New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-17

miami within
within. six months don't hesitate 10 say there
will be absolutely difficulty on Ihe par vi tie
Never having that power by such condemnation
~ i,o tba citizens of this city absolute prime
gas at from 80 to 40 cents thousand feet. Zap
plause) In that way we are se-liils e,
Orherw;jse don't know where we are going
Have either of my competitors in this race told
Won when or how under what conditions lIiS
reassumntion of the gas franchise was to be
had? / have heard nothing of the kind. Has
any practical suggestion been made! nave
heard nothing of the kind. What propose to do
is not to spend most of my time IN conJecturlhs
innossihIe and improbable promises
Now, as to the subway l believe heartily IN
the resumption by the public. ana at once OF al,
Iapsed franchises and of the taking over at
once of all franchises which have lately been
forfeited or which to-day subject to Tor
feiture much for this In word. l henexe
simply in enforcing the law. DO not beheVe
in standing aside and letting the law go unen-
forced because the enforcement of the law
would affect the pocket of the wrongdoer rms
consideration for the wrongdoer, this conserva-
tism in protecting ones self against wrong, Whch
is of the distinctive features of this adInln-
istration is to me one of the most Incompetent
sible things in the history of repubcanlsrn
1t can only be accounted for In one way. ana
that is that there is some kind of Stamese llga-
ment between the wrongdoer and the agent or
the law. What 1 propose is to find the means
of cutting that ligament-of ending that rela-
ton.
PERPETUAL FRANCHISES IMPOSSIBLE.
Now so far as franchises being granted in the
future is concerned II Is needless lOr 10 SS1y
that I should oppose all perpetual franchises pc
cause perpetual franchises are no longer possible
under the law. The result of my programme,
therefore, would be the ultimate municipallza-
ton Of all of the great public utility franchises,
and 1 should have the public, as the best ana
the most trustworthy corporation, manage the
business of that corporation itself. We have
been told. gentlemen, that a municipality is not
so competent to handle municipal wealth and TO
control great municipal utilities as individuals
are, and for many years the proof of that state
ment was afforded by the wonderful success
of the life Insurance companies. (Laughter)
The best brains the best ability, the largest ca
pacty for accumulation known in the history or
American finance has been represented and IL
lustrated in the management of those companies
Don't you think that. great and able as these
men have been. the chosen representatives
Of the State of New-York are equally com
petent 10 manage the subways of New DIRK
as for instance, the presidents OF the lie IN
surance companies have been to manage that
business? It seems to me there is possibility
of II, at any rate. 1t may net be great, but at
least there is a possibility of II, and for this
reason: That If anything can be worse than
those people have done I would like to know
what it Is.
Now here comes the question though, as to when
the operation of those franchises should be I'M
dertaken, and in respect of this don't want
any one to be deceived, and desire to deceive
no one The acquisition of the existing railroad
franchises in this great city will cost great
many millions of dollars. and these franchises
cannot be acquired, matter what Mr.. Hearst
says or what Mr.. Mcclellan says. or how they
deude the people These franchises cannot be
acquired for long while to come by virtue of
our debt limit. the condition which has been
imposed by the constitution ITSELF and until we
can find some means Of increasing our debt
limit, some of which be found through the
assistance of Republican legislature, very little
can be done in that matter except to talk about
the desirability of IL
CAN MANAGE GAS AT ONCE.
Then when these franchises have been reas-
sumed arises the problem az to how they SHAH pc
administered. I conceive that to-day the city OF
rlr iC riry0ad Pc
a character, that we can enter upon the I'M
mediate administration of our gas system.
don't think that in our preGent state of govern
ment prepared to enter into the I'M
mediate operation of the railway system but so
far as We are prepared. first having acquired the
system then I believe we should enter into It's
operation, precisely has been done, and been
very successfully done, in the English Cities as
has been done very successfully in national rail-
ways by the German government. OF course, it is
not an untried thing, and not an experiment, but
mere question of finding ourselves equipped and
fitted to the task: but when once equipped ana
fitted to the task, then the task should be under
taken. No matter how these systems be farmed
out for operation. this should always be done
for very short terms and upon conditions ana
terms to be made the result Of arbitration.
Now as nearly as 1 6gure-and, of course
my figure is very largely g guess-the thirteen
or fourteen franchises which are going to be
subject TO lease during the next four years are
of q value of at least $500 100000, and the
question that presents kself therefore, is
whether or not you and yotIr fellow citizens are
willing TO permit that S500O00000 which
means III erect DiHuhSt IllOl tSdSO cAA
this great city, TO be disposed of by
Tammany Hall And I say Tammany Hall. and
I don't say Mayor Mcclellan. because Mayor
Mcclellan in that situation is a purely negli-
gible quantity. But what I consider to have
been a grave mistake on the part OF the Re
publican party and without what 1 concede to
be any justihable reason at the time the term
Of the Mayors office was increased from two
years to four, and about simultaneously very
remarkable change took place. namely. that the
power of the control of franchises was taken out
Of the Board of Aldermen and placed in the
that was done New-York City deprived OF
the opportunity for the expression of opposition
to anything that might be done with regard to
the franchises because if there was only
lonesome Republican alderman in that board he
nevertheless would have had the power and the
opportunity Of calling the attention Of the pub
lie TO what was going on.
MCCLELLAN AS A FIGUREHEAD.
To-day there is no such opportunity for
voice To-day there is no such means for com
munication; to-day there is no such opportunity
for opposition But you have got a Mayor and
a Controller and a President of the Board of
Aldermen and several borough presidents, and
as our charter now states majority is suff1-.
cient in the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment. And If this very remarkable band Of
men who have been nominated by Tammany Hall
for these very municipal offices being gath
cred in that board see fit to approve of the re-
quest suggestion. dictation motion or whatever
1t may be of Mr.. Murphy Mr.. Mcclellan can
be dispensed with and allowed to remain where
he is as a stunning igurehead for future DO
lltlSdl puIpOSeS, peCduSe the more he KICKS
the better candidate he will be. and they won't
object because they have got away with the
spOils.
Now, the question is this: Whether or not the
people Of this town are going to turn over this
power not to Mr.. Mcclellan, who, think is a
thoroughly honest man, but to the ma jority in
that board who can overrule his vote and re-
duce him to nothingness; and all know the
character and the independence and the ca
pacitieS Of the other members of that board if
Tammany should be elected.
In speaking of this matter Of the possibilities
for political motion, I want 10 refer 10 one other
fact. If Mr.. Mcclellan. being elected Mayor
should year hence seek the nonnina tor, for