New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-17
MORE" BOoDLEn BUSINESS.
WHAT HAS BEEN PROVED IN THE MARKET
INVESTIGATION.

ING, INCLUDING THE COMMISSIONERS THE
CONTROLLER, THE COUNSEL. THE
CoMPLAINANTs THE WITNESSES
AND PUSSY LITTLE FELL
LOW WHO MAKES EVERY.
BODY LAUGH.
Disclosures OF a serious character have been made
in the investigation now being prosecuted by Mayor
Grants Commissioners OF Accounts into the mehods
employed by Controller Myers and his snbordinaTs
for the letting OF the stalls In the new West Washing
ton MARKET. So largo Is the Controllers discrouo'
In this matter however, that II Is doubtful II 'no'o
who have been wPonged by his Determinations can
find any substantial redress 1t has not been proved
nor even alleged, that he himself committed any
act in positive violation OF law, though tho evidence
certainly reflects badly on his character as pupi'0
official I'm that II proves him consciously acquesceh'
in the schemes of political vultrcs and others to Turn
a public matter 10 their personal and pecuniary ~
vantage. This statement should be promptly follower
by the remark that his side OF the story has not ye
been told though to exonerate himself he must meas
deny point-blank the testimony of several men VINO
are entirely friendly TO him and without motive pr
perjury. His friends represent him 10 be greatly ais
tressed the facts that have been brought OUT
They say he imposed upon, perhaps, indeed,
little weak, but not guilty Of Intentional wrong
Wrong has been done, however-that is conclusiVeH
proved-aud II he Is innocent OF It, he should MAKE
u.
revoking the permits improperly granted and S
transferring them to those to whom they should haze
been issued IN the first place II Mr.. Myers has the
wisdom and the courage to do this he may yet ge'
out Of tho affair." II not with credit at least wl'ho"
any other dscredt than attaches 70 confession Oh
weakness and Of having allowed himself 10 DO
vlctimzcd by political sharpors. II he Is coTectp
quoted by the various newspaper intervlewers 10
whom he has talkcd his humor is moro ugly than
In will Cotn The evidence
leaves no to doubt that the sooner he does get
over II the better.
To the public this investigation is chiefly valuable
I'm the proof II affords of the extent to which the
dirty hands Of dirty politicians impudenty thrust
into every public matter out OF which anything OF
profit can be extracted. They cannot even let III
tie thing like the leasing OF stalls in markefpace
escape them. when Alderman can get S10.OOo
~ merely saying Aye" II is possible 10 SEQ some
thing like substantial temptation. but one wouio
think the people might safely trust their chief imam
cial officer who is supposed to be an honorable bus
ness man, and 10 whom they pay very liberal sal
anyone would think they could trust him to Lease
a few little six by eight stands in public market
without tho fear Of political iobbery The thing 70
be dono was as simple AZ following his nose
new market had been built TO take the place OF an Old
one. Obviously enough, the persons entitled 10 inc
new stalls other things being equal, were the oocu
nantg OF tho Old ones WHIT inc puDhC Nhhicu w.
an opportunity to buy provisions. Those with whom
Il had been accustomed % do business, who had built
I'D a trade and created a patronage, were clearly
enough the first claimants OF a privilege taken from
them only for the purpose Of supplying the public
demand for better marketplaoe When these had
been properly cared for the stalls that were leit
should DO given 10 bona de mnrketmen. whose actuA
and proper use Of them was assured. one can
scarcely think Of public duty moro easily perform
To Mt stall auVbfdy but n genuine
marltefman TO permit any sub-letiing. selling or
other traffic IN them plainly and absurdly wrong
and 10 Let them out at tho dctauon OF ward bosses
I'm payment Of political obligations was OF course Ut
terly indefcnsiblc.
Polites-that u.s. our Kind Of politics. the kind prac-
tlsed IN New-York Clty-is damning to honest men
who get within IT'S influence. They seem at once 70
lose sight OF those rules and principles which guide
and control their conduct In all other relations They
AT once begin 20 discriminate between political lying
and thieving and other kind OF lying ana thieY-
ing In their own business they would DO disguised
beyond measure al the suggestion thai they should
lie and steal permit somebody else 20 lie and sinaL
But the moment they enter politics and get onice,
forthwith they Danish their ordinary morals and forth
with they supply themselves with q new set adapted
TO the situation. They In another moral at
mOsphere from tho one appcrta!ning 70 their prlvan
homes and places OF business. Everybody around
rhem, they Observe IS on tho malse'-not secreuy'
but II being the male was what politics was
for, IL the people were organized under municipal
charter for the parcuar purpose of supplying all the
dirty loaers In town who poll half dozen votes
on election day with opportunities TO pick up a few
dollars hero and few thero in connection with
little public enterprise. They find the nngor
marks of politics upon everything. They find that
public contractors neither expect nor expected
to supply what the people pay for They find that
contracts devices 10 render cheating possible
They find that engineers and inspectors and over
and superintendents understand that what they
are there for Is not 10 sec anything wrong but to
certify 10 whatever IS put before them. They find
that public works undertaken not a. supply public
necessities, but to make patronage for political bosses
They find that in politics means not eyer
the doing Of their duty IN the light OF their conscience
but the satisfying Of such demands as made upon
them by the machine leaders.
Lots OF people VIII say suppose and hope, that
this is exaggerated picture Of the evils created by
the system under which Tammany Hall and tho County
Democracy New.York. Lots Of people must think
so, or Tammany Hall and the County Democracy would
straghtway DO torn asunder In ono sense am pro-
foundy glad that lots OF people do think so. because
II Is nice 10 believe in tho existence OF innocent
vlrtuous, ingenious folk who arc reluctant to think
III Of their feows~-Thelr existence Is what makes
trial by Jury popular and delightfully."- uncertain and
the mental qualities they conspicuousy reveal
those from which hospitals and asylums arc derived,
those which give life and purpose to religion. ami
which render republics possible. But thcy lflowse
operate to increase the taxrae, and 10 mako boodling
easy, profitable and comparatively FREQ Of danger.
This market investigation was brought about by
people with grievance, fact which Mr. Myers's
apologlsts make much OF But II II wero not for tho
people with grievance where would justice DO In
anythlng1 II Il were not for the murdered mans
friends, who would hunt down the murderer Among
the marketmen whom tho Controller neglected was a
solld well-todo, elderly party named DurelL Mr..
Durell lives in Jersey. lie Is Of about thirty
marketmen who had stalls N tho old market but
who were denied places IN the new. This
bump Of pugnacy Is largely developed in Mr..
Durell, and when no saw himself and
these other men knocked out 20 make room for pol
itIeIans and their dummies, he made up bis mind %