The evening times., 1898-09-23

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Daily Office Hours-FrOm 10 a m. 10 p. m:
Monday. Wednesday, Thursday. and Saturday, .
TO : p. m. Sunday, 10 TO u m.
CONSULTATION STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
were naturally incensed but they be-
| came reconciled, and Black was carried
| through by the tidal wave which elect
/ ed Mckinley to the Presidency.
Gov. Black has never shown any dispo-
| sition to recognize Mr.. Platt as the real
leader of the Republican organization of
| this State. Appreciating the fact that he
! would not have been nominated if Mr.
Piatt had not been overruled at the elev
enth hour, he had been disposed to ignore
| and make light of the Piatt influence in
the organization. Very soon in his ad-
| ministration Gov Black came into con-
iict with Mr.. Platt's organization; that
! is to say, he refused to take orders from
| Mr. PIatt unless they were indorsed by
Lou Payn some other close friend.
Unfortunate Appointments.
Aldridge, Payn, and other members OF
the immediate combination which forced
1 the nomination of Gov. Black, were duly
rewarded: Payn was made superfnten-
dent of insurance, position of far-reach-
ing responsibility and power against the
p
spectacle or representative element of the
Republican party. When Mr.. Payn took
! the oath of office OF superintendent OF in
| surance for the Stat: o. New York, there
were outstanding against him judgments,
= tmany of which had been outlawedl.
amounting TO several hundred thousand
dollars. Today ne is by common repute
reported To be millionaire. The salary
of his position is s., 500 year, which goes
a. No
who will after all be called upon To pass
upon the case, that Mr.. Payn is either a
great rascal or one OF the best financiers
that the world has ever known.
Aldridge, who was Mr.. Blacks closest
! rival for the nomination, was made sup
eIintendent Of public works. In his Off
cial capacity he has had supervision OF
a very large expenditure, amounting to
/ over So OOO, 600, for the ostensible improve
ment and enlargement of the canals of
the State An investigation has shown
! very clearly that a large proportion of
| this money has been misappropriated;
and in fact, that the superintendent of
pub L. construction has saddled on the tax
payers OF the State of New York double
the amount mentioned, under the cover of
expenditures for the canals. In word
there is not a man OF ordinary inteih-
gence from Montauk Point to Buffalo,
who does not know that there has been
a gigantic steal in the disbursement con-
nected with the so-called canal improve
ments under the supervision of Mr.. AL
! bridge.
Early in the summer Gov. Black, under
the spur of public opinion, appointed a
, commission to investigate the canal eN-
? penditures This commission, which was
: COMPOSED Of very eminent citizens, made
a report condemning Mr. Aldridge and
; his management of his office. But, not
: withstanding the public scandal which
has been denounced in the public press
and the official report Of his own ap-
/ pointees. Gov. Black has refused 20 take
any action in the premises and remove
Mr. Aldridge and the gentlemen who are
associated with him in pilfering the State
funds. from office. Up to date he has
made to explanation of his refusal.
The only reasonable explanation is that
/ MI Aldridge and the ring OF which he Is
the head are expected to control a GER
tain number of delegates at the forth
coming convention at Saratoga, and that
he has been restrained from doing his
. duty in the premises for fear of losing
the support of these delegates.
In the Judgment of the best friends of
GOV Black he has made very serious
mistake in this connection. He has, in
their opinion, played into the hands OF
his opponents and really prevented his
they might have done to bring about his
renomination BY his refusal, Gov. Black
has been compelled to assume the respon-
sibility and the odium of all OF the canal
scandals.
Troubles OF the Republicans.
The Republican party of this State was
, in a very deep and large hole when it
contemplated the possibility of the re-
nomination of Gov. Black. In minor mat
- F.,.Ys y. Ng,r-
Black had shown himself faithful TO the
machine; Il. obeyed orders from head
duarters-that is to say Mr.. Platts Of
fce-with reasonable promptitude, but
there came a time toward the close of
the last session of the legislature when
he decided to go into business on his own
account and TO show that the powers that
be or We're as the case may be, were not
his absolute masters. In other words, he
challenged Mr.. Platt to an open fight for
| the supremacy and control of the Repub-
lican organization of the State believing
, that il would be utterly impossible for
. the organization to refuse him a re-
; nomination at the coming election.
, Governor Black cannot be a good student
of human nature He probably realizes
, now the mistake he made in not trying
in every way within his power to concili-
. ate the organiza ton which he represent
: 4
of Mr.. Platt he would have realized that
, the Junior Senator from the Seate of New
, York would prefer a thousand times to
have a Democrat in the gubernatorial
: chair at Albany, rather than a Republic
| can whom he could not control If Black
4 | had played his cards right he would
have had the support of the Republican
organization, such as il is in spite of
: | the canal any other scandal.
From the present indications Governor
Black, however, is determined to make
! | all the trouble he can for Mr.. Platt and
| his friends. He intends to remain in the
: race, his friends say, to the finish, which
means that he will go into the convention
> which meets at Saratoga next week. and
, | insist upon having his friends counted
: | The members of the Black cabinet are
! | men who have been inpolitical fights in
. the past. They have very little regard
for the primary success of their party
there are men who would view the de-
: feat of a successful opponent no matter