New-York tribune., 1902-03-25
GRCBFR ASSAIIoS LOW
ATTACKS FUSION CATSE GENER Ally
AND BEWAILS REPUBLICAN, AL
LANCE WITH IT

Mayor Low was assailed for giving his ap-
proval to the bill allowing the PENNSYLVANIA
railroad to build and operate in perpetuity a
tunnel under the rivers and Manhattan by
Abe Gruber at a meeting of the Brooklyn Re
publican Club, No. 14G Pierrepont-st. Brooklyn
last night The entire fusion administration was
criticised. and the speaker said that the Republi-
can party was in a worse condition to-day than
1t was before the alliance with the fusion move
ment.
William A. Frcke, former insurance Commis-
sioner Of Wisconsin, spoke on Primary and
Election Laws"
Concerning the Pennsylvania Railroad fran
chtse. Mr. Gruber said.
When the charter was amended the revisers said
h that In ihey had made perfect document and that
Comes m 16e he EiISn y 3 RTrpGt" @ II hen a ai0ng
pha. They say, We want the right for ever and
East River and Manhattan Tbev sbouId have
been told. Well YOU can't do that here We have
a charter made by Mr., Rives and blessed by Mr.
IN rerpetu You had letter. run run away vi and i'df dig
your tunnel s"mew here else Well. what do You
that pure candidate. Mr Low. and Mr. Rives sub
operate a tunnel under the East River and Man
haitian In perpetuity; Suppose Van Wyck and John
Gledl every, church ana han in ,Ncw-York with
meetings Of condemnation and hey would have
# had Mr. Lows and he would listen to me
the fusion cause, if YOU want to he true to every
to he true TO your oath of ofice don't give away
TINS public franchise. You may he Reelected. but
you sold out the city to a corporation"
W. We are arm coming TO STATE election, and in three
eTal once said that an army travels its belly.
have to 60 hungry and the Democra 'fy % have awe
all the places that Low and Grout and Cantor and
worse off than We would have been II Tammauy
had mad won. Now W. have two strong Democratic
uon We will have the good Democrats and the bad
ing We surrendercd our manhood our n6ver omr
SUtngih and guess We got all that was coming
20
Then Mr.. Gruber attacked Mr.. Low for dis
agreeing with Governor OdeII on the excise
question. and said that in telling seven thou
sand policeman they might wink at the viola
ton Of the excise law the Mayor had done more
70 corrupt the police force than could have been
done in twenty years of Tammany rule.
Mr.. Gruber then turned on the Civil Service
Commission. You couldn't pick out any purer
men than the members Of that commission"
said Mr.. Gruber. men whose hearts bleed for
the peope-Colonel Willis /. ogden and Wander
bilt As soon as they got in office they immedI-
ately looked around 10 see how they could fill
some Of the offices without coming under the
provisions Of the Civil Service laws I have it.
on the authority Of one who knows. that not in
the four years of Tammany administration were
so many requests made to take places out OF the
competitive class there have been since the
first Of January If a Tammany Mayor had
asked that the existing eligible lists he wiped
out of existence would have denounced him
being a gigantic pot hunter
There is inherent dishonesty. anyway, in the
competitive Civil Service system praCtised
to-day. l know nothing more pretenCe and
less virture. of more sh. nd less good. No
wonder that Tammany Ha aughs AT us. They
do not indulge IN sham. They say: Come to Us,
and If win will take care Of YOU The
reformers say: Come unto us and if we win
will keep all the places for ourselves