New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-25

are opposed to intrusting the work OF carving on
further Improvements to Republican officials re-
ruption Which have characterized the present ad-
mlnLstration OF the canals"
Here are three significant adjectives used by
them to describe the connection Of the Republican
party with the canal improvement fund They are
'prodigality, favoritsm and corruption Let rs
take them up IN their order ~, -. cor,r,,.-
sion is there d word said with reference 10 prodi-
VICIOUS VAST Of S tha rrea
There is "A criticism that much Of the money which
Of slope walls. ard other work not fairly within
the contemplation Of the statute In providihg lor
vision of the work By the SUPP rintendent OF Public
Works and the State Engineer, and that some
unnecessary to be expended Nowhere is IT
charged that there has been RrodRsaiyy IN he
OF money not warranted by the statute. The law
requires advertising the proposed letting Of con
lican officials had failed To comply with that law
Justice that thereby was opened wide door for
favortlsm and fraud? The widest publicity wa, was
this work was proposed to be done: ..u,,ors y,
be done in the winter months when the canal was
with machinery and outfit equipped for he WORK q
be secured The JUDGMENT o. ne siate ON m
ADVERTISEMENT paid for was actually Inserted and
the onll charge is that. In the ligh- Of experience
contractors might have been obtained wita less ex-
pense in this directou-not BY any means GRIM
inal charge
ADMITTED TO BE GOOD WORK
The report abounds in statements that the work
performed has been usually well done. It's exact
language is: The quality OF the work is found to
be generally good and an improvement upon thai
heretofore fne on t4e cara ne me-" sr,e e. tbls
language OF the statute authorizing the improve
Favoritism is another charge What, is mean;
- ie a charge that contractors (for all this work
has been done 10y contract and is so required 10 Do
of,Icers empowerei to let these contracts have
been favored in the letting Of eontracts mat ,h is
EXCLUSION OF Democratic contractors. .
facts as TO their political affiliations. Ihere nave
been contracts awarded 70 seventy-hve contrac-
tDls s civ contain both Republicans and Demo-
erals in the firms; twenty-three only are kepuoh-
So the charge is made in the Democratic plat
form that Republican officers are gunty OF iaVo,t
ism In executing two contracts with Democrat
Corruption? Where in this report is there any
charge Of corruption the part OF the Republican
oficials charged with this work? have read 1t
VIM a6d Tspsaedy r S the re do qo s aia
gle statement charging them with corruption
THE EXCESS NOT REMARKABLE
Let us look this canal question splarely In the
face Is IT remarkable that the actual expense ex-
ceeds the estimate prepared by the state Engi-
neers office? Here is a work OF vast magnitude.
nvtendlng across the State more than i5i miles.
eTossing streams passing through popuous cities
,resentIng Intricate and difficult problems OF en-
PPineerlng Drainage must be provided for; sewer
age in cities crossing beneath the canai husi not
no disturbed Costly buildings erected by private
Ct,iznns adjoining the canal must not have thelr
foundations weakened by the necessary excaTa;;
,toDs Has there been railroad constructeI
he COS, % which did not exceed the esilnate1
THO StetA in which our friend senator Lodge. re-
side Puritan in rs ancestry and congreg IN
lis rredcc ions attempted 70 construct EIeao
tunnel on the Fitchburg RAILROAD Inc estimate id
~ ~ engineers was three millions. ItS cost was
eight millions We have just completed the Cap,'nt
P,i1irx I'm our own State. The orig nal estimate
vas fvo millions Il has cost twenty-five HIIloHs'
sr1 IN conn oction with the fact that our Dernp,,
cra.,c friends promise that II they are lntIuSlfu
y,ith the completion Of tho canal IMPROVEMENT my
,rii briny II within the estimates and honestly *
n.n5 The money y may be worth while 70 Gons,ner
mai the cornerstone OF the State Capitol Buiglns
was laid in 1850 Since then we haye had as , I3E
ernors a Democratic John T Norman. hn.lnss
Robinson Samuel Tlden Grover CisvelanG H bi
another Governor who wears constantly upon ms
bosom badge bearing the inscri2tlon I'm, arr
Democrat" in the executive chair Tor TWO lrInS..
and Roswell p Flower. whose business ]u aginess
and fnarciai uSness have in his private business
stood him in good stead. During some OF these az,
rninistratione the Senate and Assembly were IN
r'of,ical accord with the Governor. ana yel II WIS
reserved 20 a Republican administration 10 coln-
nlete This building and T. stands to-day as m..i
urent OF Republican business administration j" ''e