New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-23
ATTACKS CIRCUITS PLAN
CALLS CUTTING CRATER.
BOurke Cochran at Tammdny Meet-
ing Says Poor Dire Robbed.

received into the ranks Of the Tammany apo,'
gists at the first meeting of the Citizens ihde-
pendent Democracy. the president or tine Vi
ganzation being Francis Burton Harriso"
People spoke of the meeting as heaii ms
Cockran's first campaign speech this se"So"
and having heard him. departed. They hste"e
to his agile tongue for more than an hou'
while ne talked partisanship, and from 'hh'
worked around to announcement OF ho"
administration by assuming that the van "EoA
administration corrupt and that the esh-
doors were still unpublished by this admih'sua-
ton.
He seemed to forget that the leader OF lam
many Hall and couple of his colleagues wou'u
be under indictment now II politicians had not
been at work to get the Dock Board scalu'''
postponed until after election. Regarding taxes
he aired some specous argument ana ie"
figures without giving their context. ana hhai'y
he wound up with grand Illumination against
the protective tariff, which he denounced az
graft a plane with the watering or cor
poration stocks. He involved r. Fulton Cut
ting in advocacy of this system of fraud anu
corruption" and because Mr.. Mcclellan had
worked against 1t in Congress demanded MS
election. 1t a remarkable lawyers ar
gument." 1t was long way afield, however
Its bearing on the local campaign was so utterly
not apparent that Mr.. Cochran himself told the
audience that he only beginning on sub
jects which he hoped to discuss year from
now to get his hearers In trim for their duty
then.
His speech a remarkable effort. although
for him it was not so great an effort. Like MI
Grout Mr.. Cochran is somewhat Of a lightning
change artist. and. being a lawyer. is greatly
used to talking what he doesn't mean. 1t was
perhaps, the most remarkable fact about his
tnot OP ftc str
attack on the sinking fund plan which was Mr..
CIRCUITS particular pride
The actual expenses of the city, according TO
Mr. Cochran. had been increased 100000.
and the sinking fund money applied TO this In
crease. Then the fusion administration shouted
because it's budget small and its tax rate
low 1t never seemed to occur to him that this
was all CIRCUITS work until some one from the
audience reminded him of it. Then his quick
repartee came into effect Yes, but his part In
1t was honest" he said. The tax assessors
were the rogues who lowered the rich mans
assessment and increased the poor mans
Then he read list of office buildings whose
taxes had been reduced. and list of tenement
houses whose taxes had been raised. carefully
abstaining from mentioning any thing about the
Tammany leaders whose taxes had been so
beautifully light under Van Wyck, and the can
vass of 2164 pieces of tenement property, on
1869 OF which the taxes were notably lower
than under Tammany.
His fulminations against protection and Mr.
Cutting were likewise fallacous. Mr.. Cutting
was a CRATER" he declared, but he was su-
premely unconscious that he CRATER"
Nevertheless he robbing the poor and dis
honoring the nation. and committing various
other crimes equally heinOus. all because he
happened to be a director of the American
Sup Uhi Or her
has become great a campaign argument for
Mcclellan 'papa's sword"
The hall well filled, and the meeting was
enthusiastic. cOnventiOnally, dutifully enthusi-
astic. Among the bOxholders," the literary
bureau declared, along with O. H. p. Belmont,
Theodore W. Myers, Captain Hugh r. Garden,
James w. Gerard. H. w. Appleton. Charles w.
Towne Ashbel P. Fitch and Judge Martin j.
Keogh the Hon" Charles F. Murphy
Mr.. Harrison acted as chairman OF the meet
ing. In brief speech he said that the Citizens
! Independent Democracy to provide home
| for Democrats. not members of the regular or
ganlzation, but still partlsans. He attacked
! NJ Linn Bruce of the Republican county COM
| mittee and referred to the dark deeds of these
maIefactors" the Republicans.
| Colonel Mcclellan greeted with much
cheering little disastrous in its results at times
| The band, too struck rather unfortunate air
| to announce him-"Auld Lang Syne." The
odd acquaintance" was greatly reminiscent OF
Richard Croker and his interest in McClellan'S
/ early welfare AS he beginning his speech
| some one wanted three cheers for John j. De-
| lany," which were given. while the Tammany
| candidate for Mayor stood. manuscript in hand
| biting his lip.
| He advocated craftsmanship. and declared that
| the Republicans had been running this admin
| istration under a mask of craftsmanship
| Grout and Fornes. he said. We're all right until
1 a . M rife fTYein fhare
| could be- their Endorsement by the Demo
| cratic organization, when they became as low
| and vile "as the defamatory mouths of fusion
| orators could make them" He talked about
the liquor tax and a tax on the surplus of saw
| ings banks. which, he declared, Governor Ode
| had engineered through TO benefit the rural dis
| tricts in lessening their taxes.
| Then came Mr.. Cochran received with much
! applause With his customary slow. almost ju-
1 dicial utterance, not emitting the occasional
| drawl he said
eminent that this city has ever had and that 4
am perfectly willing TO concede that if what thes,
gentlemen claim be actually true. Mr. Low ough
to be reelected. There would be reason foi
| changing the best government the city has evel
seen and substitute for 1t anything else. ever
was more consistent with the notions of SOUND
instead Of being the best government that the city
has ever known 1t is the worst government since
! We are told that the Police Department is won
d derr efficient s Well r my friends had ey
weeks ago when the Democratic convention as
posed anxious 10 make the proceedings successful 9l1
was thrown into disorder and almost driven into
put up job No. my friend. il was not put u
! lon; such incapacity as that cannot be counter
| Well. we are told. however. that there has beer
reduction OF the tax bills and this IS put forward
as an evidence that the government has beer
economical If there has been reduction in the
increase In others II has been accomplished by
SEEING the moneys OF the sinking fund applicable