The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-13
New York's Zig Four.

/ In an editorial article entitled. The Rule
OF Four" the New York World says;
! Pour men are in absolute control Of The
/ legislature at Albany. Their power is like
wise supreme in every department Of the
state government Two Of them rule the
| local governments Of this city and Brooklyn
as completely as though they had been
actually invested with dictatorship" The
/ four men referred to by the World are
! Richard Croker, the Tammaay leader;
Hugh Mclaughlin. the democratic leader
of Brooklyn; Senator Hill, and Edward
Murphy, Jrr who has been
nominated by the democratic
caucus to succeed United States
Senator Hiscock. IL what the World says
is true these four men rule absolutely the
state of New York and the cities of New
York and Brooklyn. They selected Mr..
Murphy for the Senate and virtually APP
pointed all the committees of the recently os-
sembled legislature They did not of course
openly do this, but they did it through their
lieutenants. For example, they told the
democratic majority In the legislature that
they wanted Mr.. Murphy sent TO the Senate
and Mr.. Sulzer made speaker, and Speaker
Sulzer made up the committees in Accord
ance with their advice
1t is difficult to believe that these four
men have the power with which they are
credited. II they have, there doesn't seem
to be any use in electing legislatures in New
York CT boards of aldermen aud mayors in
the cities Of New York and Brooklyn. 1t
would be much simpler to let these men
exercise directly the power which, it is
alleged, they exercise indirectly. And it
would save the taxpayers a very large sum
of money annually to let them do so.
1t must be that the World puts the case
too strongly. The people Of New York
would hardly submit to the rule of four men
no one o. whom holds an official position
in the state. II those who fill the offices are
simply clerks, and exercise no discretion or
judgement in the performance of their du-
ties, the people of New York are in
rather unfortunate condition. 1t
will be only matter Of time, il they con-
tinue to submit TO such rule, when they
will be wholly at the mercy OF these four
men, or their Successors. They are In the
grasp of an oligarchy. which will become
more arbitrary and oppressive with each
succeeding year.
The resolution adopted by the presidential
electors Of New York, indorsing Mr.. Muir
ply for the Senate when they met the other
day to cast the electoral vote of the state,
has attracted wide attention and excited
much unfavorAble comment. They met
only for one purpose. Why then did they
consent to interfere in the senatorial cleo
ton? II is said they adopted the resolution
because Senator Hill requested them to
do so.
1t is difficult to see what motive Senator
Hill could have had in getting the electors
to adopt the resolution unless it was be
wanted to show Mr.. Cleveland that his pro-
test against the selection of Mr.. Murphy
for the Senate was resented by leading
democrats of the state. The electors saw
the improperly of the resolution, and quite
a number of them refused to vote for It,
The majority OF them, however, voted for
it, for The reason, doubtless, that they were
afraid to vote against 1t.
1t must be that the Worlds presentation
OF the situation is not wholly correct; but
il it is correct it is not surprising that Mr..
Cleveland protested against sending Mr..
Murphy to the Senate, and it would not be
surprising if his administration should be
against Senators Hill and Murphy and their
plans.