Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-10-13
CHAPTER viii.

WHAT En- WIZ
A Quiet Meeting Of the Dictators.
Early in the new year, at the in
stance of Haldane, meeting of the
inner circle Of the governing body,
popularity known as THE Ring" was
called at his private residence on up
per Fifth avenue, which he very un-
obtrusively reoccupied for the occa-
sion. The meeting was held late at
night. The men summoned thereto
came up town quietly and unostenta-
tiously slipped into the house.
For many reasons Haldane's rela-
ton to the Sachem society was care
fully concealed. He represented
distinct group of financiers and bust
ness interests whose relations with
the party in power were most init
mate. These relations in some in
stances were suspected, but their &C.
tuality had not been allowed to trans
pire. Haldane kept in constant touch
with Liffey the boss; but no one, save
the inner circle. suspected that the
two were hand in glove together.
Haldane did not often meet with
anyone but Liffey. In this instance,
however, he at least appreciated the
gravity Of the situation, and had di-
rected Liffey to bring with him those
whose advice wound naturally be
sought on such. subjects as he desired
to discuss. He had also assembled two
of the directors of the Gotham Freight
Traction company, to wit, Van Slyke
and Mcdonald, men associated with
him upon whose judgment and ability
he could rely. In addition to them
came Litfey. grand chief Of the Sa-
chem society and the acknowledged
and undisputed boss Of the party;
Cornell, the chief of police; Ruther-
ford, the district attorney; Habber-
ley, the street commissioner; and last
and also least, Hon. Peter d. Warren,
mayor of the city.
Liffey, as leader of the Great
Sachem society, controlled the or
ganization absolutely. The chief of
police welded the vast powers for
graft Of that remarkable organization.
The district attorney. through whose
hands all criminal prosecutions must
pass, was the safety valve of both
the Sachem society and that portion Of
the people to which It looked for sup
port The street commissioner, who
had at his disposal more appointments
than all the rest of the administration
put together, used them primarily for
the good of the party and after that
for cleaning the streets.
The mayor, the ostensible head but
really the servant Of the quartet, was
there because of his office, and he was
| in Office because he could be con-
trolled. From the point Of view Of
the men present, he was the best
mayor that New York had ever
had. He was a man of some parts.
He could make brilliant speech, pre-
side gracefully and with dignity at
public meetings, and was altogether
an admirable figure to head great
city In everything bat morals.
Associated with these four intensely
practical men and this plant, willing
fgurehead were the interests repre-
sented by the Gotham Freight Trac-
tion company, Of which Haldane was
in absolute control, although the presi-
dency was vested in another man. The
interests of Haldane and his asso-
ciates were not confined to the
Gotham Freight Traction company.
They had their hands on every public
franchise. Their private affairs, of
course, were vast and multiform; but
with them we have nothing to do.
Their alliance with the political party,
for which they had paid and would
continue to pay enormous sums,
had brought them very material
advantages in one form or an
other. ALI the trusts that make
New Jersey their headquarters hardly
equaled in wealth and control the
organizations these men represented.
Haldane, from his one interview
with Gormly, had an idea that in this
instance the two forces to be dread
ed by the ring were incarnated in
Gormly and would rally about Gormly.
Now, of course, everyone of those
present had read Gormly's startling
announcements of his candidacy. Most
Of them had read them with amuse-
ment; only the most PRESIDENT with
any feeling of alarm, and even that
feeling was not sufficiently deep to
have awakened any special degree of
anxiety. Yet the fact that each one
had been summoned to Haldane's
house, the politicians through Lifey
and the financiers through Haldane
himself. rather startled them.
The eight men. assembled in tho