New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-30
BEHIND THEM ALL.

The Senate Committee Just now ostensibly en-
gagged in investigating charges against three OF
their colleagues but really employed in furnish
Ing entertainment for the public by Offering Mr..
George Raines the brother and attorney Of one
OF the accused Senator's, opportunity and facilities
for bullyraggins witnesses who are unfortunate
enough to be in possession OF facts having
hearing on the casc-shoull not make the mis-
take Of supposing that the public takes them
seriously The citizens Of this town. who are at
present profoundly interested in everything that
promises by legislation or otherwise TO relieve
Them from the curse of dishonest administration
and corrupt government. are not looking for any
important results from the inquiry in which this
committee are engaged. They have had some
little experience In Investigations. and have come
to know that "a rule, Investigations DO not in
vestigatc. They explain; they justify; they ok
oneratc the accused and put their accrSers 10
shame; but that Is all. They do not find out.
They whitcwash. That Is generally understood
TO hc their function. Lest some one may M ms
pont suggest that the So-callcd LcXow commit
tee of this same Senate furnishes a REPUTATION
Of the statement, we hasten 'o say that Inc IN
vcstiyation ~ last year was an exception 10 Inc
rule II did great and good work, ana th'r"
Is no disposition anywhere To Withhold 'r'dI'
therefor. But il IS no secret now thai ID" lcAoW
Committee did not At the outset have the conn
dcncc If the active agents In the movement Tor
municipal reform thar il WAS pushed into the
line Of investigation which it pursued 50 success
fully and that in the end II showed disposition
rather 10 deal gently with gross abuses than
trample on and cXcrminate them Tn" citizens
Of this town do not take much stock In inv"'tiEa-
tons They have seen too many Of them
+, is not only quite possible, but quite prob
able that the present inquiry concerning the
charge that the three Senators who have been
named had guilty knowlclg" - the corruption
fund said ~ have been raised in tn" Fire De
parmcnt ~ this city 10 inilurnc" legislation VIII
10 frutlcsS: that the three statesmen VIII hc VIM
dicatcd. AMI that Congressman Qu'Gg. who has
been placed In IN" relation ~ sponsor for III"
accusations. will b" made to appear aS. II not -
reckless dcfamor. At least too crcdulouN listener
70 the gossip 4 thr STATE Capital l}nt 'h" com
mitice win make serious mistake IL they sup
pose that any action they may tar" or any re-
port they may make will IN reality - affect he
public Judgment For whatever comes "' The ~
ou,ry Il wir not hr believed that Cong, s>Inln
Ougg who is not 10y any means tyro In p'li-
ties and has not recently mad" The aclu1in'In'"
Of The persons directly and remotely incrimn1ici
has So openly and unr'scrv"dly pr'"rr'' h~
accusations except upon knowl"le" - n" Facts
nu1 ia discharge Of what IA" believes :" h' pm
lie duty. He may not hc alb" :" demonstrate 'h'
truth of what he has charged - fully and com
ulc'ry as To warrant thc Comuiliir" In recon-
mendng the only adequate penalty. which Is III"
expulsion Of the suspected Senators. ana the 40
sonce Of proof nav be- made the ground If yinli-
cation. All the same, there Will remain IN iin
rullic mind strong suspicion that when h' so
co,iragcously exposed what lie believed 4" j."
conspiracy against The public veal h. knew what
he was talking about and had actual knowlc'lg"
~ the facts which he made public. ~ impu'l-
ton upon his motives Will obscure that fact 80
far aS public opinion j. concerned. The free
masonry which exists among venal legislators
and frcquenters ~ the lobby may hc rfi'ctual /"
prcycnt any other verdict from The conmiite"
than mot proven" but that will not pass aS n
vlndicaiOn.
One thing however. will be accomplished An
other objecilcsson will be- furnished. tn" people
will have one more illustration ~ III" "cllkn"wn
fact that however eager and fierce lcgSlnilv"
Investigation may appear TO be: however bent on
forreiing out abuses and crimes, II never touches
or prctcnds 10 60 near the man who sits behind
the machinery that keeps them AL In motion.
Croker never was called 10 the witness stand.
though he was VIGOROUSLY behind AL th" Tam
many machinery that evolved the misgovcrnmcnt
exposed by the LrXOw Committee. Why not
Who knows? Behind the small tanglc Of corl1ip-
ton or supposed corruption which This commit
tee is funlbling over there seems To sit one man
Of Statewide notOricty and malOdOrOu> fame.
Everybody at Albany knows his business. and
everybody knows II Is not reputable or honest.
But nobody can swear 80 il except those who are
SO mixed ND with him that they cannot AFFORD 10.
This inquiry may get close enough 10 him 10 PM
him on the witness -stnnd. But there Is not the
slightest probability that il will be effective in
uncovcring him 10 such an extent as 10 bring him
10 Justice. And behind him. who: Behind The
whole business behind Hobbies and lobby agents:
behind the corporations which employ them; be-
hind legislators who are not free agents because
OF contributions 10 campaign expenses made in
the past and hoped for in the future; behind az
c,isel and accusers. investigated and nvcsti
cators-who? Why ask? Everybody knows who.
And everybody knows that from the disrepuable
lobbyist up or down through the whole conbina-
ton every mothers son Of them derives his
powpr for mischief and his chance for corrupt
gain from close touch with the man who sits be
hind them all, who Is never Investigated and
never called.