New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-31

General Tracy is expect d to 90 on the Stand
to-day before the Mazet Committee contrary
% tho ot .,- wise invAriabe custom Of Mr.. Moss,
onrour cement that he would be examined was
made some days ago evidently for the purpose
NJ cn1riliating public sentiment. which was de-
handing n full exposure Of the Ramapo scandaL
This advance announcement following the long
continued efforts to smother the ease WIS All
admission Of the Ramapo conspirators that
,hiprs were getting too hot for them They cX-
pect. Of course. that General Tracy VIII rel Il
straightforward story Of an entirely leSl'lma'e
interest IN q business enterprise and prove IL
norant Of any disgraceful details. And we nave
no doubt that he viii do this in perfect goou
faith. He probably knows very little about
the deal Nobody supposes that he was
the central manipulation Of Ramapo. any more
than that he himself was the central power
that projected his candidacy for Mayor mo the
campaign of 1897 and put the city under lam
many control General Tracy was run lor
Mayor because his good name offered con
venient cover for the schemes Of others. lie
uos nrohahlv nut nj the head Of The Ramapo
compapy for the same reason. In Doth cases
ne was. we presume. innocent or any Improper
motives and ignorant Of the real purposes lot
which he was being used We expect 10 see
him clear up perfectly the Ramapo mystery so
far as he has any knowledge Of the company
mans and operations Possibly he may give
some hints which. If diligently and zealousiy
taken advantage of. might reach the actual
nlotters: but this is not likely. When he has
told his story the chances are that we snail
know little more about the deal with Tammany
and the real authors of it than we do to-day.
Then the Nazet Committee will once more
come face 10 face with Cookers question, 'NhY
don't YOU call PlattT Mr. Lauterbach. General
Tracy. Mr.. butcher. Tracy. BOardman X Platt
are as the spokes of a wheel. while Mr. Plalt
is the hub The Ramapo scheme was a steal
Fverybodv acknowledges il. Even Mr.. MaZet
himself admits It. If the thing itself was bad
then there is reason TO fear that the creator OF
Il was bad Showing that General Tracy was
honest. or that the lobbying Of Tracy Board
man 4 Plat was entirely legitimate legal ser
vice does not touch the point or relieve Mt
PLAT Of rosponsibillty He is stu the centre
They were his satellites Nobody but himself
could have marshaed all these Republican or
canization forces In the Legislature, in the
Governors chamber, in this city to the promo
ton Of this enterprise Some Of these workers
were doubtless honorable. Then the fact that
the enterprise itself in It's outcome IN IAN
many deal was dishonorable only shows that
the same paramount power which used them
as honorable fgureheads must have inspired
| somebody else dishonorably 10 reach the as
honorable result. Who were the BAD agents
! who are hiding behind respectable names: VINO
was it who controlled them That IS what Inc
pconle want to know and what the MaZet Com
mittce must find out.
! If Senator Plat is not the man, who Is: NO
! body hints at any other name. Every sign
| ponfs 10 him and he will not clear hlmScf. II
| he is innocent he should have shown il long
ago If there is no ease against him. an hour
Oh the witness stand would have completely
Wind Gated him. What Is he afraid Of! Is the
Ramapo case so bad that he can make no de-
fence Of his connection with it! Or Is there
something else not yet public which he knows
Of and darcs not face: Does he fear that Mr.
Hoffman might ask him how much year th"
men behind the telephone monopoly contribute
10 his political fund as the price Of his killing
chean telephone rate bills? II must be some
| thing momentous which tcrriies him 50 That he
confesses no lacks the courage Of Croker. The
Tammany boss. nj least. was not afraid 10 face
his accuscrs They found ample evidence Of
his methods Of using political power for private
/ gain. hut that evidence is almost useless in
/
be convinced Mr. Croker is. they cannot help
wondering If, as a result Of past deals, Mr.
Croker knows more bad things about Mr.. Platt
than Mr.. Platt knew and revealed about Mr.
Croker. that Mr. Plat should at the mere pros
poet Of having tc testify be driven into such Il
panic Of evasion.
No explanation that General Tracy can
make will. after this long delay, remove the
T. ie lot,
now for any exculpation to affect this cam
paign silence and evasion have borne their
fruit of apathy. But after election, as before,
Mr.. Platt will still remain IN the public mind
the power behind the visible actors in the
Ramapo business. IT, as many fear the deal
Is after a time revived. he unless he can clear
himself now. will share with Tammany the
responsibility for the wrong