The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-27
STATEN ISLAND MUGWUMPS
USING CLEVELhND's NAME TO DOWN
NICK MUELLER
While They Support the Republic Ticket
They Make Charges which Have Oniy
20 BE Investignted TO BE OisprOveh.

70 he Investigated 20 Be Disproved.
The political affairs OF Richmond county
| have recently been drawn to the notice OF tho
| Now York newspapers by series OF reports OF
an alleged movement againstthe regular DEM
ocratic organization. which Ia under the leader
| ship OF ex. ConEressman Nicholas Muller This
! movement Is tho effort OF few anti-snnppers
and Mucwumps to defeat n Democratic As
semblyman and elect n Republican In his
place. 1t is led by one Robert Grier Monroe.
! who proiessos to be ali especial friend and
representative OF the President. and has an
| itching to bc Surveyor OF the Port OF New
York, although Secretary Lamont recently
| remarked. on hearing tho name. Robert
Grier Monroe' Who on Garth is Robert Gricr
MonrooP' Monroe's lieutenant is n lawyer.
Howard L. Bnyne. from somewhere in tho
South. Neither has any standing or inau-
ence in Richmond county.
The customary howl against boss rule"
has boon raised to give promin once to the do
ings OF these disorGanizers Tho Democracy
OF the county has been reorgnnizcd and is un-
der the lead Of eSCongressman Nicholas Null
Ter. For years the Dem ocrats OF Staten Island
we:e split up into town factions without
any central organization. Under those
town cliuues the Democratic plurality In
the whole county In 1877 was e25; in 1881 1t
was ], 1922 in 1885 for Governor 1t was 1876:
in 1888 for Governor 1.2S2. and IN 1892 for
Cleveland. under the Muller management. the
Dem ocratic plurality was 1902. notwiths stand
Ing the fact that the Grer Monroe and Bayne
anti-snappers endorsed tho Republican eector
on Union county ticket md diverted 500
Democratic votes from Mr.. Cleveland.
The Democratic reorganization has not only
increased the strength Of the party in Staten
Island but has given the county efficient aud
honest government Ex-Congressman Muller
is President OF tho Police Board. and as such
is ex-oflicio u member Of the Excise Board.
The police has been made efficient under his
management q police pension fund has been
established and the excise moneys for the
support OF the public schools have increased
from $4,000 year to over $4,000. while tho
number of saloons on the island has been
greatly reduced.
Under the old system Of town assessors gross
inequalities and injustice prevailed in the val
uations for taxation. In many instances prop
erty escaped assessment altogether. The re-
form Democratic organization obtained the
passage OF new law creating a Board Of
County Assessors to assess and eIuallze all
the property In the county The law is most
carefully guarded. The assessors. five in num-
Der. are taken one from each town. Three are
Democrats and two. under the law. are Repub-
leans No assessor is allowed a voice In as
sing his own property. Tho assessment
rolls are filed for tho free inspection of
the public and left open for ex-
animation. correction. and suggestions
until November. AS this is the first year
OF the operation Of the new law the rolls
are not yet completed and closed. Through
the bringing into assessment OF great
amount OF omitted property the tax rate will
be materially reduced In the county this year.
Recently the reorganized Board OF Rich
VvNNp II Gu trnr a 81 al,
der in ring" controlling the making and
repairs of roads in the county. 1t was found
that the appropriation had been nearly ex-
hausted and that the work had been only par
TALLY and very badly done. An investigation
disclosed the fact that the engineer had large
interest in New Jersey trap rock company:
that some OF the old supervisors who had
given him the appointment OF engineer were
shareholders and directors in the quarry. and
that the stone for the roads had been supplied
from this quarry at an extravagant price. al
though OF inferior and improper quality. The
engineer was turned out by the new super
some OF its MONITORS are now howers for
reform" and against boss rule" in the
ranks OF the Monroe Bayne anti snappers
The plan on which Monroe and Buyne have
been working Is to create the impression that
they represent President Cleveland and his
Cabinet. They have sent for candidates for
Post Offices in the county and have told them
they were authorized by Postmaster q neral
Bissell and Assistant Maxwell to promise
them the appointments II they would agree to
abandon the regular Democratic organization
and to vote against it's local candidates. They
have used Mr.. Clevelands name for q similar
purpose. and have thus sought to fasten upon
the President the dscredit of using the Fed
eral patronage to disrupt and destroy the
party that nominated and elected him. This
Is known to be an unwarrantable SANDER on
Mr. Cleveland.
This fall Bnyne and his followers started In
to run the Democratic organization at the
primaries and ANONYMOUSLY failed. They
did not GET u delegate. Bayne then held q
convention Of his own. and with the assistance
OF forty Republicans and guerrilla Democrats
renominated every candidate on the Repub-
lican county ticket. Their campaign was in
Mr.. Muller and his friends had conceal ed last
years reg istration book. cut out the leaves in
TO be eass and b such
officers OF the law.
The truth. attested by afIldavits from all
parties concerned. except Raync. is very easily
told. The law requires the inspectors Of cleo
ton: or registration officers to turn over the
books are kept by the clerk until tho time for
the next registration. and then handed over
Mr. Bayno visited the Town Clerk. and asked
to see the old registration list OF the Third
dlstriGt OF Uastle TO at New nrihtnn. me
ton book because it WAS in possession Of tho
registrntion officers who were then in ses-
requested to wait short while until the
book could be brought from the regis
telophoned to Joseph i. Onrady. ono Of the
INSPECTORS. and within q few minutes. tho old
lurid reports in two evening papers to the
effect the clerk had refused to opon the
hooks for Mr.. l5ayne. and that the leaves had
been ont and replaced for tho purpose OF
shutting out opposition voters.
Both statements are false. A Sun rcporter
saw the old registration book yesterday. A
glance Is suhci ent t. show that the leaves are
untouched. and that it would be an absolute
impossibility to replace any cut leaves with
out detection
Tho Indications point to the election OF tho
Democratic ticket in Richmond county by 4
larger majority than has been known for some
years past. The Cleveland men. who Joined
Bayne in the anti-snap movement. got tired OF
his leadership when trcachery to the Prcsidon-
n Irh ct a