New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-30
FEES AND FAVORS,
SHERIFF'S TAUNT
Grifeniagen Declares Git
liens Union Leader Is IN
der Obligation to Smith.
SAYS ENDORSEMENT
IS TIE REWARD
Democratic Nominee Challenged
to Say if Tammany Will Share
in Earnings Of Office.

Until last nights meeting n Pacific
Hall everything was quiet yesterday in
the feud between the Citizens Union
and Sheriff Max Gr!fenhagen. No salvos
recfii.ng the unions Enforcement Of
81 Smith for the Office OF Sheriff had
ma.ccd the calm o. the Gay, but at the
gathei.rg place IN tho heart OF Smiths
Assembly district me Sner.f opened
up his howitZers. using as ammunition
letter written hy Henry l.. Stoddard
to William !. Schofelin. chairman OF
the union. which told that he would not
contribute.
Grifenhagen declared that Smiths in
dorsement had come as the result Of
favors he had done for leader OF the
union at Albany The Sheriff followed
with q charge that "a former Tammany
Hall Sheriff Of this county" retained
only small part of his earnings, turn
ing the res: over TO somebody N Four
'centh Street.
Asks About Legislation.
"Information ma. come 20 me to.
day" he went on, which leads me 20
believe that an inves LEGATION o. the
&
which was either enacted on defeated
in furthe-ancc of an interest with
which a prominent member Of he Citi-
zens Union ;s connected. wonder
whether that had anything 10 do with
the Endorsement OF Al Smith by the
Citizens Union
The Stoddard letter to Mr.. Schiefelin
told that the writer was forced 10 de-
cline 70 contribute to the unions cam
paign fund.
II must do this" Mr.. Stoddard said,
"for .he reason that every dollar eX-
pended in a campaign that includes the
election of Al Smith is a dollar con
tributed against the bes' interests OF
the community Your organization mas
indorsed the Smith candidacy. though
| am Glad 20 know that your member
shin does not follow you. | have long
been in cordial sympathy with the
purposes of the Citizens Union. and !
realize fully that even in the best or
CARNATIONS mistakes must at times oc-
cur.
II would like to ask you as president
of the Citizens Union how your or
ganization can profess desire TOR
economy in city government and at the
same rme indorse candidate Tor
Sheriff who deliberately ignores the re-
port of Commissioner Of Accounts
Wallstein to the effect that the fee
system should be abolished IN the
Sherifr's office.
These ices have averaged over 500
900 year for ten years past. The
Sheriff has retained them in addition
70 the sl2.500 salary he receives.
"Of course. such compensation for d
sheriff IT, rank extravaganza. Mr.. Bow
ers. the Republican candidate, has
stated that, if elected, he will return
/ the fees to the county. Such course
would make it impossible for any fu-
ture Sheriff to accept them.
al Smith. on the other hand, re-
mains silent on this question. An an
swer cannot be ferreted out OF him.
Yet the Citizens Union indorses him.
This year, however, it is apparent that
some one in your organization has
Numbered -blundered badly-or else
deliberately misled you. Perhaps the
atmosphere at Albany has become too
congenal for some of your observers.
Surely. for some unaccountable reason,
YOU have taken a most amazing course
81 must. therefore, ask to be excused
from contributing"