The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-01

there began to be omens of a crisis The
Rev, DIR. Charles II. Parkhurst OF the
Sracbad s Prespyserian Shurfh
charged the city government with being in
hideous partnership with vice and crime,
and with deriving a vast revenue there
from. The Tammany leaders met these
charges with denials, sneers and contempt
But the preacher persisted. brought some
cases into court, revealing beyond doubt a
horrible state of affairs. Then, in 1894, the
Legislature sent down another committee
suits. 1t was shown that the preachers
charges were more than justified. The city
government honeycombed with dishon-
esty. Vice and crime were protected" and
even promoted by the police department, in
consideration of hush money" Wholesale
extortion and blackmail were practiced all
over town. on good and bad, rich and poor
alike. Millions of dollars were thus taken
in by Tammany office holders every. year.
it?" The crash came at that falls election
when Tammany was beaten all along the
line and Republican mayor and other
Republicans and antl-Tammany Democrats
elected Mr.. Croker, by the way, had con-
veniently gone to Europe during the inves-
tigation and announced his retirement from
the leadership of Tammany Hall to lead the
life of private citizen of Independent for
tune, devoted to the turf.
THE TAMMANY OF TO-DAY.
After the electoral defeat OF 1894 and the
retirement of Croker, the leadership was
for a brief space in commission Then it
fifty reverted to ohn C. Sheehan, lately of
Buffalo. where he had been a. defaulter in
public funds. He had come to New York
to combine business and politics in the
peculiar manner characteristic Of Tam
many Hall. and had considerably pros
pered; had also come under some suspicion
with the rest of the gang. and had present.
ed not an admirable nor lovable spectacle
in the investigation of Tammany cOrrup-
ton. Under his direction the hall endeaV-
ored TO repair its somewhat shattered for
tunes, with the stiffness characteristic or
its whole career. In the spring of 1896 1t
clamored for honest money" in national
finances, voted for the honest money
plank IN the State platform, sent an hon
est money delegation to the national DEM
ocratlc convention in Chicago. But free
silver" was triumphant William J. Bryan
was nominated for the presidency on
platform declaring expressly for repudla-
ton and anarchy. Forthwith Tammany
faced squarey round, repudiated its word
a few weeks before, enthusiastically ap-
proved Bryan's nomination and platform,
and at a new State convention voted for
new State platform declaring, like its Chi
cago prototype. for free silver" Then it's
more reputable members promptly with
drew from it.
This year it makes desperate effort to
regain control of the city government.
Croker comes over from England to resume
his place as boss" A notoriously unfit
as voiced by it's candidate for one of the
highest local offices is, ITO hell with re-
FORM
Such is the Tammany Of to-day. Why
not? It's attitude is in exact accordance
with it's whole history. For more than a
century it has studiously refrained from
adherence to any principle other than sell
fish gain; and at this age it is much too
old to change its ways. Among all political
bodies of the present day it has this unique
distinction, that it has organized the vicious
element Of the community permanently for
purposes of plumber and notification of
laws under the forms Of law and govern
ment.