New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-04
MAYOR GIANTS TESTIMONY.

NN~N-~--~"-s
fore the Senate investigating Committee yes
terday, it is impossible to blame Mayor Grant
for the course he has pursued since the wit
ness Mccain told his story week ago. Able
70 DENY so little and forced to confess so much
il is no wonder he has shirked the ordeal and
begged for friendly committee. The evidence
of Yesterday may be summed up in single
sentence-where McCanns charges rest solely
ON McCann's own word the Mayor meets him
with point-blank denials, but where the facts
are known TO other persons than McCann the
Mayor makes substantial confessions. OF
course he tries to put bold face upon the
affair. He surrounds each admission with cir
cumstances which are intended to make 1t
creditable. But it is difficult to suppose that
even Mayor Grant can imagine that the pub
lie will Believe the preposterous tale he tells
about his presents to Crokers infant child.
McCann's charge is that in order to obtain the
office of Sheriff, Grant promised to divide its
proceeds with Croker, and that he actually did
so by handing envelopes containing $1,000
each to Cookers baby daughter until he had
paid Croker altogether $4,000; that this
money. bride for an Office, was used by Gro
ker to pay of a mortgage then resting on his
house and that these facts were communicated
70 the witness by Mrs. Croker.
MAYOR Grants answer is denial of so much
as he can deny and an admission Of so much
as he must admit. lie says he gave the child
not So, 000 but 81 900; that he gave it in
the way described by McCann; that he gave
it while he was Sheriff but, although he had
only known Croker about three years, and al
though this child was then less than three years
old. he claims that he gave il as present 10
her and because he was her godfather, and he
denies that there was any bargain between
him and Croker. He has no explanation to
make why he did not put the money into
trust. nor does he say what he thought baby
that could scarcely walk was going to do with
$4,000. He says it given in order TO
make provision for his godchild, and yet he
left it so that it might be spent, as Mccain
saws. Oh Mrs Crokcr's authority. it actually was
spent long before it could be of service to the
child In Mrs. Cookers absence the public =
left TO choose which Of these two tales it thinks
the more probable. 1t will not fail TO keep in
mind the fact that Croker and Grant are Tam
many politicians of the regular give-and-take
sort. that the one was the Tammany boss and
the other chronic ofiice-seeker. Nor will
it fail to inquire whether in the relation OF
sponsor there is anything which calls for such
enormous gifts to tOddling babies and, if there
is, whether it is natural to make them in the
shape Of roll of bills given as one would
give tin rattle or painted Punch.
The only things that Mr.. Grant could deny
about McCann's story of the fund raised 10
promote his candidacy for the Commissioner
ship of Public Works are his own contribution
and the fact Of his candidacy. These denials he
makes unreServedly. lie is safe enough in doing
so. If he gave any money to such fund, he
did it secretly, and the value of his testimony
upon this point, and also with regard to the
admissions Mccain said he made concerning
his relations to the Broadway railroad lTbcricS,
is to be judged in the light Of the entire cX-
posure Mccain tells these stories with a cir
cumstance and detail that are simply idiOtic ii
he is lying and the fact that so much of what
he has revealed is shown TO be true, together
with the fact that the members OF Crokers
own family may be summoned to refutc him, if
they can, is as strongly coniirmatlve OF his
evidence as it is damaging to Grants.
The people of Newly DIRK want the truth
about this business so far as it can be got at.
II is evident that the Tammany chiefs are
afraid to summon Mrs. Croker and Mrs. Me
Cam, and it is equally plain that the commit
tees counsel for reasons best known to them
selves are in no hurry to do So This situa-
ton can only excite public curiosity, and we
feel compelled to say that justice requires that
their evidence shall be produced as promptly
as possible. This scandal has gone far beyond
the limits of a family affair and the light they
can throw upon it is much needed As it
stands, it is McCanns word against Grants
with all the circumstances and many important
facts bearing strongly in support of Mccain.
1t is proved that New York has an incompetent,
ignorant and unworthy Mayor. So much is
beyond dispute But there arc numerous queS-
tons to be answered before the public can
know how far his unworthiness has gone and
who of possibly many are involved in it,