The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-07
Appoints Recorders for Pittsburg
and Allegheny Under Quay's
"Ripper" Act.
SENATOR QUAY USED LASH.
Turned the Rings in His Favor
and Once More Hoodwinks
His Pennsylvania
/. Opponents.

REPtT Lie SPECIAL.
Philadelphia. April C.-Governor Stone
created IA political sensation to-day by APP
pointing Major a. NJ. Brown Recorder or
Pi;tsburR and John r. Murphy Recorder OF
Allegheny under the new Second-c.ass tli9
Charter act, known as the Pittsburg rip
per-
Major Brown is the chief lieutenant of
State Senator William Flynn. who succeed
ed the late Senator c. l.. Magee as the Anti
Quay or insurgent leader in Western Penn
sylvania. Up to last night Quayites were
confident that Director of Public WORKS
Bigelow would be appointed to the Re
cordership.
Politics with important bearing. is be-
lieyed to be at the bottom OF the appoint
eral that Senator Flynn and his forces will
support Attorney General John I. Elkins, a
Quayite, who is the choice Of the Quay
Stone, Ashbridge combination for Governor
Its Constitutionality.
The constitutionality OF the Upper act.
by which the .Mayors of Pittsburg. ALE,
enemy and Scranton. cities Of the second
places 20 a legislative officer In each city
appointed by the Governor. to be known as
Recorder. who is, to remain in Office until
April /. 1863, has been upheld in a decision
by Presiding Judge Archibald of the LacKa,
wanna court. The question Will be argued
before the supreme Court on April -. .,,,,
Evidently the purpose OF the act, "nlcn
was passed by the Quayites at the present
session Of the Legislature. was to end the
political power of the late Senator Magee
and Senator Flynn In PittsburS, where tHey
had absolute control of the city admins
,ration. Allegheny and Scranton were m
cluded in the act, to preserve, II poss1ois'
pointment of local officials lodged In the
recorders will be used to remove all OIL
Gals who are not Quay adherents.
measure ems Of Senator Quay. The silent Sem
ator, on his reelection to the United states
Senate. announced that he w0uld gel even
with those who had opposed him. he iau
introduced at Harrisburg a bill purposills
TO AXE out of the hands OF the Council OF
each second-class city the power TO appoihi
heads Of departments. ms power su aH a
recorder, who for the first two years shouiu
serve by appointment.
Eject of the Ripper.
The ripper abolishes the office OF Mayor
Pittsburg, Allegheny and Scranton-and tne
Recorders appointed by Governor Stone VIII
take the Mayors places and are supposed 10
appoint new heads Of all departments. This,
breaking up of the Pittsburg. Allesheny and
Scranton rings. but 1t is not the case. The
gold-bricked the Pennsylvania people. He
has evidently entered into another agree
ment with the three rings. for his, or GOV
erpor Stones Recorders are ring men
and the only departments to be ripped
out of office are the Mayors. Quay has. how
ever, used the lash and turned the rings
In his favor again.
Til trouble eliminating in the ripper"
began years ago. when the Pittsbnrg and
Philadelphia leaders caused Quay's can
Gidate for Governor. George to
be beaten by Pattison, a Democrat. Quay
swore to wipe out the rings CT bring them
to his feet.
Part of the scheme, 1t is said. is to con-
troll the Pittsburg delegation in State con:
ventions. and to send Quayites instead OF
insurgents to the next Legislature. In
Scranton the Mayor of that city was APP
pointed Recorder Immediately. after the
passage of the ripper act. There was no
necessity for n Recorder in Philadelphia.
for Mayor Ashbridge Is in full accord with
Senator Quay. What is known as the Phil
adelphia ''tnx-ripper' bill is now pending
before the Legislature. 1t would remove
from the courts the power of appointments
of members of the Board Of Revision Of
Taxes. make them elective officers and turn
over to the Quay-Ashbridge machine the
department which assesses the city real
estate, and its desirable patronage.
Senator Flynn has been one of the warm
est opponents Of the ripper legislation at
Harrisburg this session