New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-10
,-,rJTING TAMMANY.

FITTING TAMMANY
ro, tbirgs arc more discouraging to those
,o,,,d ike TO think that universal suffrag
s,ooo.s than the circumstance, often
:n.,'.r,tod that when wrong has become ac-
a,,,,I;sbod the people accept its results sub
m;ssivcy. The supremacy OF the Democrat.
,,ocbinc in this State and OF Tammany liali
:, This civ continues only because the people
,ro 50 slow to put their sincere CONVICTIONS INTO
49, ballot -boycs. 1t is hard to believe, how
a,.or that Tommany Hall can 60 much further
!, tho course it is now pursuing without en-
countcrinc Justice and falling in collapse. De-
,,ort,pont after department. of the cityS gov
nrnmcn, bureau on bureau has been put in the
h,,ds of = class of men who are either nOto-
,;ous criminals or Of criminal associations IL
e -, ronroach to the people of New-lork CITY
,Lot tboir opinion concerning Mayor Glroys
opnoiutment of the assassin, Scanncll, to be
Fire Commissioner, and the more recent eieva-
,;on of Scanncll to the presidency of the Fire
Department. has not expressed ITSELF WIN
strength enough to compel Scannells rctlrc-
mont Here is one Of the greatest branches OF
thc municipal service, employing vast num-
bcr Of mon and dealing with the private prop
crty of citizens in the most intimate way, placed
in the hands of a man who committed one OF
thc most atrocious. cowardly and brutal crimes
that have ever been recorded of muldererS.
II is shocking that We have a Mayor who Is
copabIc of even thinking of making such an
appointmcnt 1t is much more shocking that
we have population who endure it.
II is not out of place 10 call attention TO inc
relation of Mr.. Henry Winthrop Gray to the
Latest form in which this scandal has been
nrcsented. Mr.. Gray has not been indicted.
He has never kept n saloon. lie has no part
Of the criminal record which ordinarily entities
n man to recognition from Tamnany Han.
lie has been esteemed by the public as re-
spocrablc man. but he allows himself to be one
If that class of respectable men on whose re-
spcctability Tammany trades. That Is bad
enough, but Mr.. Cray participation as Il mem
Der of the Fire Commission in the election OF
Scanncll as lis president is an act for when ne
deserves a st IN rcbukc. To say nothing OF the
particular crime which Scanncll committed III
.hooting down dcfcncoleSS and ictrcatlnS man.
tho character of his connection with Tammany
Hall. which is the distinguishing feature of his
GRAY from performing this particular act oil
prostraion. In precisely the degree IN when
his character is different from icannellS and his
moral tendencies superior To those that coh'ro
the City Hall, he is ccnsurabc for the prom
incncc and power he has aided to confer upon
Scanncll. We do not like To think that Mr.
Gray obtained his present place through bar
,,in Ia do this disgraccful and outrageous thing
hut il is difficult Ia understand it on any other
theory. But whether the payment of an oblI-
cation or a voluntary performance, IT has Tor
fci,cd Mr.. Gray> title to the confidence and
in "A large measure to the respect OF the com
munity. 1t i, impossible to think that he did
not know better.
ScanncIl j. fair type Of the politicians VINO
in This latest reign of ''boodlcrs' are coming to
posses, the town. They have not all committed
murders though ScannelrS is by no means a
solitary distinction in that respect They have
not all been in prison, though the fault Is
largely due 70 faulty administration OF JUS
ticc and not 10 the law as IT stands. The
Police Department. the Dock Department, the
DEPARTMENT Of Public Works. the civil and
criminal courts in their lower branches, are all
infested with class of me- whom ScanneH
ftly illustrates. The police counts, where all
the petty crime Of the city i tried, are dignihcd
bv the presence Of two Judges who have them
selves been under Indictment by another whose
official conduct Grand Jury has arraigned aS
an obstruction of Justice; by another whose
only distinction is that he has successfully deied
the law in keeping plurality of saloons, and
by Others whose occupation ~ Tammany dis
rr.ct leaders Of itself obviously forbidS a proper
and honest discharge of judicial duty Five
wears Of Tanmany government have produced
the inevitable fruit. Not more than another
should be required for such a popular rcvolu-
ton as will break the organization into frag-