Evening star., 1899-04-19

Richard Croker.
batim. Probably they give more space to
the investigation than to all the other
events Of the city and the entire world.
That is simply an indication of the popu-
lar interest.
The day he postponed his voyage to
Europe 1 saw Mr. Croker as he came along
Broadway past the Astor House to the
building in which the inquiry is held He
did not look at all like a ward boss. His
stubby beard is now sprnkled with gray.
1t was well trimmed. His shining beaver
was carefully brushed. His overcoat was
Of the very latest fashion, and his boots
shone with the polish of a looking glass.
Decidedly he was well gotten up. The
idea of q Tammany boss having valley
still amuses the New Workers, but the
valet knows his business. and Mr.. Richard
Croker is we'll groomed He was accom-
panied this day by one of his lieutenants,
while half a dozen of his henChmen were
following him. Though he is so we'll known
In the city his appearance attracted as
much attention as would that of a dis
tnguished man Of national reputation.
Effect on National Politics.
The local phases of this inquiry are not
of surprising interest, but it is necessary
to follow them in order to understand their
possible bearing on national politics. The
liStl lS dt Udy III IT'S own jung te lAOuSH
the Mazet committee has bold and tire
less hunter in the person of Lawyer Frank
Moss, who bats the animal, it is yet to be
determined whether the inquiry will amount
to anything more than a batting. New
York is so cynical that it's interest in the
exhibition Is not of itself evidence of a
deeply aroused public spirit. Civic virtue
Is a garment which Father Knickerbocker
puts on only on special occasions. Then it
Is not always easy to say whether he does
hn jc nchn aa1 hi ,cnlf
whether it is merely his whim to change
the fashion in political affairs. The certain
thing is that this civic virtue tires him
and he always returns to the embraces of
Tammany:
l think on the whole New York is rather
proud of Mr.. Croker 1t is not orthodox to
say so, but he seems to be compelling
large degree of public admiration. Then
there is something of the sympathy for the
under dog In the fight. The theory seems
to be that he is the under dog because the
Legislative committee has a majority oe his
political opponents. Naturally, his own fol-
lowers uphold him. They insist that he
gives Inquisitor Moss as mulch as he gets
Mr.. Croker himself, while he is defiant, and
while he bears himself we'll, does not seem
to be quite so comfortable. He may know
some other questions that 1nquisltor Moss
is going to ask him, and he may have an
inkling of what other witnesses may tes-
ufy. Yet he adhereS strongly to his origi-
nal stand in challenging evidence of per
sonal corruption.
Gotham is Not Shocked.
have seen something in the papers about
the shocking revelations already made, but
the simple truth is that this community
shows no evidence of being shocked. Its
appetite is whetted for more disclosures,
and curiosity furnishes the relish. Every
body is turning over the question whether
Croker is really going to be betrayed by
some of the big corporations and whether
they will give themselves away by disciOs-
ing their own willingness to profit 10y crook
edness. All of them have plenty of emf
nently respectable men identified with their
management. The zest Of the situation ap-
pears to lie in the feeling that some of the
corporations have really become Cyl !cal
also, and are going to tell little of what
they know 1t is this, and not the disclos-
ure of the police blackmail of outcaStS and
of saloons. that keeps alive the public ex-
pectation. Everything that could possibly
be shown about police blackmail was shown
by DR.. Parkhurst. There is nothing, there
fore, new, and while the Mazet committee
will probably demonstrate that the same
thing is going on again, this will cause no
excitement.
ing their admiration for Croker's main
proposition. This is that the people of
New York knew what they were doing
when they placed Tammany in control of
the city They understood what the or.
ganization was and had plenty of exper-
ience with its management for municipal
affairs. And Tammany insists that 1t does
give the borough, they call it, a good
local administration. That they take care
of their friends Is also known. So, Mr..
Croker strengthened himself by his open
avowal of this fact. If he could rest his
defense on that alone, he would come out
of the ordeal unharmed. 1t is the probing
of the committee into personal transactions
that threatens him. The probe has already
touched two or three ulcers. If Inquisitor
Moss succeeds in finding the running sore,
then the investigation will become of real
Importance.
Diversion in Tammany's Favor.
have noted, however. that Tammany's
advisors have already succeeded in creating
a diversion. This is by bringing in Senator
T. G. Platt and his organization. The sem
ator's friends say that it isn't SO. They de-
clare that the attempt to turn the commit
tees attention was SO purely feint that
nobody will pay any attention to it, and
that the committee having rejected the
vestigation of the law firm with which Mr..
Platt's SON is connected. the matter is
ended. It is undoubtedly true that the COM
mittee which is seeking to probe into mu-
nicipal iniquity will defeat its own purposes
IL 1t turns aside to investigate what goes
on at Albany. And as this investigating
committee is legislative one, its members
individually don't need to be told what In
fiuences control legislation there. But the
casual visitor in New York cannot fail to
be impressed that Senator Platt's organiza-
ton is In some way involved in the inquiry.
The stranger who does not read the pro-