New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-22
HOPE CENTRED IN CHYNOR
A. R. Watson Discusses New
York'S City Government.
ATTACKS FORMER, OFFICIALS
Thinly Yelled Arrangement of
Victim of Get Next Microbe"
and 'fUnhonored" Absentee.
by Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Baton Rouge, La. May Celebrating
that New York City's hope for clean gov
eminent was centred in Mayor Gaynori
Archibald r. Watson, Corporation Counsel
Of that city. delivered a speech at the an
nual meeting of the Louisiana Bar Associa-
ton to-day on THE Duties and Response
bilities OF Municipal Government" In the
course of his remarks he made q thinly
yelled and scathing denunciation of two
former high officials in New York's munic-
ipa1 government One. he said, was the
victim Of what he described for lack of a
better name, as the get next microbe. =
The other he portrayed as now living
abroad. ''unwept. unhonored and unsung."
After a defence of New York as not IAN
insoIent city, as a distinguished Southerner
has lately said.' Mr.. Watson took up his
discussion of municipal problems. He said
in part:
The first duty, the most obvious duty. of
municipal government, eXpending $780,
oe0,0o0 year or whereabouts in its own ad-
miniStraton, and many millions more IN
public improvements, is to disburSe hon
eStly the money of the taxpayers. And
this has been declared and emphasized very
many times and for very many years by
that remarkable man who is now Mayor
of the city of New York
This does not mean merely that pub
public moneys or accept pecuniary brides.
1t eXacts more than this. A man who has
the ladies call shop" and II there are any
bargain counters available, where goods
required for the public use are 10 be had,
the man with public moneys to spend must
be found in the thick Of the scramble and
near the top of the heap 1t means that a
municipality should get the benefit Of every
cut rate and discount of which a private
buyer, outstanding his own resources and
with thrift and economy .uppermost IN his
mind, would himself consider
"oId-Fashioned" Bribery.
But there is not now in New York City
and ! doubt if there has been in the re-
cent past, as much of the old-fashioned
bribery by money passing from one hand
10 another as many have supposed.
When man gets into public life in New
York City he is tried out sooner or later
in many ways Some say that there Is a
germ or miCrobe which flOuriSheS in the
larger cities, which. for lack of better
name, We will call the get next mlcroDe
This is not, / know, a very elegant name
but the get next microbe" is not a very
elegant microbe Nor is il at all fastidiGus
about its methods or its associations. This
is the way il works:
A public official takes his oath, qualities
for office, puts on his armor, buckles on MS
sword, takes his shield and goes forth TO
battle for the right, as l believe most pub
lie officials do at the start. Certain iniqut-
tous individuals take notice. and some one
of them ClandeStinely SmearS the official
breaStplare with q culture of this microbe,
taken from the secret and concealed labo-
ratory where they are bred. The first bust
ness of these microbes is to multiply with
great rapidty, and then invisibly and sun-
known TO their intended victim. to invade
every joint and creVice to see where even
the most minute opening in the armor can
be found.
Now that is the theory. so to speak, and
do YOU ask me 10 cite actual cases? | shall
TO guess them Sometimes, / should say
IN advance, the opening in the armor is
found in the Joint of political, ambition;
sometimes in the joint of mere material
greed and cupidity; sometimes in other
joints But If weakness there is, ii Will
surely be found, and wherever il is the
information Is communicated with more
than HShtning-llke rapidity TO just the very
persons best able and most sklfully and
deity and cleTerly 10 take advantage of it.
"A Brave Figure"
Within the period of my own recollection
there comes TO mind the image of very
brave figure. He took Office and went out
Nalantly to battle. Flags few and bands
played. The air was fun of protestati0ns,
promises and predictions That man came
into public life at a time when great things
were peculiarly possible, when it freely
predicted by some and feared doubtless by
others that the grandeSt of all conQuests
over the hosts of organized corruption
would be his. He began to lay about him
with great fervor. The air reSounded with
the impact of his strokes. The din of battle
and Of carnage was heard afar. And then
one Of these little microbes that ] have de-
Scribed whispered the secret that the val
liant leader Of the cause Of righteousness
might be fiattered by the personal associa-
ton of a few individuals of wealth and in
fuence and prestige. of the sort whose
names are familiar to the readers of the
financial and social columns of the news
papers of the day. This champion of the
people soon found himself slapped on the
back by certain celebrated gentlemen,
hailed as q good fellow, boon companion,
by them. and the same gentlemen proffered
their own backs to be slapped Familiarity
in return, pTefeTTing this treatment. natu-
rally, to that other and harsher treatment
which il had been expected that some of
them would receive. Dinners and luncheonS
and social entertainments and evenings at
the clubs with these newly made friends
began and continued. Hospitality took the
place Of hostility, and the latter was never
vigorously resumed.
OF course. this man IS no longer In office.
His name, once on every lip, is now rarely
heard. shall not mention his name, as
that would be unkihd. I would not even
present the sketch in outline, as l have.
were I at home. There some might recog-
nize it. Here his identity is not needed to
point the moral 10 the tale.