The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-31

Let these thieves come in the broadcloth o
gentlemen, approach tho treasure under tn,
guise OF benefactors. and seek to tako you
money with resolution. and the best that Il
done IL n mass meeting OF citizens hero ii
Cooper Institute
! Perhaps. after ALL this lcthargy 10 due to the
great si1c OF the body TO he moved. 1t Ia not
an easy thing to arouse 100000 OF people
against n great wrong. where the evidence
! though perfect. is intangible. The snow l.
| piledd upon the Alpine mountain side fake
| by flake. and its gentle fall would be
| but easy burden for fly. But nj
| length the mountain Rroans under n mighty
mass. the earth trembles. and the avalanche.
more terrible than the broadside OF 10000
guns. strikes upon the valley. crushing all liv-
ing things In its rcsistcss pathway. May we
sprinkle some snow upon the mountain OF
public opinion here tonight; may tho mo-
mcntum OF a tremendous public indignation
sweep down into the dark valley where lies
the body OF Ramapo"
Simon Sterne was tho chairman Of tho meet
ing and made long address. When he men-
toned the name Of Comptroller Coler. he was
wildly chcered. The Comptroller himself.
when he arrived. got a great reception. He
followed Mr.. Sterne In short address He
said:
" First OF ALL this seems to me a. bipartisan
meeting Applause to condemn bipartisan
job. iApplause.l Some fourteen or fifteen years
ago some eminent and highly bred Republi-
cans got up the Rampo water scheme: they
tried 1t on Brooklyn. they tried 1t on New
York. It has come to US now They are Ia the
background and they leave the Demo-
Gratis to go to Jail and they will get the
stuff If you will pardon me for a moment
will describe 10 you somewhat the conditions
OF the city Of New York when the present ad
ministration came into power. l had the
honor to succeed ninety-flve separate treas
urers; in other words. there were nlnety-flve
corporations consolidated in the City OF New
York. and with them oil manner OF debts and
obligations. 1t took US some time to see In
what state or manner our fnanancinl condition
was.and through the discussion OF that financial
problem came up the question of debts. We
we're under an overwhelming mass OF OBJ
legations which seemed to have no end. and 1t
was not until the LIST OF July this year that
the city came to have margin for new i'm
provements. Without going into the long de-
tails OF the city's financial condition. which
you will all read in the reports which will be
in the morning papers. ! wish to say. and
and my ONCE upon 1t. that the city Of New
York-if its finances arc properly administered
drection-not alone has money enough to own
It's own water works. but It has money enough
for Rapid Transit In the City OF New York.
Il have no feelings OF compunction in stand
ing here tonight upon this broad principle Of
and il any party or Organization that has elect
ed me takes q position different from that, it is
not !, but the organization that elected me,
:, Just one moment about the Ramapo job
itself: only heard of IT day or two before
idea OF what was going to turn up than did.
and he managed to post me, pretty well on the
subject, and we were both there: It was u
proposition to vote s., UOO. 900 for forty years.
and the President OF the Board OF Public I'm
provements refused to give the financial Of
report on 1t before the people That is all /
have to sny on that ubject; the way it was
rushed through spcaks for Itself and the PEG
pie will have to take care OF that l merely
the proposition. Applause.
northerly boundary OF the City of New York.
whether It was in vacant lot or on the New
York Central tracks. we don't know-nothing
was specifically ARRANGED torit. 1t you'd cost
us probably ten or twenty millions OF dollars to
build the reservoirs TO receive that water The |
highest estimates thatany engineer-nnd nowI |
partment and Chief Engineer Fteley of the
Commissioning highest amount |
from ten 70 fifteen millions OF dollars The |
highest amount that has over been spent |
time cue in t the e construciion Of the Croton
81! II s45Do.ooo i in one year The contract
money than the City OF New York has Yet ever
expended in enc year on the eo 6e OF It's
IN the nsighborhood Of $500 900 more than YOU |
he Boroughs OF Manhattan and the Bronx. |
hat subject" The other speakers we're
Charles Frederick Adams. Frank Moss John
1ouncod the Ramapo contract and the Ramapo |