New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-12
PUSH THE PROBE DEEPER.
THE REV. DR. RAINSFORD WRITES A
RINGING LETTER.
HONEST CITIZENS SHOULD TAKE Up TIE CRY
AND FORCE THE LEXOw COMMITTEE To

HONEST CITIZENS SHOULD TAKE Up THE CRY
AND FORCE THE LEXow COMMITTEE To
DO IT'S PLAIN DUTY
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Every one who knows the city OF New
York. every one who has felt a particle Of
honest shame at the spectacle she has presented
to the eyes of the civilized world. and who
joces at the victory tor law and for morals
lately won I'm municipal elections should
join in a loud. urgent, unanimous if necessary.
angry. cry. Let the probe go deeper" 1t is
literally true that the people who sat in dark
ness have seen a great light, light Of moral
leadership, light OF hope a promise Of day Of
better justcr things. Thousands of men whose
lives are full of care and poverty are beginning
to believe that their fellow-citzens who are bet
ter off in this world than they-especially the
younger men in New-Yofk-are no longer going
to content themselves With lives Of ease and
pleasure; but have put forth their hands to
tighten the burdens of the oppresse and to re-
move the evil yoke Of vice and fraud corruption
and dishonor that the ignorance of the poor. the
lazy Indifference of the rich and the self seeking
villany Of the bad have fastened great
city's neck.
The lesion Of the election was this-rightcous-
ness is still power in our midst And the one
thought that filed the mind of all good citizens
then was-ycs. and is-"Let us now go 10 the root
of the evil; let there be honest search for evil
things and evil-doers: let us hunt them down and
hunt them out" And one brave man. who is the
very incarnation OF this spirit has the enthu-
siastc support and backing Of all good citizens
in the community.
The election is scarcely over, the work done by
the Lcxow Committee scarcely more than begun,
when the report begins 10 spread that some one
has cried. Halt. let US disband. We have caught
in our dragnct some small fishes If once We &c;
shark In IL It's meshes may be broken and some
body may be hurt. 50 We must perforcc. content
ourselves with cooking the sharks pilot fish
every shark has several Of these. you know. MI.
Editor, ana all sensible men aware that il is
vulgar dclusion to believe that the shark himself
il dangerous; it is the small pilot fish who arr
the real danger. and make haste to draw up our
net in time to permit the shark To swim. unmo-
Tested. seward" What s!ckening shame 1t
would be. what deliberate classifying Of pledges
made by honest men. whose efforts won the last
great fight. what a base betrayal Of "A great ana
holy cause If efforts % unearth the evils thdl
have dsgracel Us end here and now
Mr. Choate said at the Parkhurst banquet that
he knows oi great sums paid by corp,raiions IN
this city 10 the State Legislature. Many another
man must have the same knowledge. but perhaps
lacks Nj. ChOates courage to confess H.
venture To- say. Mr.. Editor that II after catch
ing a few small sinners the inquiry ends there.
blow VIII have been given T. the cause OF
morality and good government that no ram
many organization. however strong could nave
given There are bg sinners t. deal with they
who nave mad" the large hduis. they who have
trained corps II undcrstIappers 10 do thrir diIN
work These the organizers Of our municipal
disgrace. II H. these. not their underAng- VII"
havo made for years reform impossible. tn"
f,tlo men an, only proof positive - the blk
mem ,he plot nsh II the nciShboring shark.
Perhaps the LcXow Committee has not the "'i.
4. me-. tb.t Wiz convict these chiefs aud heads ~
crime Perhaps the scOnc - Its inquiry is not
via, enough. Of this nm no Judge. HUT u II
lacks either the power or the VIII 10 dr'I WIN
these radical sources II evil. and II III" "'ih
ST. ON foot Oy 1t ends here. then In the judgment
# mul,itude< in our cltv II nav simply donc
clever bit OF electonevring. II has edu 'ated
uublic opinion up for the purpose OF Destroying
po,itcal a,hinr but not Tor the pufpos" u
freeing an oppressed and Nlc"-riddcn community
do not say this ac.usati'n Is true. bu' 40 ss'
it viii be- absolutely impossible to prevent thr
multitude believing t.
Not to trespass further ~ your space. -ir. let
,,,. r,ncluI. bv saving that the discOntinuaucr
Of tn, committees work - this period. Or its
failure To- expose the fountain heads ~ the i'u'
stream that have made W six with It's strnch'
will inevitably be regarded b' IN" Ihb'rihs Pc
pie # this city Yet ahothrr instan'" ~ thr
w.ll-nigh aiinightiness Of the "allstocfh'y OF
pull" a. Nj Curtis cailrd Ct. but another con
ii,matiou 81 the belief now present IN the Wln's
Of thousands that IA our free lana ana among
our fr,rst - al. political institutions II il IN
excu-ably hard 10 get justice that rirh nnd poor
do not fare alike before III" law. that sooner "i
later the man win mon 81 or influence "scap''
nj least the worst results q MI crimes. VIM"
tho att-ntlon # the public - clrs"r.y DIS
iractrd by the pillory Of some - his satellite
g. "a, - IN, ref Jrmcrs n this city. the men
win, nave really won tn lat" election. are not
Hind ,h.v VII. with one united voice Insist That
the work commenced by the Lexpw committee
H.. continued and that no fear OF favor make J.
loss searching and less scOrch.ng than u ought
to be- W : No. 'i''
i-r