The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-27
PLATT TALKS BACK
DIR. PARKHURST AND OTHER NEW
YORK REFORMERs CRITICISED.
with Tammany-His View of What
Makes u Good Citizen.

NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-Ex-Senator Thom-
as c. Platt has returned from Washington.
He has been away two days, and on his
travels has evidently had time to read the
papers and think. The result of his observa-
tions came out tonight, when he said:
with the indulgence of the newspapers"
said Mr.. Platt, Il should like to call atten-
ton to certain views of certain interesting
matters. 1 know with what impatience the
mere fact of my venturing to express an
friende nd 9po bn tbey 10 n some hha
and cry out, who is this man? Why, heaven
save us, he's hayseeder. He comes from
Tioga county. Is thy servant a dog that he
should hearken unto the words Of a man
from Tioga county? Not on thy life,' and
then they bite one another and proceed to
have fit on the highway.
''Out of consideration for these gentlemen
I shall be brief. Immediately after the No
vember election it was viciously charged
that | should be found opposing the reform
legislation; that I had always been more
or less in collusion with Tammany, and that
In order to secure results in the Legislature
of personal partisan or factlonaI adyau-
tage to me, 1 had been generally willing
to see the cause of good government sacri-
feed in New York city. These charges were
utterly and abominaby false.
so far as l have any influence it will be
exerted to uphold Mayor Strong in all his
good undertakings He knows that this is
true, and l don't think he will be afraid to
say so row hereafter l observe that
DR.. Parkhurst proposes to get up some
night he talked at a meeting of clergy yrhen.
They told him he was st. George, Oliver
Cromwell and Martin Luther. and ne gave
them an exhibition OF his greatness of soul
by calling me greedy, scaf-se aking cur
and a selfish, inefficient minded,
unscrupulous person, who was more objec-
tionable than five Crokers.'
Il will leave these expressions for every
self-respecting, Christian man and woman
to pass upon. If Mr.. Parkhurst wants a Sc
ries of mass meetings to make a series of
this sort of exhibitions he is welcome to go
ahead with them. He will wake up some
day an discover that that is not the way to
be great. Nor is it the way to affect legis-
lation at Albany. Any citizen who under
stands how extensive machine is required
to put into operation the Australian system. system
of voting, who remembers that in this city
there are about one thousand two hundred
different polling places and that they all
must be fitted up with booths. supplied with
boxes, ballots, pens and ink and thereafter
be guarded for the protection of the voter,
will realize that the Plan of eonfiding this
cable.
would involve the city in about $500 coo OF
unnecessary expense for totally inefficient
service. But even if it could be done, it
single-headed police commissioner. For,
after all, the. public officer is the man on
whom the public must rely for the enforce
ment of the law The commissioner is
bound to belong to one party or another.
and the character OF the service rendered
by the police on election day is sure to be
'The same men and the same newspa-
pers that. are now demanding single
headed police commission and talking about
getting up 'anu-Platt mass meetings, be-
cause | have Ventured to say that | am
opposed to such commission, overfiowed
with indignatici. at Mayor Grant when he
disturbed the Bipartisan character of the
Police Board by making it distinctly par;
tisan body. | agreed with them then and
they ought to agree with me now.
.'Dr. Parkhurst call me a miserable
cowardly cur as often as he thinks it becom-
ing. The Committee of Seventy, the City
Club, the Good Government clubs and other
bodies of citizens, good, bad and indiffer-
ent, well meaning or otherwise. can get W
as many mass meetings they like, but
shall continue to be opposed TO any and
every scheme which, without in any way
promoting good municipal government, has
the effect of menacing free elections. If
this is bossism those who think SO can
make the most of it, / think it is good
citizenship"