New-York tribune., 1902-10-19
LIGHT ON COLER'S RECORD.
HIS PREACHING AND HIS PRACTICE ON
"COAIIERCIALISM IN POLITICS"

A severe arragnment of Bird s. Coler the
Democratic candidate for Governor. was con-
tanned in a statement that was given out yes
/ Ierday by the Republican Campaign Committee
OF Kings County. II follows:
e nat The shiftness of the Democratic candidate
To- IoveiEor on the coal plank of the Democratic
mental NE makeup Is capable of proof by a review OF
EVERYDAY bS cSreer as Gontrolier II Is known to
SION nomination. and then preferment from Tam
ers Of this borough could give sin more Interest
- teStimoHy concerning his general Uutrustwor-
AZ this time '' ~ " -
Some of the men who were interested IN the fr-
syI campaign last year could add important de
JaliS II they did not feel themselves bound by
reason OF communications received by them he
lns confidential IT Is sufficient 10 say that the
di5 dg'HneFS t 9f the fusion couferenee committee
ulu t not believe that CoIer could survive the
I r1shS @ mat were sure TO be made on MIN. Infor-
his rejection an eligible for the office of Mayor
Li "as si subsequent to this that Mr COer began
,,cI, nm sullivan. who was practically Tam
hiSny 1Iy leader last year
hn1, ton agan and again OF his absolute
.!.SSITsIy ..Sry ana dlsnterestedness In his essay on
1Eer enunciated the ideal Of absolute disuterest-
-fedneSs He showed that a true public servant
IKE himself should never become involved in any
transaction which would influence his official ac-
he is running on his record there ought TO be
an an lnqliry as to whether M Coer followed this
IN t0Nase @ consistently ON June 3, lS9o, Mr. Coler,
III IN an address before the University OF Illinois,
The government of States and cities in this
county, % that has been the most expensive corrupt
Violated no statute law Men may be dishonest
IN pubic office without stealing directly from the
pubic treasury The old system OF stealing from
inc public treasury has passed away and the
SAFER ana more profitable plan of bdrtering pO-
HIicaI influence FOR cash or stock in corporations
Did Mr Coler's public professions square with
MS private conduct and his official career? Here
i. T.s tpGts to prove they did not In September.
3ti f3chard croker. who was charged by Coler
with having originated the commercial system
IN politics. charged Coler with being more adept
az the business than he lie charged that
Coer had received 1880 shares of City Trust stock
actually doubled in vaua 1' Mr SeG ,saIteJ 9d
that Coler had beel let IN 'on the ground floor"
his control over, city deposits Mr. Croker alse
tne deal, which seems To be borne out by facts.
Company was selling for 500 per share The par
value of the stock was $50 per snare and CoIer
had received 1000 shares
BUT But sun more Interesting incident in this
transaction is the charge made by both Tammany
l1 i, H!ioushDy-st democrats mat TINS Loo snare
allotted to the Brooklyn politicians for their in
co!er as their agent and that he refused 10 divide
when the proper time came, because of the in
creased value OF the securities which he kept for
. It viii be seen that Coler had profted along the
base politicians. In other words, the CONTROLLER
under the charter, with the Mayor and city Cham
6erlain has fun eontro! over al deposits Of the
troIlers decentralization usually goes in mis- con-
nection. Mr. Coler was recognized in dual
q
the city Controller and as the representative Of the
Produce Exchange Company crowd i'm Wall Street
The new institution, is the practice. looked
about 10 see where tho interests controlling the
largest deposits could he found They discovered
Coler and his Brooklyn Democratic friends and
gave them stock at the lowest prices, Coler being
the trustee, according To the charges made by Mr.
Croker and the Brooklyn men who were TO have
siderable prominence Is authority for the statement
that hen Coler asked why ne did divide
agreed upon be reped t1Ut the stock MS
% ae meant 10 Feep it.
LJ0uG you thluh my friendship Is worth any
thing he asked.
1T isn't worth $4,000 to me" was the reply.
Here is a Of public official who has often
proclaimed tire Wicke'tnesS OF politicians and who
in Politics" apparently beating these same Demo-
cratic politicians at their own game.
Mr.. Coer never denied the truthfulueSS of Gro
ker's charges. lie. in fact. admitted that ne had
the newspapers on September g. 1900. saying:
Il do stock in the City Trust Company, and
! am glad of II. intend to keep H.. But did not
get II at par. / paid 500 share for it,
That MIR COler possibly mistaken about this
last statement seems certain, for on the same day
President OurTau. OF the trust company, il quoted
saying that the par value or subscription price
OF the stock was 500 per share. II seems certain
Coler's professions. II is possible that
of the men whom Coler charged with questionable
methods of making money out OF politics would
have baked the transaction. And neither Croker,
would call the refusal OF the Controller 20
make a "divvy'' of City Trust stock under the
alleged circumstance in which he got II anything
but bad faith
officials make money these days out Of the gov
ernment without violating statute law. Let him
explain, then the City Trust Company transaction,
II he has not been muzZed.