The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-21
COL. STRONG IN BROOKLYN.
TIE HAMILTON CLUB GIVES a
BANQUET IN mrs HONOR.

b,a, end Mr.. coz Also There-The Con.
soIidrtion ouestion Touched 0n-Csi.
Stroug's Proposed Complaint Bsok.
Col. w. L.. strong, Mayor elect. was the guest
Of honor at a banquet OF the Hamilton Club ri
Brooklyn last night. Among the other special
guests were President Seth Low OF Columbia
College. ex-Mayor Abram s. Hewitt. Mayor
schieren. Recorder-elect John w. Cor. and Ed
ward NJ. Shepard. The attendance was limited
IN the capacity Of the building and included a
couple Of hundred Of the solid men Of Brooklyn.
Col. Strong received a most enthusiastic well
come. James n. McKeon, the President Of the
club, in starting the flow Of ~oratory. said that
all good citizens rejoiced at the overthrow Of
Tammsny Hall. while at the same time they
did not regard it as a partisan triumph.
IN his opinion the recent election was not
merely a temporary ebullition Of outraged pub
lie feeling. but the inauguration Of a great
epoch Of reform political activity.
President Low said they could not easily over
rate what had taken place in New York on Nov.
@. II meant that even the population Of q great
city is open to the moral appeal. The result
shows that the question Of the better govern
ment Of cities is capable OF solution.
Since 1880 there has been great improvement
in the government OF cities. In 1871, when he
first exercised his privilege as a voter, one OF the
inspectors OF election In his district was thus
described by a police Captain: II wouldn't trust
him dead with a nickel on his eyelids." In the
same year there were 500 votes put In one ballot
box before u single voter had cast his ballot.
The vulgar stealing Of the Tweed days had been
transformed into the more artificial system un-
covered by the Lexow committee. The last two
years have Witnessed tremendous steps forward
and the majority in both these cities have shown
themselves determined to break down bad gov
eminent.
Col. strong on arising, was received with
three ringing cheers and q tiger. He said that
while looking around him and seeing so many
old friends. he, began 10 think that they had al
ready arrived At The Greater New York. lie
t them gave E. pleasant L.c. narrniiSs OF Z
Mayor Schieren and how their lines had become
entangled while discussing the consolidation
problem. He had noticed that of late there has
been a disposition on the part Of Mayor Schieren
that the question should be still further re-
III this fair BIO klyn maiden said Col
Strong. wants to make this union she must
settle the docket. There Is a little hesitation on
New York . that reform has taken a retrievabie
every. man. woman, and child on Manhattan
Island. Indeed, l think the Tammany people
themselves, and brooklyn need have no fear any
longer of making an alliance with u.s."
Col; Strong then set all his hearers laughing
by telling how he came over to sleep one night
in Brooklyn about fcrty;ive years ago, and then
went back TO New York, the chickens having
pressing the hope that when his administration
was at an end they would Z eli warranted in
extending a similar compliment to him,
Ex-Mayor Hewitt was the next speaker, and
his greeting WAS as enthusiastic as that Of Col,
strong. He said that BROOKLYN had been an OBJ
ject lesson for fifteen years, and had taught
New York many things, Brooklyn had the credit
for originating the model charter for city gov
eminent, II also showed that even with a good
charter IL could have a bad Mayor and bad
the people must get them. Nv the downfall OF
Tweed certain safeguards were put around
the public treasury in New York that
made IL impossible for any oficial. however
dishonest or corrupt. to steal one dollar
OF the public money. Hut they didn't
get rid OF the corrupt element. Every depart
ment of the city Government in New York has
system. with the exception OF the Finance De.
partment. which is administers with absolute
Integrity. In every other department there Is
organized plunder.
"BrookIyn." continued Mr.. Hewitt, lis a COM
munity OF better citizens on the average than
we have. When you undertook the work of re-