New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-15
CREEDEN'S CONFESSION.

If is nroycd that brides have been the price
If favor with the Police Board. The fact mas
long been accepted as truth upon evidence ST.
vorlous and consistent as to warrant settlPu De
lief and unqualified assertion. But at last cap
tain Crccden confcsses that he paid S1o.Woo Tor
his place. and the pcrjurcd Reppenhageh' III
terror N his own prcdicament. calls back MS
lies of Thursday and describes the job thai he
hclned to negotiate This is one case ihere
have been a thousand others II Is system
that stands revealed a system of purchase ana
soI,.. the purchasc and sale of appointments.
nromotiou for cash. methodcal division OF me
proceeds. enrichment by cxtorton. reimburse
mont by blackmail A department saturated
with corruption through all its ranks. desp"'-
ism Of rapaciy compost of loaihsomc ava
rico and rcmorseicsS thrft-lhcsc are the aSpc''S
In which municipal government 10y Iamhah!
Hall is presented 10 the uno'>tructcd gaze III
the community.
No citizen however dense or incrTiulouS' II"
place-holdcr however frightened or furious VIII
conceive that il Is possible 10 dscredit captain
crcrdon's revelations. All the circumstances
surrounding him and all the incidents oi III" Ill
vcsticatjon prior To his appearance unite 1"
make his testimony unimprachablc. The truth
b,d hecu asccrtain,d ana accepted before II" re-
solved 10 acknowledge il. but his confession
sh,tt.rs the confidence OF those who have le-
lied on technicaliies 10 avert conviction an"
punishment Crccdcn bid for his capiaincy. al
,h, superstition of men who knew perhaps even
hotter than he how costly prcfrrnent was. ana
W., how certain if solicited with documents "t
IN. right kind and denomination He did not
hid enourL M first but when h" had added
So oon TO his original tender Of $l2"" tue
goods were delivered. He seems 10 have iad
li,tl. difficulty in borrowing the price OF his
promotion. The lenders knew that The power
Of backmail was good security. Fart 81 'h'
indebtedness he has already qudaicd. and
doubtless IN. resi- Of II would have been regu
larry paid few years Of opportunity wonid
hov. enriched him. and then hc would have
| l,eeu retired on II pension in accordance with
III, system of rotation which has constantly
created vacancies for eager aspran's 10 IN!
This disclosure Is a perfect illustration Of the
metlodical vilany which has made this munic-
lpal government of fools by thieves powerful
and lucrative II supplies likewise another
melancholy proof that degradation is contagious
There is no sadder chapter IN "A long and hateful
story than the slow corruption 81 lhis brave,
loyal and honest man.
Scarcely less important though somewhat less
sensational than the confession Of Captain
Crceden Is the testimony Of contractor win
The Municipality that he sent 10 Richard Croker
in the course of three years various sums
amounting 10 Si25 for the purpose II retaining
tbe Goodwill Of those on whose favor his EN-
plovmcni and profits depended. The advice OF
/ others and his own observation had convinced
him tina, such gifts to a private citizen at the
r,nlif
, wise Investment The individuals and cor
/ porations whose welfare has been similarly
protected are doubtless numbered by the thou
sand The most conspicuous and powerful re-
cipcnt Of such cash payments for benefits 10
come made no accounting 10 The contributors
nor. so far as is known to anybody else. 1t is
exclusively his fault If the belief Is universally
held and hereafter commonly expressed that
the fortune which supports life OF ease ana
luxury was derived from this source A small
fraction Of the colossal revenue which has
passed into his possession. ostcnsibly on It's way
to the treasury Of Tammany Hail. may nave
been quite large enough 10 satisfy the ambition
even Of Richard Croker He has certainly
clnchcd the presumption against himself III
this matter. For he began his career or world
wide notore,y by taking from Hugh j. Grant
the sum Of $1OO00-only a fourth or nth part
perhaps Of the net annual profits or the Sher-
IFS office but still handsome amount OF
money. for which no material consideration was
! ever alleged to have been given.
The community has heard with satisfaction
the Lexow Committees offer to receive from
Richard Croker an explanation OF his acceptance
Of money from Il municipal coniracior-"con
structive exiortiOn," as Mr. Golf describes the
transaction. The community has also learned
without SURPRISE that Richard Croker does moi
expect to accept the invitation. 1t appears Ike
wise, from reported interviews, that he Is sill
capable Of laughing, for publication. at the sil
alton In which the public and the committee
see him. He is sagacious man. and If he
thinks that It Is wiser TO laugh than 10 testify
he is probably right