New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-21
GRANTS TAINTED RECORD
WILL NETWORK ELECT SUCH MAN
MAYOR AGAIN?


OFFICE UNDER HIM HAD BEEN 'MER-
CENARY. sLovENLY AND WHOLLY IN
DECENT"-JoHN J. sCANNELL. THE
MURDERER. Is WITH HIM NOW
From every political point Of view the defeat
Of Tammany Hall seems 10 be assured. The
shift from Nathan Straus to Hugh ]. Grant for
Mayor cannot. in the opinion Of the most expert
enced politician in this city, change the verdict
which the people are prepared 10 render two
weeks from next Tuesday against the most
vicious most degraded, most corrupt, greedy
and abandoned coterie of thugs and blacklegs
ever banded together for public robbery. The
same mercenary gang of political thieves and
ruffians who have revelled In the spoils under
Giroys administration started In to pillage the
city treasury under the first administration of
Grant. The only difference was that when the
gang first got in they were less bold and bare
faced in their manner Of stealing Tammany
Hall. at the beginning of Grants administra-
ton. exposed some Of the rottenness and corrup
ton existing in the Market Bureau and the
Dock Department but only for the purpose of
getting the members Of the rival Democratic
organization out AMI taking complete possession
Of all the opportunities for thievery. No effort
was made to stop the wrongdoing. Some OF the
identical rascals have been allowed to remain at
their old posts. Being only required to Join
Tammany Hall. they permitted to go on
stealing as of yore
The Public Works Department. Park Depart
ment Fire Department and a majority Of the other
city departments have been in Tammanys hands
about since Grant first entered the Mayors
office and their record has been one OF constant
and continuous peculation. There Is no evidence
that Grant ever made effort to expose steal
ing which he knew must be going on. unless he
had reasons OF his own for wanting to get rid OF
the thief The Dock Department investigation
was started to oust from office Edwin y. Post and
James NJ Matthews. the County Democracy Dock
Commissioners whom Tammany found In control
of the department The game OF removal was
abandoned wher uea- was made BY when the
patronage Of the Dock Department was turned
over TO Tammany Hail. Then Mr.. Grant, who
had Post and Matthews before him on charges as
long as the Penta'euch. suddenly dismissed the
charges without putting on record a line Of ex-
planation.
THE GREEDY GANG KNEW THEIR MAN.
The hungry and greedy gang which supported
Grant in his first race for Mayor knew their man
well and were not disappointed In him. They
knew his record during the three years while he
Sheriff. and had knowledge OF his system for
sharing In the sums LEVIED by MS deputies upon
unfortunate Htigants which later on was
vealcd by his own reluctant testimony before the
Fassett Investigating Committee. The Grand
Jury Of March. 1880 which investigated the man
ner in which the shcrins office was conducted
under Flack. Grant ani previous Sheriffs. said OF
1t: 1t has been tainted and corrupt; there has
been an utter subvcrsiOn OF the public interests
10 personal gain. II has been mercenary sloVenly
and wholly indecent"
M nj Fam M
1884 had left him with badly depleted finances,
for he had spent money lavshly In his contest
u that year with Grace and Gibbs. But the
immense income OF the Sherins Office for three
years replaced his losses. and he entered the
Mayors office IN 1889 comparatively wealthy
man.
His present 20 Croker OF $4,000 under the guise
Of gift 10 his godchill. Flossie. was but drop
In the bucket 10 Grant. Considering the large
sums which flowed into his bank account through
his plan Of working" the victims Of litigation
In the Shcrff's Office he might have turned over 10
Croker many times the sum the latter is known
to have received. His failure 10 'whack up
more evenly is said tQ have been the original
cause OF the bitter feud which afterward broke
out between him and the Croker family.
when Grant became Mayor the first time II
was doubtless his intention u be honest and
make crcditabe administration. and his first
year two In the city Hall proved to be the
h, IT the city ever had under Tammany manage
ment. But II did not take long 10 show how
impos sible IL to conduct administration
in the peoples interest under Tammany methods.
Croker gradually got the upper hand. and
Grants appointments began To- grow worse and
worse
HERE ARE SAMPLES OF GRANTS AP-
POINTMENTS.
The appointment of such as Paddy"
Diver and Tom Grady. Police Justices: Joe"
Koch. r. T. Fitzpatrick and " :. Andrews
Excise Commissioners Barney Martin. Commits
soncr OF Jurors; John Mccave. James j. Mar
tin and John &. Shechan. Police Commissioners,
Michael T. DAILY. Commissioner Of Accounts,
Andrew j White, Police Justice; James j.
Phcan. Dock Commissioner: Hans :. Beattie
and Big Tom" Brennan, street Cleaning Com
missioners: r.. V. Skinner. ABE" Schwab and =.
Henriqucs Bridge Trustees. and others of like
iik. showed the people what Mr.. Grant meant
when he said In his first letter accepting the
Tammany nomination that his choice Of officials
would be- made from the best material Whlch
the citizenship OF the county affords.
With the experience which the citizenship OF
the county" has had Of Mr.. Grants pernicous
ways and methods Of conducting the business of
this great metropolis 1t Is hardly probable that ne
will have another opportunity 10 put In places ot
honor and trust such travcsties upon decency as
Paddy Diver. joe Koch and "Barney
Martin About the only dscreditable appoint
ment which pressed upon him when ne dih
not eventually make before his term EXPIRED was
that Of John j. Seam II. tn, murderer OF hush
Donahuc 10 be Fire Commissioner Mayor Gll-
roy. however. supplied the dofciency IN Nr
Grants Tammany record. and appointed scan
neil Fire Commissioner. To NIL "A tw"-ycars va
cancy In January. 1898 and four months later
when "A sx-ycars' vacancy occurred In the BOARD
Mr. o;ilroy transferred Mr.. Scannel to the place
with tho fuu term That Scanncll bears no
malice toward Grant was shown on FRIDAY at
Tammany Hail. when Scannell. rising IN MS
seat In the Executive Council OF IN" WlPWim as
leader OF the Xith Assembly District, declared
that 90 far as Grant concerned 'byGpnes
should be bygones' and he would use every
effort In his power to make Grant Mayor again
Nv this Scannell doubtless meant mat ms h"to-
r,nus methods for raising campaign fuhds Tor
Tammany would be undertaken this year IN the
interest Of Hugh j. Grant.
GRACE PRAISES STRONG.
THE EX.MAYoR. MIR. FA.RCHILD AND OTHERS