Spoils! Spoils! Spoils!

New York, 1895

Assemblyman Vacheron is likely to prove a very expensive representative of the people of Queens County. His interpretation of public duty is apparently the creation of offices and devising of schemes to put money into the pockets of individuals at the expense of the tax-payers. His latest move in this direction is the introduction of a bill to provide for the appointment of a commissioner of jurors in Queens County at a salary of $3,000 per annum. His bill vests the appointing power in a board consisting of the County Judge. Sheriff and District Attorney, and provides that the concurrent act of any two shall be a legal appointment.

The County Judge and the Sheriff are Republicans, and this means that another office is to be created for the poverty stricken members of the Republican party, whereby the spoils-man can be taken care of and allowed to feed at the public crib. From the Republican point of view, this is no doubt highly commendable, but the cry on the part of such organs as the Standard, that never loses an opportunity to blackguard the honest and economical members of the board of Supervisors, and to blackguard the Democratic public officials who audit honest bills, in view of the action of such men as Vacheron savors largely of hypocrisy.

There is no need in Queens County for a commissioner of jurors. For years past and at the present time, the County Clerk has drawn the list of names for pettit and grand juries, and there never has been a claim, or charge, or hint, or suggestion, that the County Clerk has not faithfully performed such duty. The list of grand jurors is made up by the board of Supervisors, and the list of pettit jurors is made by the various town boards. While it is true that in some instances men have been summoned as jurors who were not among those most competent to serve, still, if there were any criticism to be made on such account, such criticism should be made against the person charged with the duty of preparing the list from which such jurors are drawn. It is possible that Vacheron hoped to create an office for himself, although we do not believe that County Judge Garretson would lend himself to any such scheme.

The bill provides that the commissioner of jurors to be appointed shall prepare the list of names of the jurors. If a Republican is appointed, as undoubtedly a Republican would be, and the same partisanship should characterize his action as has characterized the Republican party since they have been in power in this county, it would mean substantially that Republicans could violate the criminal law with the absolute assurance that the jury would acquit, and it would further mean that a tremendous power would be placed in the hands of one man to wreak political vengeance upon his opponents. On the score of economy alone, however, the bill is a bad bill and should be killed, but we frankly say that the only hope of defeating this vicious measure is in Senator Childs. It is possible that the party whip will be cracked, and Senator Childs be induced to allow this bill to pass the Senate, but we earnestly hope that in this instance he will show the independence that has so far characterized his action in the present legislature, and refuse to sacrifice the interest of the tax-payers at the dictate of party managers. The Republican party has many sins to answer for, and when the tax-payers get their bills in the fall, and wonder why it is that their taxes are largely increased, they can obtain a sufficient answer by examining the records of the present legislature. For the first time in the history of the county the people have been cursed by representatives, some of whom are apparently unable to distinguish between duty to their constituents and self aggrandizement. Mr. Vacheron's capacity for mischief is apparently unlimited, but we believe that with the expiration of his present term his public career will end in the oblivion it so richly deserves.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, April 12, 1895, p. 2.