New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-08
ms CROKER LAPSED?

HAS CROKER LAP>ED?
The truth concerning the fate OF senator
Saxton's amendment 10 the Ives Pool bill heedS
10 be told in plain, uncomproml>ing fhghSh'
Tho nooirooms have iourishcd in this city III
onon defiance of the law, because they have
been protected by Tammany Hall, and they
have been protected by Tammany Hall be-
cause they are an important source oi Lam
many revenue. They pay money Tor pfo'ec''o"
against the law to Tammany a. regular! aS
they nav rent. When Superintendent n!rheS
closed the poolrooms, less than lhol'h 'so'
there were about sixty OF them dong DuS'"eS''
During the summer there are as many Iio'e'
Taking an average throughout the year the!
run,bor abont 4 hundred. Our Investigations
of the methods BY which blackmall Is leNied Oh
these illicit places have convinced us th' ann"
$500 month is paid by each OF them 10 SONIC
hodv to be let alone The annual fund mus
collected by the dsreputable organization 'h''
miles New-IOrll from these d!srepu'aple pE'ceS
In entitlc them to break the law Is proDaoA
not less than 5000 600 All sorts OF excuses
have been made. from time to time, 10y the
nolice and the prosecuting officers Of the cry
for not doing their duty by shutting these
gambling houses and keeping them smut Imc'
were silly, puelile, dishonest excuses we
knew it and said so and when Mr.. Croker De-
came the owner of certain racing horses aliu
sought to establish himself a a turimah' ne
promptly proved that we were absolutely rSh'
in Tins characterizing these excuses, Tor III inc
twinl,lng OF an eye he shut every poolroom III
this city. and not one Is open to-day
This display Of virtue is extremely useful MOI
ONLY for the light ii throws on the ial"rr o'
the police and the District Attorney to DO 'her
du,y in the past. but also for the light II throws
ON what i, occurring now at Albany. 1t Is
uscful. too for the expressions IT extracted
from Supcrintendcnt Byrnes. to which we prom
isc him t. advert from time to time. rs occa-
.Jn makes it necessary. MI. 'foher pc'''S
yirtuous. Mr. ByrncS Published an interview
declaring that poJlsclling was forbidden by law.
that he was going 10 close the poolrooih'' ana
that he would close every one oil them ~ idS'
and a, often a il opened. lie remarked tha'
some people had said that there were influences
Lowelful enough in New-IoIk 70 pr1t ct the
poclr orns and if 80 now was the time Tor 'hehi
10 come forward and show what they c'uih 40
This was very brave ana very hphcs'-Mr'
Croker bcine yiltu0us. But there are signs
that MIR. Croker is about u lapse int stale
of sin and if he lapscs we shall see how brave
and honest Mr. ByIneS i then. Mr. CrokcrS
condition of yinue was useful. too, IN com
hitting District Attorney NicoIl. Heretofore
Mr.. Nicoll had been of the opinion that the con-
tcmptbe subtcrfuge to which the poplSeiief>
les rled in order 10 cheat the law by prc;~nd-
inc that they were doing Il commission bn>i-
ness and no, selling pools was Fatal obstacle
10 Justice. Clever. adIoi. altful ~ un4ucS-
tionally he j. Mr.. \icoll was able T. see no
possible way II cicIImvcnt the booksellers. HE
TgInrXE suggested one some scores oi times
and rs soon as Mr.. Croker went into racing
as a business and became vIrtuou>. ana per
c,,ed that poolSelllng WAS great cVIl' ana
that it was running thousands OF orr young
men. then Mr. Nicoll had new light and sud
denly discovered that the method So often >ug-
eestod to him was very good and eficacionS
indeed. What we shall he curious 10 see now
in the event Of Mr. CrolserS hp>lng, Is how
good and cficaciou, it will continue 10 be.
The SaXton amendment Is designed 10
strengthen the law and Nj. Crokcr> vinuous
resolution. Indeed. far aS that Is humanity
possible, it is intended 10 render the law lnde-
pendent Of Mr.. Cookers virl(ls resolution.
The offence of poolselling has been claSsed rs
no more than mi>demcanor This amend
ment makes it felony. 1t destroys the dis
tinction, also, which had 80 seriously cmbar-
rassed District-Aitorney Nicoll prior to the
date when Mr.. Croker began to buy racing
horses and grow yiltuons. The amendment
passed the Senate, and is pending now in the
Assembly. The Tammany Senators responded
with beautiful alacrity to Mr.. Crolcr's interests
and virtue and passed the amendment without
q mrIrmur. But there are indications that il
has struck snag in the Assembly. There are
indications that Mr.. CrOker's virtue, like Bob
Acress courage, is 'yon the Ooze." The Tam
many iinancers who have found that So 600
q wear so very convenient a part Of their rcyc-
nue., have intervencd, and have apparently con
WINGED Mr.. Croker that, however much it may
serve his interests as the proprietor Of racing
stable TO close the pOolr0Oms aS the BOss of
Tammany Hail. with lot of money to raise TO
keep things going he cannot afford to do it.
Assisting this argument is that ordinarily ap-
piled by people of the class to which the pool
sellers belong, to defend their menaccd in
tercsts at Albany. Between the two the Sax
ton amendment seems likely to fall. III it
does, it will be an outrage and a shame, as
Infamous as the victory of the gamblers at
Trenton. Still we have Mr.. Byrnes's dcclara-
ton that he will do his duty though the heavens
fall. his invitation to these who think they can
protect the booksellers to come on and try a
wrcstle with him, and We have Mr.. Nic0lIs
announcement that he now sees how the com
mission artifice can be overcome. This is some
thing-or nothing; we may sec which.