New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-16
TIE DEAD LINE.

Precisely how far the organization which
rules this town can @ with impunity III It's
impositions uron a good -natured and easy
going public is not yet known. The dead line
has not been defined There must be limit
somewhere but our rulers give no indications
of s,,ppcsing that they are anywhere reaching
it. or that it is even in sight. Tammany Hall
has so fastened itself upon the town. so spread
out its ten,acIcs in all directions, laying hold
of everything within reach by which it can
strengthen and maintain itself, that to cry ont
seems almost mockcry. and to struggle against
il ONLY waste Of strength in hopeless under
taking. With almost unlimited power over the
great corporations which are either located here
or have here important business connections, 1t
is able to levy tribute to any extent it may see
fit upon an enormous aggregate OF capital. By
its control of the police, the excise and the
judiciary it reaches into every saloon and dive,
every gambling house, poOlroom and brothcl,
and takes regular toll in the form of fixed
assessments from the classes who derive their
livelihood from immortality, lawleSSncss and
crime. The idle and vicious are It's natural
allies and willing supporters the tlmld
wealthy. Conscious of lis power over then IN
ycstments fear to refuse contributions or OPP
pose its will and the well-t0-do are willing TO
let it have its way with the official positions
and the money of the taxpayers so long As they
themselves do not feel the immediate pressure
CT misgovernment in their occupations or at
their homes.
No fraud in elections, no rough riding over
the will of the voter is expressed ut the polls,
stirs the public mind. Failures to bring GRIM
nd COLL in tria
interference by Tammany Judges with the
course of justice in open violation of law, Grim
inal slJth and negligence i'll all departments
and the assumption by one mana private
citizen holding no Office and having no Official
r, sp -nsibllty-of die. atorial power over munic-
ipal administration and State legisatlon-a
these things happen and there is scarcely sign
that the public, the great burden bearing. easy
going public, considers it unusual state OF
things or is much disturbed by it. Affairs have
not quito reached the pass they were in when
Mr. Tweed answered the complaints Of mis-
government with the famous snccr. ell,
what are you going 10 do about it?' Mr.
Croker is much more discreet man than his
predecessor and it may be, to-. that he has
learned something from that statesmans cX-
perence The difference between the Tam
many of Tweeds time and Mr. Crokcrs Tam
many is not much. 1t consists largely in the
fact that the crimes which were committed
boldly and almost openly in Twccd's time and
audaciously Haunted in the pubic's face arc
done now with moro Of subtley and ndirec-
ton, and with lingering heed for possible
Consequences lesson learned from the fate
of the old Tammany chief. Tweed thought
there was no dead line. Mr.. Croker suspects
there may be- and feels his way toward it.
Is there dead line? Possibly by -and-by.
when in the heats of summer the fruits Of
Tammany administration begin to be gathered
from the fostering foulncss with which this
island reeks, and the stalking pcstlcnce passes
the feeble outposts set up by the incompetent
Jenkins TO ravagc the land, there will be some
thing like an uprising against the organization
which adds to its long catalogue of crimes
against property. against morals and against
law the last crime against human life. The
dead line against Tammany may be drawn
then But from the manner in which the
ganzation upholds the Street Cleaning Depart
ment and tries to foitify jenkins in his place. it
would seem that there is no fear Of IT. no notion
that any outrage upon property, health or
human life can arouse the people.