New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-17
OUR PUBLIC MENAGERIE.

What delightful herd of strange ana uh-
couth beings this town has on exhibition IN
public offices, What spectacle this great me-
troDolis presents to the civilized world, WIN l's
chief executive officer habtually displaying the
manners Of n sury bOor and its chief prose
cutor publicly hraw!inG with the courts ana
making official statements which. whether thcr
falschood is due to deliberate lying or abysmal
Ignorance, show him to DC scandalously uhIit
for his post Yet this IS the picture presented
nv actual incidents OF official life in this the
second city in the world.
few DAYS ago the Dlstrict-Attorney went
before Judge Blanchard asking him to give
certain decision and making representations OF
fact. which, in spite Of denals, he insisted were
true. while the court records show they were
false few days before he harangued Coro-
nor'e iurv with an indecent attack on the char
actcr Of n woman who was charged with no
crime and against whom he had brought no
evidence 10 Justify his cowardly assault. These
EXHIBITS he followed up with blocking the trans
actions Of the courts by his defiant disobedl-
cnce 10 their rules. and after making rdlcu-
lous show surrendered apparently under INC
orders of his boss, and agreed to conduct MIN
self in an orderly manner. This is the person
who stalks about in borrowed dignity ana Is
allowed to make the prosecution OF crime gro
taeouc and 10 menace the rights and liberties
of citizens with extraordinary abuse Of the
processes of the law.
And what kind of n Mayor have We to match
this travesty of a DstriCt-Attorney! lie
painted his picture yesterday in the same coiors
which he used year ago when Foreign
naval officer paid him an official visit. lie
showed the same disregard of the common de
ccncics of civilized intercourse to some innocent
and courteous callers which 1t has come 10 be
eypcctcd he Will habituay display to all per
sons not members OF his gang who have
nolitical or business contact with him. Iester-
day morning n Chinese consul ana several
other Chinese gentlemen called at the Mayor
office and presented themselves to the Mayor
who looked nj them with churlish stolidity and
said. 'Wcn. what are you here fOrT The
nolite Celcstials answered that they had come
70 talk to His Honor about n project they un-
dcrstood was under discussion for public i'm
provcments in Chinatown The rest Of the
interview is reported rs follows:
~ don't know anything about T." replied the
Mayor shortly: ego upstairs.
"Thc hearing Is in COOgan's Office, explained
one Of the Mayors attaches. .
well, go upstairs TO Coogans ONCE saiu the
Mayor again. ,un
"'Tho Office IS at the other end OF the hall
somebody kindly suggested go,
We'll go there" snapped the Mayor 10 ms
| visitors and then turned away from them me
visitors walked forth obediently.
or course they walked forth obediently. Self
| rospectipg civilized Cinnamon do not slap peo-
plc's faces when they are insulted ana they
| nroboblv did not care to barbarize themselves
TO the Mayors plane of conversation. SO they
went away. But how proud their treatment
must make New Workers. 1t is customary the
world over for an official who has at all the
habits or manners Of a gentleman to receive
| visitors with courtesy. Even when they stray
| into his Office from curiosity they do not 90
away with free lesson in bOorishness and
| brutality When they come on n matter OF pub
! lie business they are politely directed where
and how TO transact II. II Is the special care
oc persons of good breeding TO treat strangers
with consideration. \ gentleman In the May
or's Office would find pleasure in receiving the
representative OF foreign Government with
courtesy. instead Of asking him: We'll what
are YOU here forT' But perhaps Mr.. Van
Wvck's code of politeness was derived from the
Ro,yerv. where the rowdics think It smart 10
mil tho ..Digtails' Of the "Chinks." Perhaps
, Tim SuIlivan's district will hail the Mayor as
q true American after its own heart. Most
| NEWCOMERS, however, would prefer not to
have visitors 10 their City Hall go away wonder
Ing If they had mistaken the way and Numbered
into the cave of some morose and untamed
| creature.