The sun., 1908-01-09

latlons OF the contested election ooSes III
1s9l-a2, supplemented by the nomination
in 1898 Of ISAAC H. MAYNARD for the
Court Of Appeals, one Of the chief actors
in the contested election litigation,
which led to the overwhelming defeat
Of the Democratic State ticket in 1894
and the election Of WILLIAM L. STRONG
as Mayor Of New York city? Which
were the more potent factors in pro-
ducing those results, the aforesaid fu-
ror over the contested election cases or
the Lexowing of the city by Mr.. Corr
immaterially aided by Mr. SUTHERLAND?
Mr.. Corr was elected Recorder Of the
city as his personal reward, and when
the Recordership was abolished Mr.. Corr
was elected to the bench Of the Supreme
Court in New York county.
Mr.. lv1Ns remained in comparative
retirement as a professional Inquisitor
until 1905, when the Republicans of the
city, being in the last ditch for a candi-
date for Mayor, easily persuaded him
TO accept what thirty-one fellow Repub-
leans OF his had peremptorily refused.
Mr.. WINS was one Of the worst beaten
candidates for Mayor Of the city in tho
annals Of the Republican party. As po-
litical capital. therefore, Of what value
were Mr.. IvINs's legal services to the
Fassett committee and to the Brooklyn
strike Assembly COMMITTEES?
On April 2, 1905, Mr. WINS was selected
as counsel to the special committee Of
the Board of Aldermen appointed -
investigate the Street Cleaning Depart
ment, Of which Major WOODBURY. was
the honored and efficient chief. Three
names were considered Al q meeting held
by the committee at the City Hall. Mr..
WINS was put forward as a Republican,
PETER R. GARTINs as a Municipal Owner
ship Lacquer and JAMES W. OSBORNE as
"a Democrat
Ultimately the appointment of Mr..
WINS was decided on unanimously. One
of the members Of the committee said
that Mr.. WINS had promised TO serve
without pay II the Corporation Counsel
should refuse to designate him. In
deed, according to Alderman GRIFEN-
HAGEN, the chairman Of the committee,
Mr.. WINS promised to pay the whole
expense of the inquiry out Of his own
pocket should the Board of Estimate re-
fuse to make the appropriation. When
! JOHN J. DELANY, then Corporation Coun-
sci, was notified of the selection Of Mr..
WINS he Immediately designated him as
special counsel to the committee.
In December, 1905, the Aldermen had a
spat over a resolution which the Repub-
ican members sought to put through
allowing 10 Mr. IvINs a fee Of 81, 500 as
| counsel TO the committee which "investi-
gated Major WOODBURY. in the preced-
ing April. The Investigation was a
fiasco and Little TIM SULLIVAN, the
czar of the board, said at the time that
he didn't see where the value Of Mr..
IvINs's services came in. Alderman
DowLING, who was n member Of the
investigating committee, put IL more
strongly when he declared:
The bill is too high We sat for twenty days
listening 70 lot OF rubbish but that was about all
that done. II any one can get away with bill
for SIsSOO for twenty days work good luck TO him.
! But I want to remind this committee that in the
whole OF that investigation there was not one bit
OF evidence brought out which showed even one
discreditabe action on the part of Major woop-
BURY or a single dishonest act shown the part OF
any one from the head Of the department to the
sweeper In the street. But ! suppose this bill will
have TO be paid Mr.. WINS Is nice old gentleman.
and he has sent US In nice old bill because be Is
a nice old man"
The matter was finally made a special
order for the next meeting of the board.
Outside the Sl2,5OO for Mr.. WINS the
| investigation cost $4,000.
Finally, on February 10. 1907, the Alder
men authorized an issue of Sl2, 500 special
revenue bonds to pay Mr.. WINS for act
! ing as counsel to the committee of the
board which made the Investigation" Of
the Street Cleaning Department Sew
eral members objected TO the size of
the fee. saying that the investigation
had amounted To nothing.
Now, with Mr.. WINS as a $4,000 a year
counsel 10 the New York city Public
Service Commission, and after six months
Of scandal mongering not a practical
step taken to benefit the millions of
transit patrons, and with Mr.. SUTHER-
LAND as the $4,000 a year counsel for
| the upstate commission, does the bust
ness or profession Of Inquisition seem
likely to pay anybody but the profess
| sional InQuisitors themselves?