New-York tribune., 1890-06-01
WHAT HAS BEEN PROVED.
CLEAR AND COMPLETE ACCOUNT or
THE EVIDENCE TAKEN BY 1hE
FASSETT COMMITTEE.

THE ENlDENIE lhNI>-N -
FASSETT COMMITTEE.
AND 1T SHOWS A DESPERATE OoNDii
.rrArRs IN EACH OF THE FOUR CITY De
p.erNEyTs UNDER T,MMANY CONTROL
WHICH HAVE THUS FAR BEEN
INVESTIGATED
ooo,,. o,4s,,rre has felt as though los mission
s hoo, truv ACCOMPLISHED until 1t mas ,., rrV ~
Invextioo.np committee into New orK 'n9' -
one faction of the local Democracy % . os,,pe
happens to be in power. it Is always 'ao tnot tho
that some kind of knavcry IS in progress ~ ,.oar <
,notoris, for at least one great scandai Pn S0"'
'iao,I ~ 1-ron this theory smelling com
i,.ocs &c the Tammany politicians spiteioiN ''ii
them have become for the legislators az ~ w W.
annual diversion, and for the s'<ii"p " .o,- 90
on animal fright and menace. 10 "'o "NP"' NJ,
To,r yor, the value of these commlt'ccs '"" '
he n,aced too high. The deterrent lii"u'n,o uPo"
- oaicc holders of the fact that they arc
s,,ro n come is very great and atho"sh II oa'"o' "
,ainad that all of them have been ail''"'ou oS
4br nnrposes or directed ny hOhcs' mch' ~ -
va, emo that some good has come from each OF them
I'D that notable reforms have been promoted III hahS
,,oncos Each new inquiry has revealed some new
,n,ouitv together with the network of corrupt ana
pernicious methods by which it has been accomplished
In the vain effort to meet such wrongs ana 10 coreo'
and prevent such methods one law ater aho'icr ii"'
been framed and passed COR especial application here
untu the city government has become uniquely IN
cor rr,ous and a system of laws has grown up par
taking In curious mixture of the principles OF ireo
government and Of deSpotiSm
Behind each addition this strange mosaic has
been the hope of better government-ot 1rcer anu
moro intelligent action by the people. and OF purer
nHictals Ilut
stantly proved an illusion. Whether the law gave
free rein the official it concerned or whether IL
held him tightly in check, whether 1t sought u
quicken the public's sense Of duty or 10 pi0N"o
means by which wrong doing might be promptly dis
covered and punshed-no matter what lis purposes
or its provisions the result has been the same Cor
ruptOn has gone just successfully, the servants
of the people have been. as before the slaves OF
irresponsible bosses and the reign of choice ogachy
of demagogues and criminals has continued IN full
vgor
The Fassett Committee. which. after a series of
most remarkable Investigations. has just suspended its
sessions for the summer j. here upon an errnd winch
differs from that preceding legislative committees If
not in kind. at least in magnitude II Is not here to
expose particular scandal 10 examine paricu-
lar department. lis purpose IS TO study the whole
municipal problem it has grown up in this aad
other cities get. if possible the secrets Of boss
rule: to study how, in spite of all eXpedlcnts the
supremacy of the bosses is maintained, and
IL II may not be possible TO
struct system of laws which shall be both congruous
and effective in the emancipation of the people and in
the permanent destruction of organizations aiming
govern the city through its criminal and question
able classes Senator Fassett has the opportunity
which Lycurgus and >Olon embraced TO give %
their names eternity of fame. His first efforts
have been to ascertain the exact situation and they
have resulted in strange revelations The remedy he
has not yet suggested.
The committee began 10 sit in the middle Of last
March The legislature then in session and until
quit recently il impossible 10 devote more than
one day per week 10 the inquiry. But although the
committee has not sat often. il IN, worked with
extraordinary skill and per,,cncy and the of lis
investigations has remarkably wide. The >lcrif's
Office with it, Ludlowst. attachment. and the ENcse
Commission have been thoroughly Overhauled, while
the Common Council and the Police Department have
been examined sufficiently 10 make il clear that they
will require an elaborate scrutiny. The committees
adjournment for the summer makes this a convenient
point at which to review the testimony taken and to
marshal the facts that have been proved IN column
where they can all be easily seen and understood.
Mayor Hugh ]. Grant, who the sheriff Of New
York from January l, l7o6, until MS eIccuoh I" ue
Mayoraity in October, loss among The first
witnesses examined. Nothing discreditabe had then
been proved nor was 1t supposed that the committee
had any damaging facts in It's possession Tie Mayor
took the stand with very Jaunty air. Eow 70
appreciate his position and his testimony properly,
somo knowledge Of his constitution and character
is desirable. The Mayor is amiable young man
whose instincts, according 10 his lights are fairly
good lie is depoFably ignorant. lie cannot speak
write the most ordinary English granilatcally ana
his spelling Is something quite groteSque There IL
no doubt that in business matters he ID as
honorable average man, but In politics lie makes
the prevailing rule his and probably without any az
curate appreciation OF its moral quality His con
duct Of the Sheri1's Office extfavaganty com
mended by his Tammany associates who induced
lot Of respectable lawyers 10 sign campaign
letter prastng it, and Grant, whose MIND Is not
among the strongest, may possibly have believed
that he deserved all the praise he got Con
cerring his "extTa compensations,' he must have
had some doubts but he regulated all these mat
ters by advice Of COUNSEL" who told nm thal uey
came within the statutory provisions he probably
thought they would come out all right. He had tleso
two sentences u done IL by advice Of counsel
and come within the statutory provisions
constantly upon the end Of his tongue, ana ne Toie"
them OFF glibly in almost every answer he made
during his examination.
When first upon the witness stand, the Mayor vas
iaunty, self confident and, when prOvOncd defiant.
But he gradually became respectful. and AT last
anxious The effort of the committee was to a'ccr
tain how ne had kept his accounts a. shcrih OF
New-YOrk how he kept track OF the dOing' Oi hi'
deputies; how he made sure that the accounts they
turned in were legal and accurate: how he piOVld''
against cHtOruOhdJS pfdCucc', HV" "o 'O'N'
Ludlow Street Jail and, finally, what fees or Othcr
charges were made by him his deputies against
judgment creditors for whom his Office dd business
which not expressly authorized by law MI 'idht
said that he kept permanent accounts whatever
that would his receipts and expenditure gross
net. The public business upon which he received
commissions amounted annually u many Millions
but he said he permanent account OF IT, ana
knew OF no memoranda i'm existence uiat "OuIu
throw any light the subject. His record at the
time was his check-bOOk. He deposited all moneys
coming to him a. public custodian and checken
them out TO whom they were shown 10 be due, less
hls commissions. AT the end Of the year, he sad,
81 looked at my cash. and that what ! h%i
made How much cash he found when he looked