The sun., 1905-09-19
The Great Purgation.

The Great PurgatiOn.
It will probably be disclosed in the
course of Mr.. HUoHEs's examination
that the Equitable and Mutual each con-
tributed the same amount that the New
York Life did to Mr. Treasurer BLIss's
campaign fund. 1t may even be ascer-
tainable that further sums were given
by the Equitable for campaign purposes
by direction of EDWARD H. HARTMAN,
and that these fell into the hands of
ODELL. Mr. HARTMAN ruled the Equi-
table, or rather ruled Mr. JAMES X HYDE,
in such matters with rod of iron. So
long rs the elastic nature of the S8S5,000
loan endured it was practicable to force
such cash raids at will. The $4,000
which HARTMAN compelled Messrs.
HYDE and MCINTYRE to give TO ODE1Jn
however, was not part of the S6S5,O
note Strictly speaking, it was filched
from the till.
The history Of this strange clandestine
loan of sOS5, COO is one that ought to be
cleared up. It is believed to be of no
little antiquity having been created by
the elder HYDE for purposes Of general
utility, and having been administered
by General LOUIS T. FITzuERALD dur
ing his long and lucrative incumbency
Of the Mercantile Trust Company. At
one time it is understood to have
amounted to s1,45o,OOO, and to have
fiuctuated according as the speculative
operations Of individuals having access
to it turned out well or Ill. When there
was a profit the account got part of it;
when there was a loss the account got
the whole of it. ..s gees -A.yi.' =
Mr.. HUGHES s marvellous ability in the
art of scrutiny may discover things yet
unsupported 1t would be most inter
esting, not to say important, to know
precisely what were the conditions at
one time upon which Legislative in
quiry could have been ,precllded. 1t
was supposedly feasible to defeat such an
inquiry. That is, it was practicable to
steer it off-for consideration What
was the consideration, and to whom was
1t to accrue? g.... ..- ,.,'i p.
Governor HIGGINS was in favor Of an
investigation, from the beginning, but
he was determined there should be uone
80 long as he believed it to be matter
Of barter or blackmail. So long as
ODELL and HARTMAN were opposed to
an investigation. the Governor was de-
terTnined there should be one, but when
ODELL, instructed by HARTMAN; set
up clamor for one, the Governor set
his face against it, divining its true
character as blackmailing scheme pure
and simple. 1t was only when ODEIL
and HARTMAN retreated in dismay
from their fictitious demand for the
appointment Of q legislative committee,
and when, concurrently Herewith, Gov
ernor HIGGINS learned from Bank Ex-
aminer KILBURN the real nature OF
ODELI.s acquisition of s75,ooo from the
Equitables treasury, that he saw his
way clear before him, and the Armstrong
committee was appointed on the. spot
and without the delay of an hour.
What splendid service Mr.. HUGHES
will render to the whole public, to the
State and to life insurance by this clean
ing up! 1t is impossible to suppose for
one moment that the insurance compa-
niee will not help him by every means in
their power. 1t is the chance of all
chances that they should eagerly en-
brace, the chance 70 hoave from their
shoulders the intolerable burden Of op-
preston and blackmail under which they
have staggered for years, The machin-
cry Of State, 90 far as they have been con-
cerned, has been in all that time a steadily
cumulative vehicle of robbery and black
mail. They have been driven to des-
peration by its insidious and extortionate
demands. They have been taught to
pay II they would live, and the whole
Eecord is black with disgrace.
\ Now is their opportunity to hurl it
from them forever, and in consigning to
everlasting ignominy its chief agents
and abetters, to free themselves perma-
nently from its oppression. Never in
the history Of a political party in this
State, or in any other State, was there
developed condition of depravity and
infamy like to that which testers to-day
in the party Of which BENJAMIN b. ODELL
Of Newburgh is the honored headl