New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-07
POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
PUBLIC MEN AND AFFAIRS.
ANOMALOUS CONDITION OF THE BOARD OF


w. Wood OF the four representatives Of the party
in the Board Of Aldermen His home is in the Third
Ward, and he represents the Second Aldermanic Dis
trlct along with District Alderman Leech, Hess ana
Thomas Alderman Wood public service as a
| member of the Board Of Supervisors before he was
elected to the Common Council. In the county legis
lature he was not In quite hopeless minority as
he is at present has been reader OF The Tribune
since first issue and recalls "The Log Cabin, which
preceded 1t, as a memory Of his boyhood days. few
years ago he ransacked the garnet OF the old homestead
to see IL he could find copy Of the paper
| memento but unable to. discover one. In
versaton recently Mr. Wood expressed these opinions
al find and more In my experience In the Board
OF Aldermen the evil of the present system of electng
| the members Of the Board, which changed from
the ward system few years The majority party
has entirely too large a majority by this system,
whereas, under the ward system the representation
was more equally divided. The whole system Of city
government devised for ward representation, and
with his ward behind him an Alderman felt more
definite responsibility and II was not divided now
when In my district have nine wards, for which
each of four men is partially responsible But sup
pose we shall not be able to return to the old system
until We get Republican Governor and a Republican
Legislature, as l hope shall next fall. / believe
that we have excellent opportunity to elect Re
publican Mayor this fall, and want candidate free
from all factional entangements. If the Republicans
could also elect their Aldermen at Large we should
control the city government
Alderman Wood improperly recorded with the
majority last Monday In the voting upon the transfer
of $4,000 to the Law Department contingent fund,
when he voted against this with his fellow Republi
| cans.
The money transferred by vote of the Aldermen
TO the control Of the Corporation CounsePs Office is
designed to pay the fees Of the legal talent engaged
to aid Corporation Counsel jerks In defending the
action OF Mayor Chaplin and the Controller and Auditor
in their Illegal efforts to acquire the property of the
Long Island Water Supply Company at an outrageous
price, which would have wasted the public In
appearing before the Supreme Court Mr. jerks secured
the aid OF the former Corporation Counsel, William C.
De Witt, and when the matter argued before the
Court Of Appeals ex,Judge Danforth called in to
argue. fee Of IS 900 apiece will probably be charged
although efforts TO ascertain what bills have been pre-
scented have been IN vain. Instead Of paying out
the public money for counsel to defend act declared
Illegal by three courts and twelve judges, the city
authorities should have Joined in friendly suit to
settle the points dispute. While the taxpayers will
have to foot the bill for the extraordinary expenses
incurred by the heads of the city government there Is
no suggestion Of rembursing William Ziegler for his
expenses in nsttutng and maintaining the proceed
ngs that prevented the souandeing Of the public funds
good many Republicans carefully considering
the present political situation and regard ii most
favorable for securing return Of the party to power
| II is just ten years since the ver-memOrabe Low
campaign, when James Howell, who had twice filed
5000 votes. AS history is fond of repeating itself it
| looks If Mayor Chaplin would essay a third term
But many Democrats willing to give both votes and
money TO defeat him, and it is believed
that he Will meet his Waterloo If he per-
ssts in forcing the fight. Charles a. Moore
president Of the Montauk Club and former president
OF the Young Republican Club, is keen and close
observer of the political situation. He said yesterday
d" What need is ideal man for candidate
| We want successful business man; one who knows
| a balance sheet when he it and whether it is
| true or false; who has shown by in his
business that he manage the business affairs
Of great city like ours; man who is unexcepton-
able socially and of high standing in the community
| one who clearly and forciby express himself;
and who possesses the elements of character sufficient
| 10 command confidence and votes"
| Those who know Mr. Moore think that he would
| fill the bill exactly In all these respects
| If Mayor Chaplin should decide that he had better
not risk the chances Of defeat at the polls it is not
impossible that District Attorney Ridgway will be the
candidate of the Democracy. His ambition has been
| in that direction but he would be handicapped the
race unless he should resign his present Office. That
| would create another vacancy to be filed at the
| coming election In that event the probabilities are
that the Democrats would nominate General Isaac s.
| Catlln for the Office, which lie formerly filed a
| Republican. An excellent candidate to oppose
! him would be Foster l.. Backus who General
| Catllns first assistant in his second term.
|
practitioner at the bar and lie has hosts of friends.
His home is in Fatbush but that does not disquafy
him for holding county Office although it is outside
| of the city.
| The death of the United States Marshal, Daniel
Lake. created almost great shock in the community
as that of his successful competitor for the Office of
Supervisor Large, DR.. p II. Kretzchmar Six weeks
ago no two public men seemed more likely to
out their terms Of Office and to do other public service
| than did they. DR.. Kretzschmar overworked In
| the grip" epidemic and when he Frustrated
Rrights disease developed rapidly and fatally. When
Mr. Lake fell into the deep railroad cut Just west Of
| Greenwood it supposed that he would recover
| from his broken bones and bruises long as TO
serious internal injury found. But the shock
| suflced to develop Dright's disease with alarming
rapidity ard less than three weeks from the time
| OF his fall he dead.
The friendship Of Mr.. Lake and John Y. McKane,
Supervisor Of Gravesend modern illustration Of
| The story OF Damon and f'ythias Neither could do
| too much for the other When Mr.. McKane entered
te Board of Supervisors the successor OF Jacques
stlwell Mr. Lake there the representative OF
| the Eighth Ward. lie able to be OF
| some service to the member Thus
| began their lasting friendship. They were
| of like tastes and sympathes. When not occu-
MED with official duties they spent hours in playing
domipoes in the Court House. When in Brooklyn they
dined together could scarcely be found without
| finding the other only in religion were they unlike
Mr. McKane being a Methodist and Mr.. Lake a Roman
Catholic When the Democratic authorities disciplined
| Mr. McKane because he failed to break a promise lie
had made and support Democratic candidate for AS
semby in his district and he refused to resign all the
official placcs he held and put ont Of the party
| only to retain his leadership in his town, Mr.. Lake
stood by him and likewise left the Democratic party
When the Presidential campaign Of 1888 opened they
stood side by side for President Harrison and af>ed
ably in keeping down the Democratic plurality in tho
county Together they went TO Washington TO the
| inan0uraton Mr.. Lake made the Republican
candidate for in 1889, but fell be-
tween two stools and he was left without public Office
sfter ten wears Of continuous service OF the county In
rne canacIfv or another. Mr.. Mckane then made
cessfu efforts 10 have him appointed United States
Marshal and he had flied the ohce abont year and
half a ne date OF his untimely death. Candidates Oa
The place are already beginning 10 crop up but no ap
! ~ Il IiLnlN 10 be nahe hefnIe Tho IN