New-York tribune., 1894-10-29
A MASTERLY EXPOSURE OF WIGWAM
CORRUPTION AND CRIMINALITY.

TO CRACK.
The Committee Of Seventy has issued an ads
dress to the people of the city, which every
voter should read with care 1t is a convincing and
powerful arraignment of Tammany Hall The
case against that corrupt gang Of public plunder-
ers has never been presented more forcibly or
more ably Here is the address in full:
Headquarters Committee Of Seventy,
No. 80 East Twenty-third-st.
The Committee Of Seventy arra!gns Tamnany
Hall for what It has dore. and what 1t has failed
to do for the city of NewYork Every accusa-
ton made is based facts and the committee
challenges Tammany to disprove them:
First-The Committee of Seventy denounces
Tammany Hall because 1t is not. in proper
sense A political body. but purely personal one,
existing soley for selfish and dishonest ends.
The conmlttee charges that the organization of
Tammany is lespotc; that 1t is not even repre-
sentative in form that its bylaws clothe the
Committee on Organization with absolute power
to set aside any vote that the members or TAM
many Hall migtt give at primary elections; that
these bylaws provide that:
The Committee OF Organization shall be charged
with the consideration OF all matters relating to
orgaaizacfon OF the Democratic party the can
OF primary elections. and the conducting OF pri-
mary. general. special and charter elections ana
shall in their discretion. have power OF revision
and substitution OF ali nomna lions hereafter MADE
by conventions called by the General Committee or
any District Committee OF this organization, when-
ever the honor. preservation and integrity Oh this
organization shall require such action
This Committee on Organization has despotic
power 10 make nominations. and its power is
SO great that IT appoints and elects through its
official agents to office persons who VIII DO us
bidding Nominations from such an organiza-
ton. and determined in such manner, are not
nominations by the people. We. therefore, ar
raign Tammany Hall for its undemocratic char
acter
DISHONEST AND CRIMINAL APPOINTEE5.
Second-We denouncc Tammany Hall because
II has appointed to important and responsible
offices Of the city men dishonest and criminal
II has during the last four years. appointed as
Police Justice one previously indicted for wlltui
neglect OF duty as Excise Commissioner; an
other as Excise Commissioner. who was II"
dicted for wilfully disregariin- the law a.
Police Justice. an associate Of notorious thieVe3.
and as Fire Commissioner one indicted for
murder from which he escaped only on the plea
Of insanity.
Third-We denounce Tammany Hall because
under its administration systematic blackman
and ex,ortion wiring from the citizens many
millions and because the expenses Of the city
government have constantly increased without
any corresponding benefit to the community 1t
has endeavored to conceal this increase In e1-
penditure by misleading reduction OF the tax
rate. We take the following figures from the
Controllers report and challenge Tammany
Hall to disprove them
The tax levy for 1871 was........', s"o-''f''
F.. redemption of ci,y dcb,......... !. - 56S
For interest o" cry Is 7sIIso
A,q-oe M r. srpsa s, :5SSsss 5S SO
For rcdemption 'l ion of city dcbi......... e5; 5@e
For interest o" city -DO- 1921 oes
Available for general pur?o.es......s Iss 8; 3;
The levy for 1891 was...'... :; -, ,a6 >'S'o'''
For For SgsT SIGdTpaIon oi city s:7oo
For interest @" Guy II 1913 4ss
Available Tor general purposes S4o ''z
In 1874 the tax-rate was 81 -. reduced 10 81 -
IN 1894 Behind this reduction of the taX-rate
TammanN tries to shield the enormous increase
of expenditure claiming that because the rate
,s lower the tax bills are less BY increasing
tho value of taxable property from sll53.'9o,-
141 in 1874 TO S2O0S, ,332. .O31 in 1894 1t has made
MANY tax bills larger, while making the rate
lower
Fourth-We denounce Tammany Hall because
It has wasted public money by most wastefui
and extravagant expenditure of the funds raised
by taxation. We charge that the largest IN
crease IN expenditure is often accompanied oy
the greatest ineiiciency.
The Department of street Cleaning spent IN
the year 1854 si.05OO)o while in the year iS'A
the amount is s. 367 800 an increase or slSl""'o'
and vet the streets of NewYork are reproacn
TO our civilization. People living uptown are
forced To employ private street-cieahers anu
ash and garbage carts, while In the downtown"
districts which are dependent soe'y ." '"e
ci,v denartment. the accumulation Of dirt ana
garbage endangers the health ot 'he com
,,uritv II business methods were applied,
o,erv street I'm the city would be washed AZ
night. when there IS Httl travel. and would 20
ban, c,ear during the day as in the other great
can,,als of the world Street-sprinkling would
no donc at the public expense by the depart-
mart and not as now. by a favored company
IN which the exclusive right To sprinkle fpr ten
vo,rs has been given without limitation as 10
the charges IL may make In no European cap'-
raj are the citizens obliged 10 make terms Win
q nrivate company in order to have their streets
sprinkled .,,.,,,>,,,,,
THE INCREASE DUE TO GROSS DISHONESTY.
Fifth-We denounce Tammany Hall because
much of the increase of expenditure is, 10 great
extent due gross dishonesty. supplies are
bought wastefully and extravagantly. ana names
ere placed ON the payrolls ana money dishonesty
paid for services never rendered. One OF the FIRE
Commissioners. who was Independent OF ram
many Hail. felt called upo.' 10 resign because sup
plies were bought and PAID Tor ABOVE 'he
market price. The dishonesty and fraud prac'lseu
bv means of the payroll are clearly seen on ex-
animation The Bureau of Repairs and Suppnes
of the Department of Public Works. whiie ufiue.
| - 1, mt Ia Nnl
on its pay-roll for the sweeping ana cleaning OF
the new Courthouse. in the city han farK' owe.
dfty employees whose annual salaries eNceeaeo
s23 900 There on the pay-roli LOT ciefhhs
the City Hall more than twenty-five names AT
an annual cost of $4,000. There were on tne pay
roll for cleaning the brownstone puiidihs III N,.y
| Nth