Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-06-27
D|XON'S HARANGUE.
Politics Preached From
His Pulpit.
HOT SHOT FOR TAMMANY.
It is Referred to as a Powerful Body
Of Criminals"

New YORK, June "a - Rev. Thomas
Dixon, Jr., under bail pending trial on a
charge Of lioellng Excise Commissioner
Koch from his pulpit. made statement
yesterday, ny prelude to his sermon, OF
some facis In the official record OF Mr..
Koch, upon which the so-called libellous
sentences were based. Mr.. Dixon referred
to sworn testimony and the decisions OF
supreme court judges bearing against
Koch. and said:
''Koch was simply the catspaw of Mayor
Grant, and Tammany was trying to
throttle the free speech Of the pulpit Of
New York" Mr. Dixon, continuing. said:
"Koch found in Grady judge whose
opinion he was willing for the public to
hear When the farce at the court was
ended, the complaint was railroaded down
to the district attorneys Office In few
hours. The indictment was drawn in few
hours and hurried to the grand jury.
"Why this extraordinary haste' Is
such haste usual In New York; l found
out when got in the jury room. Not sus-
pecting job, foolishly asked the privi-
lege to make statement. For public
show they allowed me to enter. The fore
man, however, drew q line at any evidence
in justification or excuse of alleged libel.
learned subsequently that this foreman
was Frank Higgins.
A Tammany Hall Heelcr.
This same grand jury dismissed eight in
dictmenss sent In through DR.. Parkhurst's
secretary, while IL took them only three
minutes to find an indictment against me
for words which occurred In public de-
fense Of DIR. Parkhurst and his work
"Tammany Hall is the most powerful
coterie of organized criminals that ever
dominated the life Of any civilization. IL
makes and unmakes judges and juries. II
feeds and breeds on vice and crime. With
merciless iron heel 1t crushes the weak
and intimidates the half-hearted and de-
fies the strong. 1t Is the one whitening,
blasting curse OF our city's life, damning
with the hot breath Of corruption and
dishonor every ramiiication Of our body
polite. Like fostering cancer 1t Is
literally eating the heart out OF the honor
OF our ambitious young manhood.
"If it be true that the life Of q minister
of the gospel Is not safe, who dares seri-
ously to attack Tammany Hall. then In
the name of the Almighty God II Is time
the world knew II. BY birth. tradition
and association as a southern man, am
Democrat and voted that national ticket
In the last election. But tSo democracy
learned in my old native state meant hon.
esty and integrity and decency. A south
ern Democrat cannot affiliate with Tam
many Hall without first lowering the
standard of his manhood and
Selling Hts Soul to the Devil.
81 take this occasion to warn the ma
tional Democracy that Tammany Hall Is
load it cannot carry longer. Before the
party comes before the~p alton to win an
other victory. II will first have to kick
Tammany out of its back door and turn
on the hose pipe. After trying to destroy
the state of New York, they come sneak
ing back from Chicago saying they will
support the ticket They lie They come
back with honey on their lips, treachery
in their: hearts and knives In their boots.
They will do in November what they have
done before, and spend another four years
in trying to lie out OF 10.
"The difference between the present
regime Of Tammany Hall and that OF its
founder, william M. Tweed, is the differ
ence between the ethics OF bunco steerer
aud highway robber. II the slippery
godchildren Of William NJ. Tweed believe
they can intimidate this pulpit, let them
take this notice-they have made q mis-
taka ~