New-York tribune., 1901-11-02
RHOADES ON CITY CREDIT.
IMPORTANCE OF SHEPARDS DEtE
FROM A FINANCIAL POINT
OF VIEW.

There has never been more enthusias'io
x,oa.irc, Of Germans in Brooklyn than thal
u.bicb assembled in Arion Hail. Broadway anu
Arion Place Brooklyn, last night in the interests
Of Seth Low and the fusion ticket Inc pt41u
ing was jammed 10 the doors. ana larse
in the streets were addressed by SPEAKERS ii
.r,ots The meeting was held under the
auspices of the German-American Union %
BROOKLYN DR. John W. Schtldge presloe"- ~
ward NJ Grout. the first speaker devoted iiiii7e'l
70 a discussion of the Inconsistencies of Edward
NJ Sbanard He showed that the Tammany
candidate having promised not to dislntesra'e
.rar,,r,any Hall had practically tied his own
hands and that il would be Impossible Tor hliii'
surrounded by the powerful Croker lnIluehces'
TO give a good and honest administration
Carl schurz. speaking in German was up
roariously received and intently listened TO-
VAN HoEsEN MIGHT SUCCEED.
At the outset Mr. Schurz drew vivid picture
Of Tammany's abuse of power its system oil
blackmail and extortion, its ''vamplrehke op
preston unparalleled in the whole world eA-
cept perhaps in Turkey or Morocco ana i'9
''despotfsm which not alone fails 10 hem IN vice.
but which favors and protects the gamoilhs
hells and brothels with a view TO laying Ihein
under secret tribute" He continued in part:
am sure we will with all our hearts, wish
not immortal, as little as we are. anu II II ~ ' m
two years something human should happen 10
hint need not be the worst ouo Sei,uuS t,n
Illness incapacitating him for his official tunc-
tious-what then / ask. what then? why,
then the president of the Board Of Aldermen,
Van Hoesen. a faithful Tammany man. who is
elected with Shepard. would be his successor
in the office of Mayor, and TammanY Hail under
Boss Croker would again have unbounded con-
troll over the city government Have the good
people who are lured by M. Shepard's good
name considered this? If not it is high time
for them TO remember IT
Mr.. Schurz was followed by J. Harsen
Rhoades president Of the Greenwich Savings
Bank. Mr.. Rhoades spoke of the value of
good administration from financial point Of
view.
Mr.. Rhoades said that an officer OF saw
ings bank it was important that he should
weigh his words with care. Then he continued
in part:
What has Tammany done for the people for
which il can be commented? In a great city
like this. the things most needed are those
which serve 70 benefit the great mass of the
peopIe: for the greatness Of a city does not
rest upon the rapid increase in Its population
the wealth of the individual ne richness of its
buildings the outward shcw OF magnlf1cence'
but upon the condition of the mass OF its popu-
Iation-the toilers and breadwinners OF dally iife
As a member of the committee of fifteen, L
know something of the conditions which existed
and which continue to exist among the tenement
population Of this city, and as an American
citizen T know something of the temper of the
American people. and if the mass Of our voting
popuIa tion realized the extent TO which police
protection has been given TO those who by act
or presence have worked the ruin of the helpless
and unoffending, such wave of righteous in
dienation would sweep through the community
would engulf Tammany and all that the
word implies beyond hope OF resurrection
If this land is to remain great, if this city Is
to be truly redeemed, then the rights OF the
hum blest the virtue of the lowliest, must be
kept sacred in the eyes Of all the people. But
J'ammary raises its hand in holy horror because
-F,a ar7Ii il1rI- haS hean
terms OF condemnation have been uttered
against the purity of this palladium OF the nd
critics of the people; yet | speak from my own
experience and | speak from the experience OF
Others. when l say that in my Judgment there
are men serving on the grand Jury Who VI should .a
not have been selected, who are not MT TO serve
on that jury, and who, II is believed, We're Sc
lected for the reason that they could be usec.
Such at least is and for some years mas peeH
the opinion among grand jurors. and challenge
the officers of law connected with the criminal
courts. past and present, TO deny that L speak
the truth
NOT TAMMANY THRIFT.
And then Tammany boasts Of the high credit
of the city and claims the honor OF establish
ing and maintaining such credit while every
intelligent man knows that the claim is q covert
lie It is the thrift of the people when gives
good credit to the municipal bonds and not the
thrift of Tammany Hall 1t is because of the
thrift Of the people of this great city ana us
rapid growth that the municipal credlt stlt
remains good There are to-day IN the SAVINGS
banks of New-York over 14Oa0D depositors'
and these depositors have deposited with the
banks over S6G0,oHp,tsD. These banks are car
rying for their depositors SSo,ooOoDo Of the
bonded Indebtedness of this great city, anu
therefore the savings bank depositors are Johtiy
the largest creditors of the city of New I ork.
It is because such facts exist that the credll
of the city remains high, while Tammany gov
ernment, through vast and untold eXtraFasailce,
with ranid increase of bonded debt, has been
eating the very vtals out Of the public credit
placing upon the people a grleVous burden OF
increasing taxation. and making every public
iuapc q
the same work could be done for by private
individual
Our water system must be enlarged and made
adequate to the wants of growing community.
Our streets must be kept well paved, our pub
lie buildings extended, and built worthy or the
place in which they stand
These things and many more are demanded
and should be had. The city is great and rich
and able to pay for them but only In one way,
and that through an honest, economical farsee-
ing and competent administration of affairs.
ANY other way is the way Of the spendthrlft,
who wastes a magnificent patrimony In rlotous
living and, dying. leaves burden of debt which
will take many years of sacrifice and enforced
economy to wipe out
QUESTION FOR THE PEOPLE
The question therefore. before the people in
this contest is whether or not they will intrust
this development of that which is needed to a
party which has given every evidence or corrup-
tion-wasted the revenue, increased the burdens
of taxation to degree not only unbearabie, put
exhausting, protected vice, violated the laws or
public decency and which has never inaugu-
rated a great public Improvement except where
it has forced to do it by public pressure, or
when il personal benefit to 1t In the car
rying out of the same.
In the face of this extravaganza and waste
and unwisdom of the last four years, are you
ready to continue such party in power. and do
you believe that the credit of this city can be
maintained for two years more If existing con-
ditions are allowed to continue?
Not man. woman or child who is a depositor
in a savings bank but is. TO a greater or less
degree. creditor of the city, and II Is wise and