New-York tribune., 1896-01-31
THE FIVE HUNDRED MEET.
HONEST REPUBLICANS ALERT
AN ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING IN THE
GARDEN CONCERT HALL

MITTEE ADOPTED-CoRNEIICS ~
BLISS PREsIDEs. AND MANY
wELL-KNowN MEN
PRESENT.
Madison Square Garden Concert Hall waa
alive with enthusiastic Republicans last even
ing called together to register their disapprota-
tion and contempt Of padded enrolments and
bogus primaries and to prepare for the battle
which Is to be waged for honest politics In New
York City The gathering took place IN inc
same beautiful hall which witnessed the pirtP
OF the Committee of Seventy in September 1894
starting the great campaign for the overthro"
Of Tammany misrule and corruption which
ended in the triumphant election OF william L.
Strong as the Reform Mayor of New-York
It was the first meeting Of the Committee Of
Five Hundred, which was called into existencs
n combat and expose the practices by which
tho Platt-Lauterbach machine has succeeded IN
Tightening it's grip upon the Republican organ'
ization Of this city. But more than double that
number Of thoughtful citizens. who support the
principles of the Republican party because theS
believe in them. filled the spacious auditorium
No effort had been made to attract crowd AND
only business meeting OF the committee was
announced 1t was throughout dgnified pro-
ceeding and gave proof Of the intense interess
which has been awakened in the questions dis
cussed md OF the quiet determination OF the
masses OF the Republican party to right the
wrongs which have been perpetrated by self
seeking politicians.
SOME OF THOSE ON HAND.
When ex-Unitsd States District-Attorney
Mitchell stepped upon the platform to call the
meetrg to order he before him among
other well-known citizens Cornelius n. Bliss
General Wager Swayne. Ldcius f. Chittenden
the venerable Register of the United States
Treasury under Abraham Lincoln: Colonel 8
V r. Cruger Paul D. Cravath, ex-Collector Joe
b. Erhardt Salem H. Wales General Arson q
McCook Adebert II. Steele, r. c. Alexander
F. W Boomngdale ex-United States Marsha
John W JacObus, Thomas ST. John Gafney, ex
CONGRESSMAN John s Wise. John Sabine Smith
Benjamin Oppenheimer. Colonel Joseph Pool
ex-Alderman j. G. O'ConOr, Alderman Elias
Goodman John f. Milholland. Isaac V. Brokaw
John Proctor Clarke. George J. Seabury. Mon
tague Lessler. Victor X. McIlheny, ex-Commis'
sioner Stephen b. French. H. L. Stoddard. Co
lumbus O. Johnson ano hundreds Of other solit
and unquestoned Republicans.
OPENING THE MEETING.
Mr. Mitchell was heartily received. and II
opening the meeting spoke as follows:
have been requested by your Committee o.
/ Twenty five 10 call this meeting to order fot
so%psSea snDp BY the OF Twenty u
to the presen. day. so much work has been ac
complshed and matters are In such condition ;hai
e dsd 9 2ST' and
pose and In order that you may be fully advised ID
regard 70 the work and H S OF rs tns tss
I5 fbs ,hT meeting has been called this evening Cheers
When the cheering had subsided Adelbert II
/ Steele moved that Cornelius y. Bliss be asked
10 preside The motion greeted with
storm Of applause and when Mr.. Steee's motor
had been adopted. and Mr.. Bliss took his place
on the rostrum. he welcomed with anothe'
round OF applause. followed by three rousini
cheers for Cornelius y. Bliss.
WHAT Mr. BLISS SAID.
Mr. Bliss made the following calm and dis
passionate remarks in accepting the place o.
| chairman:
am honored by your selection Of me chairman
OF this meeting. am also very glad TO see so many
members Of the committee present here tonight
Al the same time. Il is somewhat humiliating, In my
l opinion that 1t should have been found necessary
for meet upon an occasion Ike THIS TO conslae
| here The Republican party has always stood FOL
good government for the best Of everything tna
H AZ his time. we find ourselves in a very peculiar
| position. We the victims Of very grave fraud
| committed, | sorry 10 say-and as said PEI
fore il is humatng TO have TO make the confession
by men claiming to be OF our own family; Il 4
sid condition OF things II must be remedled. How
committee has been called together to decide
II may be proper for at this junc,ure 20 show
In a few words how this committee originated Weli
9yentlenen Convinced Of the prevalence OF
Satisfactory state Of things, sent protest-a re-
tee asking them to POSTPONE the primaries until
a proper investsation gould pc inade OF tne irauu'
| stitltion of tina; committee has been frequently
! broken from beginning to end, the gentleman at m
head OF that committee said II would be lmpossipH
70 accede 10 the request for the posiponement be.
cause /, would a violation OF the constitution. loud
aGss5er p BY the Campaign Committee OF the Re-
! publican Club but even this circumstance had ne
effect
Then there came together dozen influential Re
| publican gentlemen who decided that something
must be done and that in order to make out proper
case proofs OF the frauds must be obtained an(
brought forward 10 the @ t,rs OF
them and having obtained the necessary funds they
tendeGce Of the actuary Of OF the largest nsur
| ance companies downtown. AS the work went on
brought against the Repultcan County COMMITTEES
| were true .,
tha, they had no right to continue further n tht
| work of investigation on their own responsibility
mttee Of zoo Republicans Those Invitations 81
generously received and accepted tina. there , Te.
teers. while other names are coming in rapidly.
You are therefore called together as the BODY u
selves responsible and 10 take such action as yos
| may see ht. cloud cheers)
Victor X. McIlheny and Robert NJ. Kenyon
we're elected secretaries. after which Paui ~
! Cravath submitted the report OF the Committes
OF Twenty-n showing the extent OF the trauo'
of the machine as unearthed by the committees,
labors. and the hopelessness OF expectIns reore'
from the present discredited body The repor'
v,u h. found in another column OF to-day'i
Tribune.
FACTS REVEALED BY THE INVESTIGATION
John Sabine Smith supplemented Mr. crS
vath.s report with facts discovered by the In
yestigating Committee, Of which Mr. Smith y
chairman. The speaker laid before the meeting