New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-03
THE GAMBLER IN Politics.

THE GAMBLER IN POLlIICS
That ia what We have come to. We have
almost given up the gentleman, and the scholar
exists only in vague expectation, when we are
brought face to face with the gambler. TAM
many Hall has thrust greatness upon John
Morrissey by pushing him from its doors, and
the retired prize-iighter and gOod-natured
gambler looms up as threatening
figure in our local politics that may
even cast its shadow on the Nation
al Convention. The Christian statesman
has had his day, and the stage waits for the
uudiscuised heather, fresh from the faro-tabe
and still surrounded with faint aroma OF the
sawdust ring There is the echo of chips about
him and something like arenlinIsccnce OF green
baize in the corner of his eye. The beauty OF
it all is that he comes as refOrmer. Comes
rs q reformer, whose only business is to degrade
and corrupt comes as a friend to the WOrklhS-
man, who probably never did an honest day
work in his life; comes rs political economist
of the Paris. though not of the Philadelphia
school, who thinks the Government owes every
man governed living. There has been moth
ing of late years so cxquisiteIy humorous As
the debut of an idle gambler as the patron OF
honest poverty and arcbel against the poiltical
domination of Tammany Hall. One thing must
be said, however. There is no hypocrisy about
this Heather Statesman. H. assumes no VIZ
ines that he has not. And there Is nothing III
his bearing of which a straightforward pugil-
ist or fair-de;ling farO-banker need be
ashamed. lie does not deny his past or conceal
his present. in fact he is apparently proud of
both. Neither. threatens to injure his standing
IL a ia oil
to find him at the head.
But even MOlIis-ey must not be NAL
treated. While under the code OF civil
rights as administered by the police, citi-
zen has fewer rights than a gambler, politl-
cally he is his equal. Mr.. Peter Cooper or DIR.
John Hall has just as much right to place III
or politics as Mr.. MOrrissey. And about Mr..
Morrisscy's right there cannot be much question.
a gambler, he represents tho gambler class,
and yindicatcs in his own burly person the
principles of representative government that
the fathers fought to establish. The
fountain cannot rise higher than Its
source. Vice will delegate the vicious;
corruption, the corrupt; ignorance, the igno-
rant. Thieves prefer 10 be represented by
thieves, and criminals will inevitably seek to
swell the influence Of crime. If MorriSseys
were in a majority, there would be govern
mcnt of Molrisseys, and it would not be Il
representative government If it were not.
They are not to he extcrminated or explained
away they are somewhere below the surface.
and they have right to come to the top. And
come to the top they will. as long as there are
corner grogshop-kccpcrs who want to go to
tho Legislature, or farO-bankers who long to
add to their names the American degree of
"Boss" Nor il this ambition so presunptuous
as it might seem. The tendencies Of politics
in recent years have hardly been such as to
make morality prerequisite to a nomination,
or to discourage the corrupt and dissOlue
from a political career. Tweed called himself
Systematically should not Morrissey be
Boss Both spring from the same stratum,
except, perhaps, that saving your neighbours
house from the flames Is a more honorable
pursuit than punching your neighbours nose.
And both are opponents of the spnit that
has ruled at Washington more mildly than in
New-YOrk There is as much humiliation in
the spectacle of a Boss in the one city keep
ing the conscience of the President rs Of u
MOrlissey in the other seeking to ride into
power on the cry of reform. Butlcrism out
Butlcred is Batter STILL but may be even a
better than Butler A man who will pay for a
handsome plum of Credit Mobilier stock with
fivc-cent piece is much smaller animal than the
man who run, gambling game and deals bis
cards fairly and man who sweals to lies
much more ignoble than the man who has
a reputation for telling The truth, and does not
deny that lie used to punch heads for liv-
ing. Mr. Morrissey has this advantage over
the rascals who have been swarming about in
politics and crawling into some high places
that all his evil deeds are open, and above
board in more senses than one. Courage
will always win respect. Room FOR the gam
bier!