Wichita eagle., 1888-04-12
AFTER GOVERNOR HILL.
The New York Senate Passes a Bill to In
yestipate Certain Contract Letting.

ALBANY, \. Y, April lin the senate
yesterday, resolution was introduced by
Senator Fassett (Republican) for the APP
pointment of committee to investigate
certain published charges in regard to
alleged corruption in the administration
of some of the departments in the munich
pal government of New York City. While
the terms of the resolution were quite
general. it was understood that
the real ponit of attack was
on Governor Hill, concerning whose
alleged ''dealn with the aqueduct
commission during the last gubernatorial
canvass certain New York papers had
published articles. The story as published,
was in effect, that Governor Hill had Sc
cured change in the personnel of the &C
queduct commission, by having the mayor
and comptroller released from ex-officio
service thereon; that the governor then APP
pointed his political friends to the vacancy
with the result that the firm of O'Brien &
Clark, contractors, were enabled to secure
the contract for a section of the new acque
duct though they were the
highest bidders, and that they
sub-let it to competing firm at clean
profit of 1000 that O'Brien & Clark and
O'Brien individually endorsed Governor
Hills notes for $4,000 to be spent during
the late gubernatorial campaign, and that
John keenan,. the boodler, now in Canada,
discounted one of them; in short, that the
governors campaign bills were paid out
of the aqueduct contract. The resolution
in the senate which grew out of the
charges caused a heated debate in that
body today, in which personal charges of
campaign and Legislative corruption
were rather freely tossed back
and forth between the friends
The resolution was finally adopted unani-
mously, and one of the Democratic mem
bers gave notice that he would introduce
resolution to investigate the charges of
corruption in the electoral canvasses of |
certain members of the state senate, and
as to the use of money in the senate itself
in the last two elections of the United
States senators.
Governor Hill made a statement to an
Associated Press reporter this evening in
regard to the matters charged against
him. He said that near the close of the
campaign of 1885, the Democratic state
committee was short of funds and ap-
pealed to him to aid them. In connection |
with certain other Democrats he drew
two notes aggregating $4,000 which |
he gave them. They were dis |
counted and the money used in the |
legitimate work of the campaign. When |
they were due they were paid, various |
well-known Democrats contributing the !
money. The heaviest contributor was |
John O'Brien, of O'Brien q Clark He |
was chairman of the state Democratic |
committee. and all his doings in cOnnec- |
ton with the matter were as an individual |
Democrat. His partner, Clark, is a Re |
publican and the firm has nothing to do !
with the matter. Keenan, discounted one
of his notes for the Democratic committee |
Governor Hill declared that this attack |
on him was instigated by the quarantine |
officials of New York, of which depart |
ment, Ex-senator T. c. Platt is the head. |
and whom Governor Hill has vainly tried |
to Gust. The governor declares that he |
has nothing to conceal in the entire mat
ter.