New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-27
CLNCLNNATLS GRAET LNOUIRY.

Cincinnati has Joined in the revolt against
venal bossism and municipal corruption. Last
| fall her citizens voted out OF power an odous
| machine which had misruled and plundered the
| city. Conditions in Cincinnati seem to have
been much the same as those long tolerated in
Philadelphia. The ring in power was Repub-
| lican in name and dominated Republican city
and county conventions, but it shrewdly main
| tanned a working partnership with the local
| Democratic machine thus silencing opposition
along party lines and doubling the difficulties
| in the way of local reform movements. At the
head of the Republican organization was George
B. Cox, a leader of the Richard Croker type,
who took pains TO conceal the fact that he
was playing the game of politics for his own
personal benefit. Cox's alliances were so strong
and his servceability TO public service and other
corporations was so great that for more than a
decade his word was practically law in Cincin-
natl, and at Columbus, the state capital, he was
one of the influences which had to be reckOned
with in administration and legislation But the
patience of an oppressed public has its limits
and the wave of revolt against municipal NAL
administration which swept the country last fall
left him stranded with the Durhams, McNich-
oils, Murphys, McCarrens and Lentzes, who. like
him, had Overestimated the submssiveness of
the communities which they misgoverned.
The Ohio State Senate has now sent COM
mittee to Cincinnati to lift the lid" there and
expose the methods by which Cox got power
and held it. 1t took the committee only one
day 10 unearth practice which had put from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year in the pockets of
followers selected by Cox TO act county
treasurers. The present County Treasurer testi-
fed that he collected annually as taxes about
100000 Most of the tax assessments were
paid in checks and the Treasurer assigned these
checks for collection to various banks, allow
ing the money to remain on deposit for q GER
tain time after collection. In return for this
favor each bank sent him a certain "gratuity"
which he accepted a perquislte Of office. This
gratuity fund footed up he admitted, between
$4,000 and $4,000 year" Some of the banks
| had given him, apparently, an interest allow
ance of or 21a per cent on the funds they re-
ceved. but the Urea Surer declined to consider
| these payments as interest. even though entered
| on the bank book such. He propounded to
| the committee the astonishing theory that the
| checks did not constitute public funds, and that
| they did not become public funds until they had
| been collected by the banks and the cash had
| been actually deposited in the vaults of the
| treasury Under this theory taxes collected
| could be left in the banks until actually needed
| TO pay county debts. and interest the bal
ances diverted donations" from the county
treasury to the Treasurers pocket,
| If honest graft can flourish to that extent
| in Cincinnati and be acknowledged and de-
| Tended on the witness stand. some startling
I revelations may he expected when the commit
! tees probe goes deeper Doubtless the connec-
| tiOns of the Cox machine with public service
| corporations, if brought TO light will constitute
| another striking chapter in the sinister record
| of political activities in business and business
activities In politics. To sunder the corrupt
ing relation between semipublic enterprises and
politicians who willing TO betray the pub
| lie interest is the great task which American
I ,1ns.Nn 1n,vN
posture of the methods which have made such
| partnership possible is the first step toward
| cleaner government. The Cincinnati investiga-
ton will, therefore, be closely watched by every
other city trying TO solve the problem of mu-
| nicipal regeneration.