Year: 1871




Hall win be lis law to the end or the session. Now
this may be all very true, nut there Is such q thing
as enforcing q law in such way that those who
have to submit to II only do while they bde their
time to throw OF the yoke and declare themselves
free TO do as they please. Tammany may find out
this to ner cost before the session Is over If she
does not have little consideration for the indi-
vldual wishes OF many Of the members whose in
fuence can be made hurtTul, even though they may
not live and have their being within that charmed
circle called


THE .'R,Na,n


and the new Tax ievy may prove the rock against
which she win dash herself TO pieces ! know very
wen thar there VIII be found any number OF people
10 pooh-pooh this idea; but the fact will remain all
the same for all that. Let me tell you why. In
years past the old system OF making up the Tax
levy, though 1t had, Ike many other public measures,
very srievous drawbacks, was popular one with
every member OF a majority whether it was repub.
lican or democratic The reason OF its popularity
needs very little explanation. Aside from The TACT
that each member felt that he had say In the mat
tel OF telling taxpayers what expected OF them
every year to make the city government machinery
work well, he had his own private ends to serve.
Whenever II came up IL always brought With ii


Az lNSuMERABLE Lor or JOBS,


sandwiched In between new laws and amendments
OF old laws that Just ana equitable. These
.joss'' were, however, not so deity hidden that a
Keen opIostlonist might not detect them but the
hurry a.id Hurry amid which the levy ever made lis
appearance the keen oppoStIonist who could have
dragged them into daylight, was occupied loo much
with mis- own petty schemes in other quarters TO at
tend TO all that needed exposure. Had friend OF
some politician sinecure In some public office ana
his position had never been legallzed. what was
easier than to pay him his salary, by the politician
having the necessary paragraph slowed away In the
Tax levyf DID somebody do favor ior Assembly
@ next Year. and and line G approprsiing 81 $4,000 a1S
or $4,000 to the clerk of some board or
other whom the regular clerks had never heard tell
OF, made all things right in the long Now TINS
being the state OF affairs under the old system IL can
easily be imagined what terrible loss The new
mode OF making UP the levy VIII be to the members
OF the Leg stature and their powerful backers at
home. In fact. 1t cuts on halr The power Of their
OF their influences IN circles worth conciiiating and


An uNPRoFIrABLE SPECULATION


for dozens Of them country as well as city. Is IL
any wonder, then, that tile ring" project eXcltes
bitter comment and threatens stornt How could
to legslate for, the good Of the State at
three dollars day, pays I'VE for his board,
| own bank for that wherewitn TO do as others dor
Indeed, IL could not be otherwise, and more espe-
caIiy as she he has ,he supremest contempt for what
| people call good name. and does not believe tina:
he who steals his purse steals trash Yet comes the
| question: WIN the bill not pass The question Is
1 certainly hard one 10 answer. The bill may not
pass, but, 1t should, II Will be because very large
| number OF members who now lnveigh against it
among themsel es win have been whipped into lIne
by the most powerful kind Of coercion, and not be-
cause they approve Oft at heart v one were Judge
from the way the talk runs now among the mem.
bers the bill would seem not to have the ghost Of a
chance Of getting through the lower House, but,
you know, the powers that be have encountered
more than one obstacle in the way of their ambition
before to-day, and have always known how TO over
come every one. Besides,


THE FATE OF THE YOUNG DEMOCRACY


still stares the grumb in the face, and they vince
whenever they think OF IL. To be sure II they should
band together strong enough to defeat the bil they
as far as their individual Jobs are concerned The
old tax levy system would stl be their own special
cesspoo OF corruption, sand consequently OF great
prOt. and they would have the satisfaction of wrest
ing from four men power which they had always
before, each and every one a bargaining say in the
sweet dispensing OF. But linen their political here
arter Tne uncertainty OF that may indeed make
towards OF them all content to suffer the ills they
have rather than court those future they have
pretty good idea Of already. cur once whipped,
you know, always fears the rod.


SCENE.


There was quite an exciting tine Of it in tho
lower House this morning that lrrepresabe White
OF the rumpus. When the question was sprung
upon the House few days ago II got every body by
wirepullers became hopeiessly muddled to the
merits and demerfs OF the mater It was quite
NATURAL therefore, when 1t poked Its head into the
regular order Of the proceedings again to-day, that
everybody was on the qW rfUe to how the battle
would end. Buck, of New York, fired the frst shot
by putting IN the claims or the Committee on Com
merce and Navigation to take the whole question
under It's wings. and then Delano of Essex, rose
nents OF the motion, until Weed. OF Clinton, could
stand it no longer. To say when he rose to speak
that he talked loudly, and waxed mercer ana fercer
THE NEW ENGLAND GANG,n


who were at the Essex mans back would fall far
short OF the stunning reality. 1ben Alvord took
hand in the squabble and, after trying TO explain
what kind OF thing the bill which mad given rise
10 the discussion really was wound up By politely
informing the green gentleman from Greenen that
he declined TO argue with him, because he did not
know what he was talking about This compll-
ment set the galleries Ia roar and brought S,een-
burgn TO his feet. He looked as mad as a pored
bull, and attempted TO tell Avord he knew thing or
two, when the Speakers gavel ruled MIN into SIT
ting posture. The fun had now begun In downright
earnest Weed saw his chance and went Tor 1t; and
Dclano too at the same time But it was all or no
use; the cry grew louder and loud er for the reading
OF the bul, which the railroad folks wanted to
smash. Weed ventured 10 explain. Il was
the company 10 increase Their rate or fare and
terry across Lake Cnampatn,n he sald and then he
out OF breath, with the resolutions which had been
presented the day before to take the consideration
OF the subject out OF his committees hands ''Read
them, read them ~ was the cry from all sides that
greeted his arrival Deano saw his opportu-
nity ana again poured volley into Clinton county,
..Do you mean to say was member OF thel over
House IN 1897 yelled Weed Dclano took his
seat II mean" was The scathing reply that You
drew up the bill OF '6s and that you we're Il member
of what Is commonly known as


THE THIRD HouSP.'


Had ten-inch shell fallen AM exploded In the
midst OF the Assembly the excitement could not
have been greater than that which followed this
daring charge The members Jumped 70 their feet
ny sCOIts dt d tliue INC OuiuSlOn Was bcrI1De. a
personal encounter between the debaters seemed
immuent But again did the Speakers gavel que
the tumult. Weed got the Boor. He was pale as q
ghost, as he fercey brushed his long hair back
from his forehead, aud fairly trcmblcd with
suppressed rage. IL WAS Delano's turn to vince
now. :" You have gone beyond the dignity OF man
and gentleman, and YOU have stated what you
know 10 be faiseto be false, slr,' ne cried. Weed
sat down. and DelaDo rose and simply remarked,
+" A certain piece OF property mas something to do
with this question: and then, after pause, he
adde's, al don't want thus matter In the hands or
tie Railroad Committee. One OF its most dstin-
guished members told me yesterday that the COM
was on his feet In an instant "His name ~ he
cried; 'who ls he who has right to speak for this
committee Pr Al won't reveal it," replied Delano
che can reveal lnmself If he wants tor Then up
jumped Irving. pem6er OF the committee, his eyes
liashing with anger ~ don't believe that any mem
claimed This was


THE NI1E DIRECT,


but DelanO rcmaiuel ~ passive q lamb, mo.