New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-12
MANHATTAN AND THE TIGER.
IS THE DEAL OFF BETWEEN TAMMANY
AND TIE ELEVATED ROADg

| REASONS FOR BELIEVING THAT THE wIGwAM
BRAVES HAVE THROWN OYER THEIR RAIL
ROAD ALLIEs-A HISTORY OF THE
FAMOUS BARGAIN AND ITS MANI.
FEsTATIoNs HERE AND
IN ALBANY
The resignation of the fonr Rapid Transit
| commissioners unQucstondbly the most re-
| markahlc development last week in local poti-
| cal circles. IL caused intense surprise on all
sides and it has probably puzzled the politicians
| mora than anything that has happened since the
consum'naton of the great deal in $50 between
| the elevated railroads and the Democratic state
| machine, including Tammany Hall. Most of them
| profess either that they do not understand tine
trouble AT all or accept the general interprcta-
| ion adopted by tine public, that the whole mat
| ter is simply effort on tho part of Tammany
and the Manhattan people to freeze ont the
obduratr commissioner, Mr.. StaIin. and thus clear
the way for the final consummrtion of tho bar
gain entered into by these powerful forces three
years ago.
Possibly this view IL correct, but there are
reasons for thinking that il is not, AMI that a
contrary ono. based upon the Flea that Tammany
had thrown its elevated railroad ally overheard,
would bc more in accordance with the facts. To
understand 1ulIN inc reasons WHY tnlS EltPr
theory is entertained il will bc necessary to rc-
Wow briefly bat carefully the peculiar relations
which have cNistcl lctwoTn the Wigw1m an1 the
railroad people. and to point ont some of the
most strikinI manifestations Of them.
THE DEAL STARTED ~ 1870.
These rclotions were established in 1890, when
Senator Murphy and Mr.. Croker undertook to
wrcst The Legislature from the Repnblic1ns by
IN, wholesale use of money. Heavy campaign
assessments were levied wherever it was possible
to d. 30. Among the corporations TO respond
mcst literally were the Ncw-l ork AMI Brooklyn
elevated railroads. whicl have. as il generally
known. pooled issues al Albany for the last few
wears In return for liberal donations assurance"
was given thcm that thcy should hav- protection
and A. favorable legislation a. they could reason
ably expect The machine kept faith, notwith
standing tn. cNorhitant demands of the rail
roads The first cf their numerous requests was
the infamous Mcknight bill, unqurstionaby
among the most outrageous pieces of legislation
that were ever secured in this country. u;scttinI.
as il did equity practice throughout IN" state
and changing a system that had been In vogue
for ecnturirs Nearly oil the crses Of IN" prop
erty-ownrr- for damages against the el'Va''n
railroads are suits in equity; that IL, b"ior"
Judge without jury, for IN" reason that w"
average inrv cannot understand equity. Inc
Mcknight bill. however, amended section Wv o'
,be Code 30 10 provide that equlV ca>rS
shonld in future be tried by juries. Tho full
sicniGca1cr Of this radical chang" was apparent
bv ,hc oppoin,mcnt at tho same time of Barney
Martin ~ Commissioner Of Jurors IN" nil was
drawn bv the Legal advisors Of th" elevated rail
ways. as has been proved beyond doubt and
was introduced by As~mblyman Mcknight, OF
Troy. toSf of Senator Murphy, and put throHsh
hy him and another Ass"mblyman. on" Reilly
also from Rcnssnlaor County, aud also a h'hch-
man OF Boss Murphy.
CHANGES IN THE RAPID TRANSIT COMMISSION
About the time Of the passage Of this meas
urr which was finally repealed a year aft"r-
ward i'm consequence of tn" terrific outcry agains'
il from OIL. end OF the State 10 the other, c"r-
;ain changes wcrc made in the Board of Rapid
Tr,n.t commissioners Tie old board was
Iookcd npon as thoroughly devoted to the in
,orc,t, of the public. Two OF the original
momlcrs-Mr. Steinwav and Nr. Starin-werc
Icf; in The rlacc~ of the other tire" were
taken by Mr. spencer, Mr. nrlan and Mr.. Bushe.
Mi Spencer Was and is partner OF Dr'\"l'
Morgan 4 Co.. 10 whom about the time the
deal had been made was intrustcd the $40
600 600 Of blanket mortgage bords of the cle
waited company Mr. Morgan himself Is a Man
haitian director and chairman Of its SPECIAL
Committee. which was appointed Ia consult with
the Rapid Transit Commissioners. Nr. lhihah'
ns "Poors Manual will show WAS a fellow
director NJ the time of his appointment with
jay Gould in the Richmond Terminal Rail
way and also interested with Mr.. Could il is
said in two or three other southern lines. Mr..
Bushes close connection with the Manhattan
Company was n subject of general comment. In
other words the commission was mad" mp in the
interests Of the Manhattan Company and there II
nothing in It's subsequent history to Warrant
any nsinuation that il has not been faithful 10
the object of It's crcation and why Mr.. spencer
should display any senstivencss at Mr. S'arlh
remarks on this point is incxplicabc.
TAMMASY REFEREES APPOINTED
The next interesting manifestation OF Oh" en-
is,cnCc and successful workings Of the deal was
the appointment Of Tammany referees to Try the
cases of the property owners against the ele-
vatcd railroads This forms one of the most
shameful chapters in the judicial history OF tins
county II began about the time Of the repeal
Of the Mcknight bill, which public Indignation
had compelled the Legislature TO erase from the
statute hooks Failing to get the cases tried by
iuries selected by Mr. Martin, the Elevated pco-
pl. insisted upon having their referees, or
referees upon whom th'y coillu u''pchu s'l'ctcd
Their demand was complied with, and as result
these places which had been formerly held by
such men as Grover Cleveland, Charles w. Nor
pan. Ghcrard Davis Wilbur Larrimorc David
Mcclure and Hamilton Odcll, were taken by cx-
poncnts Of political purity like Police Commits
siorer John C.. Shcehan, brother of the Lieuten-
ant-Govcrnor and prime favoritc with the Man
haitian Company: Daniel +. Martin, Tammany
member of Assembly, who claims that he dispcnses
as much patronage of the elevated roads any
man in or out OF the Legislature; Wright lIol-
comb, another cx-mcm5cr of the Assembly and
Martins partner: George p. Webster, another
Iammany Democrat, and John Fox, who was
in the Legislature when Tweed and Gould acted
in harmony. a fair illustration as to how these
.u., tleir ,,.arl, xrns furnished hY Enx