New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-02
MAYOR GRANT IN EXTREMIS.

Il
In characterzing Mayor Grants letter to the
State Senate as gross impertincncc' SEN
ator Fassett spoke with much moderation That
NAV be pardoncd in a man who finds himself
reduced to the extremity in which such letter
must have been written. Mr.. Grant is the
Navor of New ork, and, as he urges, some
thing is due TO his "eXalted Office" but we
feel bound to say that that letter was written
bv a guilty man or an utterly foolish one, or
both. Does he suppose that by an angry snari
at Senator FaSsett he can shift the public
gaze. concentrated through these disclosures
upon himself and his associates in the Tam
many ring? The charge is that he unlawfuy
extorted over $4,000 from the public while
he was Sheriff, and he admits It's truth Inc
charge is that he gave $50, 900 to a corruption
fund raised to secure his confirmation as Com
missioner of Public Works. The charge Is
that he divided the proceeds of his ONCE as
sheriff with Richard Croker, the 1ammany
Boss. Is Mr.. Grant fool enough to think that
these charges are met by letter alleging that
Senator Fassett is not friendly judge?
What serene mpudence 1t almost inclincs
one TO believe that Grant is as blind to moral
considerations as the Aldermen his ring turns
out and that he shares their theory OF their
inherent right TO plumber the pubic ana OF
their further right to /" friendly Judge Inc
Eassctt Committee comes down here ana sets
honestly at work examining the government
Tammany has been giving us. 1t discovers
what we all knew any honestly directed probe
would discover-a nasty nest OF corrupuoh'
Mr.. Grant appears by the disclosures 10 be the
biggest bug III the nest, and when things De-
come so embarrassing that he doesn't know
how or what TO do, he tells the senate 'hal
the committee they have sent down here Is 4
hostile committee and won't they please send
him n nice. friendly one, sure to keep It's eyes
shut and its probe in It's pocket
This is. as Mr. Fassett said, grossly i'm
pertinent. but perhaps that was hot The way III
which Grant meant it. Senator FaSsett must
remember that he comes from the country
where public officials are lea to look on eA-
tortion and bribery as wrong. Grant comes
from Ncw-York City, which is the property of
the Tammany Trust. and politicians here are
educated 10 believe that the public is taxed IN
order to furnish plumber for them, and that 1t
is Tammany mans first duty to graD al he
can. They are given to understand that the
Penal Co1e is a joke, and that when they graz
clumsily and get found out, they will have a
friendly prosecutor or friendly Judge ana the
thing will soon be smoothed over. These are
the views taught by Tammany Hall, and rs
lower orders know no other gospel. We had
supposed. however that Mr.. Grant was Suill-
GENTLY pcrcep,ivc 20 see that the honest people
Of the State dissent from them, and that pril-
dcnce requires him in his present situation to
simulate virtues even if he be devoid OF them.
What does it matter to Mayor Grant, II he
lis an innocent man. whether the committee Is
hostile or not? The courts of the state are
omen 10 his complaints. If perjured evidence
has been adduccd against him, the Grand jury
will promptly indict the perjurcr. The law
gives him ample remedy. TO pretend that the
committee wronged him by not notifying him
TO appear at its last session, when every news
paper reader knew that evidence was expected
bearing heavily against him, is obvious hum
bug If Mr.. Grant magineS that any one i
deceived by the transparent folly which he
and his counsel committed in stopping away
and then in raising the point that they were
not notified, he has an amazingly low concep-
ton of the publics intelligence. That letter
looks like the production of guilty man III
the last ditch who feels that his only hope is to
throw out false signals.