New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-06
CROKER'S ABSURD CLAIMS
RTD1CTIOTS STATEMENT REGARDING
THE WIGWAM AND RAPID TRANSIT.
4 WEAK ATTEMPT TO SHOW THAT TAM
MANY HAS FAVORED THE TUNNEI-AN

MANY HAS FAVORED THE TUNNEL-AN
ATTACK oN "PLATTs LAW FIRM"
Richard Croker gave out a truly ludicrous In
tetview with himself at the Democratic Clup
last night. in which no cndeavored 10 claim for
the Democrats all the credit for bringing the
rapld transit project to that stage Of its prog
ress which it now occupies. and endeavored to
place upon the Republicans all blame for the
long and vexatious delays but for which the
tunnel might now have been approaching com
rlction instead Of approa ching its start Any
one at all familiar With the subject who reads
Cookers statement printed herewith VIII sec
that il is full OF misrepresentation.
Every one who knows anything about the
long agitation which the city has Witnessed Tor
real rapid transit knows that the scheme has
reached its present stage Of progress III spite
Of Tammany Hall and not because OF IT,
Crokcrs insincerty IS further shown In TINS
statement lie crticses the Republican ma
chine for not urging voters TO support ar TO-
morrow S election the constitutional amendment
which Will aid rapid transit by separating the
CITY, debt from the county debt. Then HI goes
on TO show how important this amendment
will be and how helpful 20 the Rapid Transit
Commission But does he wind up by urging
voters TO cat their ballots for this constitu-
tional amendment? Not at all. lie urges all
those who want rapid transit to vote not for
tho amendment but for the Democratic ticket
Nothing could more clearly show than this
does that Tammany is only trying to make use
OF the rapid transit issue as a stalking horse
for its own private ends and has now no greater
desire for the completion Of the road than IL
has always had Here IS Mr. Cookers state
nent
In an editorial in one Of the leading Repuoli-
can organs the following sentence occurs III an
issue Of this morning. Neither or the paiues -
employing its organization In behdl Oh IoPiu
transit etc
The rest Of the editorial discusses the dcsira,,
/ buty of rapid transit. its great Importance ana
the development that would follow us coinplc,
ton This editorial is in line with the genera!
! mlsconception OF the Democratic attitude Tow
ard rapid transit and when a nriel Outline .i WI
aid in recufying The Rapid Transit Dill was
originally introduced at Albany over ten years
ago as a Democratic measure ana 10y d Dellio-
cratic representative from TINS Guy IN us JIG
lnal form it defeated by RepuDn'ah ma
FORTY II was amended almost out OF shape
and its practical operation nulihel. Ih'se
amen rnonts were inspired by Mr.. Platt VINO
controlled the legislative machine. and formu-
lated by Mr. Plaft's law firm. Tracy BoarHHlah
d Platt. who had been appointed counsel 10 the
Rapid Transit Commission.
Mr.. Platts law firm is retained by every Trans
portati0n company opposed TO RAPID transit oA,
cept one ard that railroad mas ior l,S .,l'rs
~
Of Mr.. Platts law firm. 49,
The first five years after the passage or the
Rapid Transit bill were consumed IN IN,
plans and specifications that any competent e,.
cincer could have perfected i'm from SIX 70 elsh'
months Having exhausted this dila'ory meiS-
ure a contract was prepared ny MI. IIal1 ; Jaw
firm, which in connection with the plans ana
srocifcations was so unfair TO contractors so
burdens0me and impraoticaole, that not a sihEle
responsible party could be induced 10 pa on
the contract Public clamor for rapid transit
was SO insistont and the s0lvency ~ the oder
CITY ~ New-York was so great that the next
4 move by the Plat law firm I'M lt5 conSpHd.S
+ against rand transit was directed against the
so.yency ~ tho older city Of New-Nork.
APPOINTMENT or \ COMMISSION.
The scheme took The form Of adding 10 the
older city of New-York number or bankrupt
communities and the creation of the Greater
NeV-Nork The Republican Governor, Levi Z.
Morton, appointed a commission 10 dratt char :
ter Of the greater city and AZ the direction OF
Mr. Plat appointed Mr. Platts law firm as
R counsel 10 the Commits sion In drafting TINS
I charter a few months We're expended IN doing
work that called for great deliDerailon ana
should have taken at least four years IN IuNy
maturing. In less than six months the work or
the Charter Commission was TANNED through
the legislature a Republican machine meas
ure and against the protests Of every Demo
cratic Senator and every Democratic Assembly
man except one. who guarded the interests or
New-York City at Albany
After the drafting and passing Of the charter
for the Greater Ncw-York is became apparent
even to tho casual observer that IT would
enormously increase the debt burden Of the
older city The older city Of New-York was
forced 10 assume the entire Indebtedness Of
bankrupt communities with which It had been
forcibly united This Indebtedness amounted
to great many millions Of dollars. yet, fearing
tha, the older city might st wrestle success
fully with tho problem Of insolvency, the fol-
lowing methods We're adopted to render in
.r,.ftt
were given eight months after the passage Of
the charter in which to make the most eX-
travagant contracts and add 20 the burden Of
debt to be- assumed by the older city.
So outrageous and criminal We're some Of these
contracts that many Of those involved were in
dicfrl. convicted. and are now soJourning in
Sing Sing Prison. Fearing that this enormous
addition IN debt. and that these added millions
to the burden Of the older city would not be
sufficient to effectually damn the older city ;
credit the city Of Brooklyn was excused from
paying whole years taNcs. These various
schemes for adding many millions Of dollars To
the older city's debt burden were considered by
Mr. Plat and his oo--onsprators sufficient to
F hopclessly involve the city OF NcW-York in
municipal bankruptcy and stihe the clamor for
rapid transit Icy raising the question that the
city had exceeded its debt limit.
stiil further effort Was discovered in this last
respect through a clause inserted In the charter
hy Mr. piatt's law finn a clause which had never
f una place IN municipal charter before nor
since. lause which rendered the public officials
To- authorize any Indebtedness on the part OF the
city individually liable for such Indebtedness.
This clause was added for the purpose OF not only
inumidatng the public officials concerned. but
to stN further destroy the citys credit by
shrinking the value Of the municipal bonds in
the open market The only way left open 10 the
present administration 10 offset these conspira-
tors against the cty's credit was 10 Increase the
I assessed valuation ~ the city's property This
F course had 10 be adopted by II" Tax Commis-
sioners IN 1899. and the debt limit question was
10y this means overcome The next move by Mr..
Platts law firm I'm his conspiracy against rapid
transit was In relation 20 tn" contract which
they had previously submittel-th~ir announce
Wcut that they would have to draft a neN con-
tract The original contract was withdrawn
and "A uew contract substituted full of serious
objections
WHERE WHALEN COMES H.