Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-16
rnE NEw YoRK INVESTIGATION.

''The Mazet investigation" in New York
has features in common with the Drey-
fus cOurt-marcial. Every man called as
a witness is likely to talk about every
thing except the case and the lawyers
and the witnesses blackguard one an
other to their hearts content Nor will
there be any less of this sort of thing
hereafter since Mr.. Moss on Thursday
made prominent the fact that what would
afford ground for an action for SANDER
under other circumstances would pass
with impunity If spoken before the COM
mittee
Nearly everybody has forgotten the pre-
else purpose alleged in the appointment
OF this legislative committee, but the
TACT is well understood that its real OBJ
ject is TO procure material to justify the
Republican Legislature of New York in
passing laws to down" Tammany Now
we all know that Tammany is not an
immaculate political organization. but 1t
certainly is no worse-we think II much
better-than the Platt-Mazet machine.
Besides, there is vastly less hypocrisy
about Tammany than about its enemy.
SO, we cannot but sympathize with Tam
many in the mean, sneaklng, partisan war
the Committee OF Investigation is MAX
ing upon it.
On Thursday the committee undertook
10 inquire into the Ramapo job. Really
that scheme to rob New York was nom
partisan. Yet Frank Moss, the counsel
for the committee. who wishes TO be a
Judge some day, received Frank Plat
obsequiously and let him off with an easy
examination; but when Croker and Van
Wyck came on the stand they were piled
and pred with all sorts of pertinent and
impairment questions. The result was
that Croker got his Irish mp and Van
Wyck got his Dutch up, and they answer
cd Moss savagely. Moss is pretty cool
and thick-skinned cross-examiner, but be
yot as good as he sent in handling those
great Tammanyites. or the two, Van
Wyck was the sauciest; but Croker sue
ceeded in getting space in the newspapers
for a piece Of Moss's early professional
record. The story referred TO the long
ago. when Moss was a notary public. and
worse, he helped some rascals in re-
prehensible bond transaction.
1t is true, no doubt, that Croker ana
Van Wyck both might have told much
that would have been interesting to the
committee, but they did not choose to do
so-especially In view of the leniency
which had been extended by Mazet and
Moss TO the Plat crowd
1t is dreadful to think Of a city and
State ridden by bosses such as Plat and
Croker are. 1t is discreditabe to the peo-
pie, for the people can dethrone them
whenever they rise in their wrath. but
they don't rise. They say: "Oh, well.
what's the use? Other bosses will come
10 the front" And then many people
really do not believe that bossism is such
bad thing, or that these particular
bosses are as black as they are painted.
Wen, New Workers ought TO know. They
are ON the ground and may view the sit
uation al short range. All the same, II
was no governmental agency, no great |
representative Bodybuilding but the |
newspaper press that saved the city of |
New York from having the Ramapo job |
fastened upon H.
And even yet Mr. Van Wyck-the tub
by little Mayor" one reporter described
him-refuses 10 admit that IL was a bad /
scheme He says the proposed ordinance
only gave New York IAN option" "Oniy"
IS good. OF course. permanent contract
would have followed hard upon the OPP
ton. New York politics are interesting,
but not e1hilarating