New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-03
MP P4RKHURST Is All RICHIE

Di,trict-Attoney Nicoll undoubtedly imagincs
that he has been indicated in the eyes OF this
community by the prSentmcnt of the Grand
Jury last Tuesday. But we hazard the state
mcnt that he is mistaken; that the Grand jury :
prescntment hurt themselves, helped him not in
the least and did no injury whatever to Dr. Park
hurst Nor did it in the smallest degree lessen
the faith Of the public in the essentials OF his
charges There was not a single name among
the Grand Jurors that carried with II much
weight in this community. and OF their statement
the public will say that while it may be true IN
words it was not true in sense and that il would
have been much better left unsaid.
Ii may be strict justice to say OF MIR. Nicol
that he is doing in the District Attorneys office
as well as any official chained to Tammany Hall
could do. And perhaps Dr. lSrkhurSt went
little too far in the particular statements he male
of this particular man. But the injustice he
NAV have done Mr.. NicOll was small and lncon-
scuueniial in comparison with tho good he did
10 the community by his courageous exposure oi
the shameless corruption which exists through
out the city government. and if 1t was proper
for the Grand Jury to say that Mr. Nlcol dd
his duty in the case Of MdilOy, It was highly
improper for them to strike At Dr. Parkhur>t or
to try TO discourage outspoken criticisms ot tho
evils and corruption OF Tammany government
DR. Parkhurst and those who act with him should
receive the strongest encouragement and the
most jealous cooperation Of all good citizens.
II is perfectly true that the District Attorncy ;
Office. the Police Department. the Mayor OF the
city and the Police Courts are directly and in
dviduay responsible for tho innumerable the
audacous and the continuous violations OF the
laws against gambling and other diSordcry
houses. Nobody whose eyes are open and who
walks the streets can for one moment doubt that
some police caCtlns, police detectives rounds
men and pa,rolmcn must be shamcl,"sly corrupt
or utterly incompetent; and We know they are
not incompetent. Every one knows that tho
Police Commissioners and the Di>trc,-Attonoy
can shut every faIo-bank, every poplrOm and
every di,rcputablc resort in this city to-day,
and can keep them shut 10 the end Of time, II
they desire to do it. and that the present laws
are entirely sufficient for this purpose. The
mere fact that thcs-e places exist in the number
they do is Of itself proof that they are pro
,cctcd" by foul system Of blac>naing Every
body knows that these blac!tmailing collections
do not go only or in comparatively large meas
ure 70 individual police officers. but that they
are the greatest source of Iammany Halls po-
litica revenues. and that they are levied SySt2-
matcally and collected regularly. This is why
Mr. Nicoll docs not close these places, and he
knows it, This is why the police officers never
see them. and they know il. The whole city
government, created by the machine which feeds
from this putrid source, is tainted from top to
bottom and every man in it knows the fact
DR.. Parkhurst has the honor, the confidence,
the respect of this community. and these cannot
be taken from him by any Grand Jury that Tam
many Hall can summon TO tell half-truths in its
corvico