The Irish standard., 1898-08-13
A LEADING sACREM OF TAMMAAY HALL.
HE SEEMS TO DE A PRETTY SQUARE
KIND OF A FELLOW.
HIS PRIVATE LIFE IS QUITE EXEMPLARY.
COMPARED WITH BOURKE COCHRAN
AND DAVID b. HILL.

Richard Croker is strong to the
strong and meets force with force. But
to the weak Croker is weak, and to the
needy charitable. There is no strain of
selfishness in this man. Nine-tenths Of
the aggregate efforts of Crokers life
have been given to the aid of others. In
illustrating I will relate an incident
which came under the notice of Ma
than Straus, in his own words, says AL
fred Henry Lewis in the Metropolitan
Magazine.
1T was when 1 was of the park
board" said Straus. There was man
his name was Smith, think-who
was employed in the geological garden.
Charges were made against him which
declared him dishonest, and when tho
business was brought to my attention
the man had been practically found
guilty. I was told that the charges had
been sifted; that they had been found
true. There was nothing for me to do
on the face of the situation but dis
miss the culprit.
''On going over the book of appointees
I found that this man Smith had been
recommended by Croker. l had never
met Croker. I thought this would
be a good opportunity; and, more
over, I wanted to hear what he would
say in defense of this man. I hunted
Croker up and told him the story. To
tell the truth, expected to hear a good
deal of vigorous defamation from Crok-
er. but did not think to gain much
light. But he surprised ME. He listen
ed attentively while told the story of
his mans dishonesty. When 1 got
through he said:
"'Do you know these facts yourself,
or have they been told to you by
others?'
Il admitted that only repeated what
had heard.
"'Well,' replied Croker, I've known
this man for twenty years. He was, SO
far as my knowledge went, an honest
man. If he has done wrong, of course
he must go. But from my knowledge Of
him l don't believe these charges. Now,
here is all l ask Of you: Begin over and
investigate these charges yourself. 10
to Smith and hear what he has to say.
Give him a fair, just hearing. Come to
your own conclusions; and, above all,
don't take anybody's word for his guilt.
Find it out for yourself; don't take any
mans word for it. Then, if you de-
eide that he is guilty, let him go. Ill
not say one word in protest
This struck me as fair and right"
continued Straus, land, between us, it
gave me new idea of Croker, too. He
was not the man at all whom the pre-
varicatcrs of New York had described
to me. To make it short, did invest-
gate, and found the stories told of poor
Smiths dishonesty to be the fruit of
plot to take away his place and give it
to the son of the secretary of our board.
Smith stayed, and the secretary and his
son went. Smith is still at his post.
Even the reform administration re-
tanned him as an efficient and very hon.
est man.
Croker has all of the simple virtues.
His honesty excludes deceit; his cour-
age leaves no room for despair In his
habits he is the soul of temperance and
his private life is as pure as priests.
AS husband he is as tender, as true,
and to Croker good woman is the
thing on earth most sacred Crokers
earnestness in this last behalf is almost
primitive. One worldly can smile at the
following story, and yet with those who
know Cochran, Croker will gain credit
for witch like prescience bordering
hard on the marvellous.
Once, on the occasion of a scratch"
dinner, to which score of men had
been hastily called, Bourke Cochran as
the feast progressed, was retailing, for
the amusement OF the others, the fiction
he had told over the telephone to his
wife as the reason for his non-appear-
ance that evening at their own home
dinner. While tho others laughed at
what most men would agree was a
cheerful and justifiable trine of decep-
ton, Croker sat regarding Cochran with
an eye Of somber suspicion. Croker
said nothing then, but later, as he and
friend were vending homeward,
Croker exclaimed in a sudden, white
heat:
That settles it! don't want any
thing more to do with that fellow Cock
ran! Did you hear his story of how
he lied to his wife? When find man
who will lie to his wife, begin to wcn-
der what he will do to me-
Croker's friend, who took more lib
eral view of ones marital obligations,
laughed heartily. But Croker could see