New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-08
ITTEND TO FLYNN.

In all struggles with political HUMANS such
rs the gang that is in power at Trenton, the
forces of morality are at serious disadvan'
tage owing to their want of organization and
coherent power The peculiar selfrinterest
which YIELDS together the Jersey gamblers,
which renders Tammany Hall in this city, the
Mclaughlin ring in Brooklyn and the Murphy
crowd at Albany so nearly omnip0tent, ana
which moves them all to such brazen exhibit
tons of contempt for public opinion, is lack
ing to those who occasionally rise in oppOsl-
ton. The opposition. consequently, however
fierce it may be for moment, and however
formidable it may look. is likely to grow weak
and desultory in action, to scatter its ener-
cies. and finally to squirt its life ont without
having accomplished anything permanent or
substantial. The "boodlers," gamblers and
political toughs understand this tendency, and
proceed in view of it. The despicable person
who is so deeply disgracing the State OF New
Jersey now as Speaker of its Assembly would
no more think of uttering his brutal speeches
and making his dishonest rulings than OF shoot'
ing down the opposition members, if he did
not believe, as such creatures express it. that
"the thing will soon blow over" He stands
at his desk and lies about the result OF
division, with everybody around well knowing
that he lies, and that he has enforced his own
will, or that of the gang of gamblers who put
him where he is, in open defiance of the actual
vote of the House. and he does II without
blush or tremor. His impudence and dishon-
esty are calculated. They rest on his belief
that the decent people of the State are unor-
sanzed and incompetent however numerous
they may be.
Tho Citizens League has great work in
hand and it should be performed rsolute-
ly. Its first duty is to teach Speaker Flynn
a lesson. and it should be done, no matter at
what cost, the next time he lies about 4
roll.call There is no use talking about passing
the repealers so long as a disreputabe race
track starter and ex-ginmill keeper can stand
at the Speakers desk and decide questions as
he pleases without regard to the votes. We
have had enough of this sort of deviltry in
our Legislatures. 1t is sheer revolution and
il it cannot be met otherwise it must be met
as such. If we are going to take it and put
up with it and let every bosss jackal. that
is stuck into such offices TO do the dirty
work of gamblers and boodlers. ride roughshod
over everything that sav0rS of law and de-
ccncy, we might Just as well give up the fiction
of free government.
The time is ripe for concerted. organized
and effective movement to put an end to the
evils of Guttenburg, Gloucester and the New
York poolrooms. But if the Citizens League
at Trenton shows the faintcst sign of cOwardicc
in the crisis now before it, such movement
will be rendered almost impossible. II, on the
other hand the League goes to work in the
right way, if it brings the ordcr-loving people
of tho State to full sense of their danger and
duty, if it so arouses and organizes public
opinion, sinking partisanship and ordinary po-
litcal relations completely, as TO convince legis-
latols that they must pass the repeal bills or
suffer political humiliation and public dishonor,
it will do much more than save New Jersey.
1t will open tho way to an assertion CT
moral sentiment in this city which will break
its way into the District Attorneys office and
Police Headquarters, which will bring Mr..
Nico and Superintendent Dyrnes to rcaliza-
ton of their duty, which will compel Tammany
Hall to Lift the brakes that fetter those officials
and to give up the two or three hundred thou
sand dollars that the booksellers pay annually
for protection in dcfying the law. The
Citizens League must not faltcr, and its first
| business is with Flynn.