New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-19
THE TIP ROOT or CORKUPTION.

THE TAP ROOT or COREUPTION.
What gave Mr.. Croker the power by which as
tbn rommanv leader he fastened the clutch Of
that organization upon the throa, of This town
with 50 tenacious a grip that it took popular
! m,rising t. r"lca>c-no. not release, bu1 relax
it4 Money. What does any Boss depend upon
10 maintain his supremacy and pcrpcluajc the
system If BoSssm: Money. How does hc get
! il: He does not Use his own. and III" campaign
contributions Of candidates for office and public
| spiritod citizens are not. IL indeed they ought
moi to he. more than sufficient 10 meet the ordi-
nary necessary and Legitimate expenses "i p'-
| utjcal canvass. Where. thon. does the money
| como from: We are asking question thl' inc
mcrcst tvro in politics can answer ont of hand.
Ii comes from The great corporations "' 'h'N
1oNn-no need 10 name them whose relations
| with the public are of such nature rs Z" h'h'
them dependent for the success Of the business
| enterprises in which they ar" engaged upon me
enactment on The one hand. of favorable "-lNl'
ton or the defeat, on the other OF hostile meas
urcS at Albany. The Trihun" has heretofore
called attention 10 the fact ana BREEZY d'Scrl"'l
tbc process The officers of these corporations
| treat il as a purely business TRANSACTION. me
principles or policy of the party or parties To
| which they make their contributions for III most
| eases they contribute with a certain SORT "l III
| partiali;y 10 both do not enter into the matter
| AZ all They hand over III" money II the Loss
| with the understanding. express or impl"i, mat
the Boss Will see TO 1t. 80 far ~ IN" represent
| ativcS of his own party In lhr Legislature are
concerned. that the contributing corporation has
| protection ana peace. In cases where 20 posi-
live legislation is sought they call II paying Tor
peace"
| This process goes on year after year. Do We
! need ch1rTlctoriZ" il: i There an homes 'i'|
| of ordinary intelligence in whose mind there -
any doubt as 10 It's effect upon legislation upon
th.. character of our legislators. upon public ana
| private morals: W man defends Il. The very
| men who as officers Of corporations submit :"
| the cXtortion-f IL il Il" less ar" ~ I"ud ~
! auv if not louder in donunriaiion OF H. Many
Of them 20 50 far ~ 10 say that il i nolhn@ -
than Il system of Matchmaking only Pailia''d 10y
precedent and sanctioned 10y usage. IN all l"'
| same. when The pressure comes they pay pay
and look pleasant They say They must; that ~
trustees Of great properties or great hnihc'l
institutions: rs cu,;odians If the material in-
,orcsts Of others: Of the widows and orphans
vho furnish the stock argument for this class -
| abuses they have duties and obligations which
they feel bound - discharge, irrespective" 81 lh'II
| own duties ana obligation, rs good citizens or
| their relations H. individuals 10 questions 81
social ethics or political morality All Of Which
! when Subjected 10 The test. not Of Il wei! ordered
| conscience thar may be- TOO high u standard for
ordinary politics -bu; Of REASONABLE" ana reason
! ing common business sonS" X utter rubbish
| There is no excuse for any man - submit ~ a
| trustee for others - cXtOrion and backlndllns
which in his Individual capacity he condemns ~
subycrSivc of morality ana most d"m'rLiiHh@
| in its tendencies and consequences In another
view Of il il is utterly indeicnsiblc. Il is diver
| sion Of trust funds 10 wholly iNrGliinat" pur
poses Upon what prcIcNt can any corporation
officer Use the profits of Republican sockhodci
10 uro,noic the success Of the Democratic party
when that Stochhodcr believes such success 10
be inimica e. his own business interests, ana
| nav be paying ouj Of his own pocket money for
| a contrary purpose The case Is the same if the
| money Of Il Democratic stakeholder in the hands
Of corporation officials j. contributed 10 Il K"pub
lican campaign fund There is neither reason
nor sense in it. ana. all will agree, The practice
is the most fruitful source Of the worst sort ol
political corruptiQn
Why do we walk round This crying shame
tipioc and pussy footed: The men who know th'
most about it, who suffer most from IT, and ~
private citizens are riOSi vigorous and outSpokcI
in their dcnuncation of it, are III" very men VIII.
as officers Of corporations and trustees Of groa
material Interests do most 10 maintain ii. They
are not confined 10 either party. They are %
both. And the cold truth is that thcy ar" vast
ing the money Of other people ana their own no
only foolshly. but wckcdy; for they ar" con
! tributing 10 In" maintenance ana pcrp"luIliDl
| Of a system Of Boss rule in political mln1gcmcn
| which Expresses the citizen and taxpayer IN,
cOrruptS the sources of government. They can
not afford to continue il. Sooner or later th
great body Of The common people, the y0tin;
masses, will rise UP against not only the system
itself, but against The corporations which f.
their own selfish purposes have encouraged az
promoted it, Then VIII come thc whriwind har
vest Of this wild wind-sowlnr The Trlbnn
! u,crs now It's word Of warning Corporation
may have no souls, but the individuals who com
pose them do, and so do the officers who conduc
their affairs To them we make The appeal il
behalf of honest politics. and Of good govern
mcn, ana Of the general welfare. that they So
themselves in their corporate relations rs well Il
in their individual capacities as citizens agaiu~
this pcrnciOus practice. And we appeal esp,
, cially to Republicans If This abuse is to be con
tinucl, let Tammauy and Croker do II. and liv
{ by it. until public Indignation is so aroused tia
an end will he made of It. They have the IN:
2 chinery for it in perfection. No use for Rcpul
licans TO undertake competition with them. tn
party Is not made that way. But the Rcpubca
party can well afford to take stand against til
e whole business, and at the sacrifice Of somethin