The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-12
(special Correspondence.l


New York, Aug. 7.-Despite the silly
Richard Croker regarding the place of
meeting for the Democratic state com
mittee, my assertion that harmony
will govern the Democratic state cam
paign still holds good. Hill and Croker
hate each other because they are rivals
Tor power, but neither can resist the
force of public opinion. Hill would
IKE to have Danforth made the party
nominee for governor, and Croker does
not want Comptroller Coler to get the
nomination, but it now looks as though
the state convention will be compelled
to select Coler as it's standard bearer
because Of a local ISSUE Certain Dem
ocratic and Republican office holders
and political managers are interested
in the Ramapo water fraud, which, if
successful, will enable the Ramapo
company TO take from the New York
City treasury the sum of $500, 600 900 IN
forty years and still retain its so-called
water rights and plants 1t is a dis
tinct and deliberate steal for the COM
pany exists only on paper and has no
capital except a pretended right TO
seize all of the water sheds in the
state. Odell, who is Platt's choice for
being financially interested in RamapO
while COler is its bitterest and most
prominent opponent. Croker hates Co
Ter because he is not a machine man,
but as he naturally wants to retain
the city patronage. this local issue will
compel him to accept the comptroller.
Therefore it may happen that the New
York electoral vote depends on local
issue.
This -Ramapa steal affects every city
in the state having a population of
over $4,000. By its charter the COM
pany is given the right to acquire"
sites for dams and reservoirs with &C
companying water drainage wherev
it pleases, and then charge cities
the water so boarded. Coler wan, s.
this charter annulled and the muRicipe
rights of cities sustained and protec-.
ed, and he promises action in that di-
rection if made governor As he has
shown great honesty and singleness of
purpose during his brief public career,
men of both parties are already rally
ing to his support. This fact is so evil
dent that the World, ever ready to
jump in and make capital for itself.
has adopted Coler. If he fails to get
the nomination il will be entirely due
to the Worlds advocacy, for the paper
is hated by Democrats and Republicans
alike. while its influence" is a wet
blanket, even for honest candidates and
honest issues. As I said in my last
letter. a careful. dispassionate view of
the political field in this state shows
that New York is still very doubt
full number of the electoral college.
Party lines are much broken, the silent
vote is now more silent than usual, and
local issues overshadow even 16 TO
or imperialism.
Your readers can have no possible
conception of the intolerably bad nu-
nicipal government that exists in this
devoted city. The annual expense for
ff1ce-holders' salaries, paving. street
cleaning. courts. water system. drain
age, parks, docks and the police and
fire departments are equal to nearly
One-third the sum needed for sustain
ing the army and navy during period
! of great activity and actual war. The
rate per capita for the city is over SIS
per annum for every man. woman and
child in the four boroughs. While the
army and navy costs less than 81 per
capita in a population of 1900, 600
| These figures reveal the rich mine now
worked by local politicians. Corrup-
| ton is rife, contracts are cloaks for
official blackmail. and horde of Of
| fice-holders fatten on the treasury
When Tweed was in power he was
! aided by sO-called Republicans, who
| shared the SpOilS. The same condition
/ Of affairs still exists. for when Tam
many sought to gain control of the pO-
| lice department and get rid of an indie
pendent chief of police. it succeeded
/ through the appointment Of Hess and
| Abel as commissioners, who pledge
| their votes in advance. This was 2d-
| mitted by Hess before the MaZet COM
mittee, he explaining his conduct by
/ the plea that he was poor and needed
/ the salary. So these two men for a pal
| try $4,000 a year placed William A
| Devery in the chiefs chair--a man who
/ never enforces the law until compelled
/ by public opinion and cutlery to do so
By the confession of his own acts
| Devery is in collision with the keeper:
| of gambling houses, pool rooms ant
/ vile concert halls. The TivOli--a place
unmatched for Wickedness in any city
| of the Union-was maintained by a no
| torious .scoundrel and ex-cOnvict, who
! claimed that he was protected by a pO
liticaI power even greater than the pO
| lice department Women of aban.
! doned character here consorted with
! thugs, thieves and other vile dregs o.
a great city. Robberies, brutal as
/ saults. and it is limited even murder
were here committed. and all within {
] stones throw of Broadway and Herald
Square, the most freouented part o.
New York. But when a state senator
conspicuous for his efforts TO secure
municipal reform, became the victim
|