New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-02
cFyrR4L TRAcY'S TESTIMONY.


General Tracy made an admirable witness be-
600 .ho Nozet Committee If all the other
politicians whose names have been connected
.,.,,h tho nomano Water Company had been
oouollv satisfactory in their answers the Re-
,,,,r,oa, Marty might more easily have COM
monded itself TO the favor Of the people III ms
campaign. and the danger OF fastening the N'"''
ono ioh On the taxpayers might have been more
remote General Tracy is decidedly an cXcep-
,;on n thp rnlc SET Ivy the Ramapo officials. MI
Dutchor refuses to tell the names OF the S'ocA'
holders So that the Tammany relationships
which have made the present city oiiclaiS -
anvious for this water contract may be knoWh'
Neither will he give other definite ana uSelu' III
formation The company's BOOKS are pun !"
hiding and their production Is refused. Mt. La
mont whom we understand from General Tracy
n have been owner Of a majority OF the SioCh'
avoids the witness stand. and his son. inc 'llu'
lar secretary of the company. Is mdden a"d'
with tho books Mr. Lautcrbach. who carried
on the necotiati tons with 'Tammany. lnduees i'll
the frankest sort OF pcttifoggng with tongue III
cheek pretending that he thinks the con'I"v'
would he ruinous 10 the company ana 'lla' j.
was overreachcd by the city oi1clalS-WhlI' "'
was employed TO look after IFS interests 100
The ONLY man connected at any time WIN the
management Of the company whose testimony
has made a favorable impression as AT once
honest and open is General Tracy
In one instance General Tracy admits his
take for which he regards himself justly supJe''
70 criticism He used his great influence aS d
noiticlan 10 get Governor Morton to sign the Nh
giving the company in which he was STOCK
holder extensive privileges. Those privileges
were much more extensive than he knew lor ~
had supposed that the bill simply restored 10 the
comnany certain rights which he thought hau
heen uniustly taken away from II by genera
law He blamed himself for advocating Dill
without adequate knowledge OF its provisions
Nevertheless. he accepted the presidency OF the
COMPANY after having helped to secure TINS 700
liberal law in it's favor and, moreover. ne TOOK
odvantace of situation which he had largely
created. through his appeal TO Governor Nor
tim "a dispose Of bis stock for about s4ooVV
For this he will be criticised by many. While
others will say that the average business man
will take advantage Of laws as no finds them
and II a comnanv has some extraordinary
rights will not throw away MS STOCK
OWING IN scrnnles over the bad policy Of the
State in granting such n charter or MS Goou
fortune in securing from II more thah ne
| know no asked 1t may be thought that Cen
oral Tracy did no more In that respect thah
many other men would have done with q clear
conscience and pride in their business sagacity
Nevertheless It is remarkable that General
1'rocv even II ho WAS not ready TO put aside
business opportunity because OF his mistake IN
creating II. was not led by that misunders'ahu-
associates They apparently got hin 10 lena
ing 10 question the character and motives OF MS
h,s good name TO bill under false pretences.
He would not have been unnaturally suspicious
I. no had asked what other undermined games
were in contemplation behind his back. But
onparently he did not. And also apparently
the same forces which passed through the
legislature this charter with joker provisions
and made It appear so innocent to General
Tracy also laid the deep plans for the lam
many partnership and the city contract and FOR
floating millions Of stock. as it would have been
necessary to do If the contract had been secured
General Tracy has responded to Mr.. Croker 5
challenge Will Mr.. Plat do the same, and
make as good a showing as General Tracy
! Croker's cry why don't you call Platt: stu
rings in peoples ears They see in Mr.. Platt the
naramount leader who was influential over the
good men who were misuscd by the rascaS III
Ramapo. They cannot help asking If he directed
tho rascals as we'll General TracyS evidence or
how he was fooled only makes Mr.. Platts tes1l-
mony more necessary. The committee has not
found in General Tracy substitute hut prep
araton for Nj. Platt.