The evening world., 1888-05-24

VI 'sO" W"
Hi. Power In the Event Of a Close Election.
Hurrah for the big pipesl
They are with us again.
There was a time when the big pipes had
an influence at elections.
1 remember the big pipes of the days Of
Tweed.
In those days Tweed and Sweeny kept
200 men at work laying big pipes.
Every man employed on the big pipes had
TO vote the Tammany Hall ticket. Their
votes used TO help the inspectors in the
count.
The big pipe men got 90 q day, and many
of them got more.
The Aldermen used to put their constit-
uents at work on the big pipes, and each
Alderman could get as many as 500 tickets
for jobs on the big pipes.
The big pipes we're then in charge of the
Department of Public Works.
1t was a bad day for Tammany Hall when
Mayor Wickham reduced the wages of the
big pipe men froma$2 to SLIGO a day.
The big pipes are now laid under the
ground by contractors who pay starvation
wages. However. we are going to have miles
and miles of work in burying big pipes.
And perhaps the Dig pipes ma again nave
an influence In politics,
Hurrah, / say, for the big pipes!
And who has the contract for hiding the
big pipes?
cratic State Committee, and he has o daisy
contract with the Aqueduct Commissioners.
Here are some of the figures of the big pipe
contract:
The contract is for 81, $50, 900 worth of
from One Hundred and TRirty-6fth street
and Convent avenue to the Central Park
Reservoir. distance about three miles. Each
pipe IL to be four feet in diameter and to be
Of cast iron.
The job is to be completed within two
years. and fully 1000 men are to be forth
with employed.
The CivIl.Seryice law will not interfere with
the appointment of these big pipe men and
they will be allowed to attend primary cleo
lions and conventions. In fact, John
O'Brien may see to it that they do 30, and it
is understood that they may vote ashe may
wish next November.
And John O'Brien, who was recently
bounced from the Democratic State Com
mittee, has within a few days obtained other
contracts.
of the Hudson River road from One Hun
dred and Tenth street to the Harlem River,
where the tracks are to enter a tunnel. The
contract is for So, 600 900, and $500 men are
to be employed at once.
Then John O'Brien has secured the con-
tract TO build. q branch of the Long Island
road to Oyster Bay cost $500, 900; number of
men to be employed, 1000.
And he is beginning a contract on the New
England road in Connecticut, which will
employ 1900 men. The contract price is
81, 900, 900.
John O'Brien has the contract for clean
ing the streets of Brooklyn at $780, 900 q
year. More than six hundred men are en-
| ployed by him in this work.
He also has 1000 men now employed In
finishing up his Aqueduct contracts.
John O'Brien will have on election day al
, least 10, 600 men in his employ, and very few
of them are Italians without votes. The
Italians who were in his employ at the cleo.
ton of 1886 were all naturalized, and all
D voted. Since then 1900 Italians who want
have been naturalized. They have become
citizens to work and vote, and not to learn
the English language.
A Republican statesman said the Other
! evening John O'Brien is angry. TIL
; friends of President Cleveland displaced hin
from the State Committee. O'Brien has, OF
I will have, 10000 men under his employ dur
i ing the campaign, l wonder if they will al
i vote for Cleveland. Pears to me that JohI
O'Brlen has the electoral vote of this State il
his vest pocket, should the contest be a clos,
one."
a Anyhow the big pipes are coming to thu
x front again in politics. The leaders may Ia,
. their political pipes, but John O'Brien AM
his three miles of four rows of four feet BIZ
. pipes will employ, with other contracts
10, 900 voters.
Democracy and the Big Pipes.
y Will there be harmony between the thre
\ organizationsp THIRD HOUSE.