New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-17
HE SPEAKS HIS MIND.

PIunkitt however, has need of concealment.
He has been expressing his convictions for these
many years 10 the delight of the tribesmen Be
cause of the fact that his political soul is typical
IN Tammany and that he joyously mounts it on
pushcart at the corner he is a study. Happily his
philosophy is not gaining converts. Not growing
percentage OF people choose the political garbage
dump for a playground. Plunkitt's hold upon his
district is weakening, and before long he will be
melancholy political grasshopper chirpng dying
song. But because OF what he stands for in Tam
many Hail. that he Shouts from the front stoop
what is uttered freely by his only when they
are behind the closed doors of the Wigwanl, he is
70 be considered
Piunkitt speaks with the voice of authority when
he discourses on honest and dishonest graft, -
and this is what ne says:
Everybody tall1in' these days about Tamnlany
men CROWN rich graft, but nobody thinks of
DRAWN the distinction between honest graft and
dishonest graft There's all the difference in the
world Between the two. Yes. many OF men
have grown rich in politics I have, myself. I've
made big fortune Of the game. and I'm gettin'
richer every dag. bat I've gone III for dis
honest 'graft-blac kmain gamblers, saloonkeepers,
Cisorderly people, elc.-and neither has of the
men who have made big fortunes in politics.
There's an honest graft and I'm example
OF how it works. ! might sum up the whole thing
by sayin: I seen my opportunities and took en-
Just let ne explain by examples Ny party's in
power III the city and it's goin' to Undertake
lot Of public improvements. Well, I'm tipped off.
say. that they're going 10 lay out a new park at
certain place.
I see my opportunity and I take it. I so to that
place and ! buy UP al the land i'll the neigh
borhood. Then the board of this or that makes
It's plan public and there a rush to get my laId
which nobody cared particular for before.
Amt Il perfectly honest charge good price
and make profit my investment and foresight!
OF course il is Well. that's honest graft
ITS HONEST GRAFT"
'or. supposin' it's new bridge they're goin' to
T1rora arr
IS I can that has TO be taken for approaches
sell at my own price later and drop some more
money in the bank.
wouldn't you? It's just like lookin' ahead in
Wall Street or in the coffee or cotton market. IT
honest graft. and I'm lookin' for it every DAY IN
The year 1 will tell you frankly that I've got
coed lot OF IT, too
nm n big mark no matter where got on to It. ana
went lookin about for land in that neighoorhoou'
81 could get nothin' al a bargain hut big piece
of swamp bu1 I took it fast enough and held on 10
St What turned out was just what counted on
They couldn't make the park complete "I'"ou.
PlunRitt's swamp, and they HAD TO Pa! s00N
r,rice for II Anything dishonest in that!
IN in the watershed made some money 100.
bought up several bits Of land there some years
aqo and made a pretty good guess they would oe
bought ,lp for water purposes later oy he city
somehow I always guessed about right, and
shouldn't 1 enjoy the profit Of my foresight! II
was rather amusin' when the condemnation com
m
of land in the name of George Plunkitt, OF the
18th Assembly District. New-York City. They
wondered how I knew just what to buy. The
answer isl seen my opportunity and took it. L
haven't confined myself land; anything that pays
Is in my lire.
For instance the city is repavin q street and
has several hundred Thousand old granite blocks
TO sell. 1 am hand to buy, and know just
what they are worth
How? Never mind that. I had a sort of
monopoly of this business for d while but once
newspaper tried TO do me. It got some outside men
TO come over firm Brooklyn and New-Jersey TO
bid against me.
WAS 1 done? Not much. went to each OF the
men and said: How many of these 10000 stones
do you want?' One said 5000, and another wanted
15Ooo and another wanted 10000. I said: All right.
let me lid for the lot. and I'll give each of you
al you want for nothin.
They agreed. Of course. Then the auetioneer
yelled: How much am bid for these 10000 fine
pawn stones?
Two dollars and fifty cents says I.
Two dollars and fifty centsr screamed the
auctioneer Oh that's joke! Give me a real
bid
He found the bid real enough. My rivals
stood silent I got the lot for g 30 and gave them
their share. That's how the attempt do Plunkitt
ended and THAT'S how al s7sch atteTnDts nd