New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-12
TROY UNDER RING RULE.
THE POLITICAL BILLS HAVE BEGUN TO
OPERATE.

A CRIMINAL AND sEM-cMMSAL ASSOCIATION
OF POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL ADVENTURES
HOLD THE CITY IN THRALDoM-EvERY'
THING ARRANGED TO STEAL ELECTIONS
WHENEVER THAT COURSE IS FOUND
To BE NEcEssARY-EXAMPLEs OF
THE RINGS ELECTORAL METHODS
,ox STAFF coRssspoypnxr IRE TsipuSHl
Troy Julv 1O-Those who were obser'aho y,
the proceedings Of the Legislature last "in'ei
easily remember that the Democratic oos7'o i
PRODUCED and passed species OF iegsm'io" ""i'"
they called political bills" Democratic poS'ts' ~
=; oorno,y needful TO remark, are rs little apt 10
lo cifted with n sense Of humor as sense OF
shame To the frank confession OF neiarlous Pui-
nose revealed in the ysry designation OF these os
they were utterly dull. That. however, Is h."e
matter Had it been pointed out TO tne'n' ,"eS
would not have been one whit amused or dist"roeu
For the first time in long period OF yess 'heF
had control of every branch of the State Govern
inent Their majority in the Legislative branc"
was n canvassing board monstrosity. 1t was the
CREATURE of fraud and fraud was its manifest DIES
tiny. 1t had one prime end in view, ana 'a'
was 70 pass such laws as were necessary to enanie
tbc Democratic bosses TO steal successive renewals
Of mower without the danger Of being caught ana
scnt TO prison. And this it proceeded TO accom-
plish with energy and dispatch
The first political bill" was the one direc'ins
Secretary Of State Frank Rice, 20 take ana count
census From the point of view OF the Deiio-
cratic bosses, Mr. Rice bad paoved himsei' y"S'
the man for the job. In order to give ''eih
majority in the Legislature he had robbed tne
public Office of which he was, on behall Oh 'ne
pcople guardian and trustee, OF an eiectoh RETURN
Gent there in pursuance of the statutes ana Oh an
order If the Supreme Court and adludged by
that court to have there Z" the same legal STATUS
nc any other return then on file in that office.
lie had openly defed the Judgment of the Court
Ct Appeals, and, impudently waving it aside, had
voteI as a member of the State Board OF Can
vas>er, 10 give certificate of election to
Democratic candidate for Senator, whom the
Democratic Court of Appeals had oihclalN ue-
clared 10 I've defeated. Ii was plain. therefore.
that Mr. Lice WAS just the sort OF man VINO
conld he depended on to take just the sort OF
ccnsus required for just the sort oil apporionment
which the Democratic bosses intended to ordaln'
Following this proceeding, came a bill provld-
Ing for the summOning of Constitutional Con-
vcnticn and so drawn as to make 1t sure thao
The Republicans would have as little chance OF
Obtaining a majority in that convention as II
eelcli,, has of beating faro game. Then there
WIS p gprrymander of Congress dlstrlcts' an"
finally \ commander of the seats in the LeglSla-
ture based on the census which, sure enough was
both fr,udulcntly taken and fraudulently counted.
There was also an Excise bill framed in implicit
,h,dirnce To the demands Cf the liquor dealers
and rs the climax of wrong-doing, series OF DIS
wos nosscA taking the government OF hummer
- cities ont Of the hands of their respective ci'l-
zcrs and lodging it in the power ana discretion
of cli1rcs Of Democratic politicians. In certain
resrccts. these were the most infamous OF tle en-
tire bundle of political bills" for, IL wv
Dc.coc~atic party had professed any principle moro
rol,Iy than another, it was that OF devotion 10
Home Rule For years, Tammany Hall had maui
hears, outcry against the acts OF Republican LfgiS
: tur5 aimed TO protect the taxpayers OF new"
Nor', fr m schemes of Tammany punder, ana iau
u~,,l that all such measures were an infringement
- .ho s,crea principle of Home Rule For years
Governor Hill had returned TO the Le@isl''u'e
~ hout his approval all kinds of municlpal meas
49,, ~, iob his follower wherever they apphed.
- Si.lc-rl objectionable, always baslng hlS
w.. o. on lis inherent fidelity TO Home hule.
ANIL vet npon the mandate OF the mo'cE
o-oyv whom drunken fortune has estapHsheu III
,cv.er in this State the Democratic Legislature
In. wear passel no less than seven DIS UNJUST
in. out of Office, in as many clticS' oinciais WIN
r,l been chosen by The people, and proVloine'
,:tho, throurh the machinery of Democratic
o,noniinq power or through gerrymanderS o'
ward boundaries for the choice oil Democr"'l'
successors Nowhere was this outrage more rum
lcs,lv or swcepingiy performed than IN tHe ci'ie>
Of Troy ard Iansingburg where the authority VI
Edward Murphy, chairman OF the D''hocl''i'
c,,,o Committee has been fastened and intrenched
1o,,,o pstr
America. at least, is there municipal government
,,~r, comnletcIv corrupt and tryannical than in
,lo city Of Troy There are places and occasions al
which even Tammany Hall finds it prudent TO malt
I'm. flo Government Of the criminal and semi-criml
nal association which has been organized here foI
u ltica and speculative purposes Knows as niue VI
fo,r as Of conscience This association mas peeh
manv years forming. 1t has all KINDS OF ramlh-
cations. It's dominion in politics is not mere
vanity. but means to an end. The end Is financial
Every human being who moves in or out OF the
city Of Troy whether by horse or foot pays tribute
~ IT, There is not an outlet from, or an lhie'
TO- Troy which is not barred by lis toi-e"'es
F,,,rv GAS let every electric burner in the entire
civ CLOVIS for its pecuniary advantage Every
nnnch in every street-car registers its increasing
fortune Every water faucet pours into its bank
occourt. The handspring Of this huge combination
j. nolitics and the forces that operate 1t are gen
GRATED IN haunts Of vice and crime.
With an honest vote and an honest count there
il not A large Democratic majority in Troy, ant
on numerous occasions the ring has seen its for
tunes ebb to a low point 1t is not wholly un
mp sed in the Democratic party. There are Anti
Snaprers even in Troy. They were anti to Muir
phv long before they anti TO the snap
Their leader is cX-Mayor Fitzgerald, brewer
,ko Nurphy. and man of wealth. Supporting
him arc ey- County Clerk Conway, ex-Firc Com
missioner Edward Stanton and cx-Alderman John
Stanton. The conspicuous thing about the titles
Of these gentlemen is that they all begin with
.rx- n fact which denotes the rings present