door
Of the Republican party. since Republican LegiSleE
ure passed the Reorganization DILL Now that phi
was passed In May, 1886. The Governor signed IL on
Nav 10. Every particle of the jobbery thus lar
unearthed was accomplished before the reorgahna.
ton. do not say that this Reorganization was ho'
IN tho interest of iobbery. AS a matter OF TACT,
and Il was an act that the Legislature ot1es6 has
reason to be ashamed Of But the deals OF theSd
Democratic trlckstcrs had been perfected long before
that act was thought of, indeed before the Original
Commits sion had held It's first meeting Let US gi&nce
at the dates. The original contracts were a~arueo
on December 20, 1884 Already the fun arrange
ments had been perfected between oBren q cisfk,
the principal contractors, and the two Domocram ne
factions Of this city for the division OF the
Nov what had that 70 10 WIZ tne me on oco
20, 1885. II had been agreed that " Bnen shvua
take Of t. asa order TO sna FOR 10 ~
gwen to him the next S a. nd PsS was traced
Directly to Hill, through his isckey, Muller What
had that to do with tho Reorganization bii an -.
1885, when the Governor was figuring for delegates 10
the Democratic state Committee. The couniercon,
and WINS began at the same time. Then II was that
trace asked squire for his support and upon squire re-
cc CS n Wins was Working Thompson ana Flynn
secure possession of it. In the early part Of 1880 he
CommissIoner's testimony In April he showed I'M
copy Of the letter and they csnvassed together as to
tho OBJECT its publication would have on the party.
What have these things to do with the Reorganization
onsn n TO the s pubc by s % and show
that they all were consummated before tho Commits
how rSicuoUs r. is TO Law the blame for Democratic
hi.vsry at Republican doors merely because The Re:
publicans voted for q which made thlevery
possible. This IS equivalent 10 confession that the
DEMOCRACY viii always give free rein TO Rs he
party must be held Responsible for all Dcmocratlo
doylry, on the principle that II u had not decided %
build An aqucduct, there Woud nave oeen ho s0anuaL
AS was careful to say, The reorganization was In
tended make obbery easier, to get nd Of Controller
Ioew and Mayor Grace, who, with very different no
tions opposed tho contractors The Committee or at
least Lawyer Boardman, its sldlfu attorney, knows
all the facts and Senator Fa,sett told me that they
should all DO brought out, matter who may be hurt
II will DO shown that the city is being robbed mer-
essy In the interest of individual and partisan schemes
that the Commissions expenses, which should now
have dwinded to sum smaller than at any time since
Il was appointed four years ago. are greater than
SnancIs extravaganza and waste that the relations
OF certain contractors with certain commissioners
exceedingly suggestive Of collision BIZ. what does
this cha per amount TO IN comparison with that which
antedated the Reorganization bin The Mugwump
precnce that this bin had sort OF connection with
he raseslltes that went during the triangular fight
between HILL Grace and Squire Is, like all other Mug
wump pretences, without form, and void
The sessions Of the committee have attracted largo
crowds 10 which tho faces OF many politicians to
bo seem Ths FIVE Senators sit behind the courts bench
In crowded dignity. Senator Passett the chairman,
is young man with bright, sharp face, alert blue
eyes and decisive manner He and Governor Hin
both live in Eimra. and they do say that the SEN
ator's personal sentiments toward tho Governor are
not cordial There Is no obvious reason why tho Gov.
crnor should waste his affection upon the SENATOR at
ell events. Senator Hendricks sits upon tho ngnt
o. the ssarmsn lie saIs yoanS pleasing face and
quiet dcmeanor. Upon tho chsirmans icn SITS sen
eos toasther conveniently for consultation
senator Pierce, who At apparent ncrs,c nspt anS
bis coIIesge' Senator McNau ghton support the two
extremes Of tho committee and listen 70 the process