The times., 1899-06-06
THE MAZET COMMITTEE.
Lawyer Moss Outlines Future Work
tn He Pursued.

Tor the Mazst committee. said this moIr-
Ing that he had been warned that power
full combination had been formed to
wreck the committee and to make war
upon him and upon everyone concerned
in the work of the committee, if the pres
ent investigation should go on. The threat.
which Mr.. Moss said had come from inside
the councils of Tammany aroused the
lawyer and he this morning spoke out in
a ringing defiance to his foes.
This fight is getting hot" said Mr..
Moss. We have struck to the quick. /
have been warned that unless the investi-
cation stops the most powerful combina-
ton of men, money, organizations and
newspapers ever formed in this town will
oppose us and fight us in every way pos
sible. If we go on this powerful clique
means to use every one of the powerful
influences at its command to ruin and
discredit the committee. This com5ina-
ton has already been formed; it is already
at work. Evidences of its activity are
already on the surface.
This warning comes to me from an
absolutely reliable source; in fact, from
the inside councils CT Tammany. This
powerful. organized opposition is the des-
parate resistance Of Tammany to an in
vestigation that has not only come close,
but also cut to the quick already. Tam
many at first laughed at the committee,
saying that it would only last a few days
and would then be called off. 1t would
not seriously attempt to investigate abuse
in municipal government, the Tammany
men said All sorts OF stories were set on
foot to explain the existence OF the COM
mittee, and not until the Legislature vot-
ed the committee $4,000 to carry on the
investigation did Tammany begin to take
it seriously. Not until few days ago.
when the effects of the investigation be-
came so damaging to the organization and
the prospect was presented OF still more
persistent and more damaging enquiry on
other lines, did the Tammany men fully
realize that they would have to make eX-
traordinary resistance II they were going
to save themselves. This realization of the
/ serious turn of affairs resulted in the move
by which they have drawn to their aid
for future warfare certain powerful in
fiuences. They are going to make organ
lied opposition to US. fight us in every
way they know how, and seek to drive
us to the wall.
My answer is this: This investigation
will go to the very last ditch. The probe
will go into every rotten spCt in this town.
| The work will not stop until it is finished
We have put our hands to the plow and
| will not look backward. There is no dan
ger in the world of halt in our work on
account of the appropriation of $4,000
| giving out. II that were gone tomorrow
enough money from private sources has
already been offered to carry on the inves-
tigation to the end. Offers of money al
| most without number have been made both
| to Mr.. MaZet and to myself.
I'VE have reached the point in this in
vestigation where the public is taking one
| side or the other Recent events have
made a clean division of popular opinion,
and We are beginning to see just how and
where the people stand. The public now
sees clearly the nature of the fight we are
making, the fight of law and order and de-
cency against organized ruffianism and dis
order. l believe that in the next few days
this division of the public will be even
! more clearly defined than 1t is now.
1T is not necessary for me to repeat
again that this investigation will go to the
very bottom. No powerful combination
and no threats will divert us from our
course. DR.. Parkhurst took the position
that there was no call for this investiga-
tion, because there was no popular call for
it. Popular call grows out of just such
conflicts as the present
81 did not expect to accomplish any
good without arousing the bitterest OF op-
position. l knew that we should meet with
yilification, threats, and abuse. The deep
er the knife sinks the more determined
and relentless grows the opposition. You
may gauge the effectiveness of the inves-
tigation by the outcry and the agitation
among those who are being hurt by the
investigation. / do not expect that we
can carry this investigation through with
beneficial results to a finish without being
met on every hand by the most desperate
antagonism."
Mr.. Moss believes that the fight which
the committee is waging is steadily grow
ing hotter and that the manifestation oil
popular interest in the investigation is
only just beginning. This popular. inter-
est he expects TO see grow into popular
participation in the fight. He was much
amazed at the reception he got yesterday
from the West Side Y. NJ. C. A. before
which he spoke. The reception amounted
to an ovation, and Mr.. Moss regarded II
as only one of the signs of popular inter
est in and approval Of his share in the
committees work. He went to the place
expecting only to address an ordinary
gathering. but found the hall jammed witt
people. Most of those present were per-
cons who do not ordinarily attend, bu
who took the occasion to express sympathy
with the Mazet committees work.
. The committee will resume its session a
1880 o'clock tomorrow morning in tht
Board of Trade and Transportation room
at 203 Broadway. A number of witnesse!
have been subpoenaed but it was i'm
possible to learn today what line the in
vestigation will take. 1t was learned tina
Captain Price would be put on the stauC
for one. and presumably he would be asket
about the wlde-open conditions in his pre-
cinct. Mr.. Moss intends to devote at leas
one entire day of this week to the Ia!
department, but whether he will take VI
this department tomorrow he would no
, say.
Mr. Moss. Mr.. Mazet, and Mr.. Clark,
, conferred this afternoon regarding tn
, line of procedure for tomorrow and TO
the three other days of this week on whicl
| the committee will be in session. Th
case CT the cbstreperous Henry Clay Hen
derson. Captain Prices lawyer, will b.
the first thing to be looked after whei
tion is contemplated neither Mr.. Moss no
Chairman Mazet were willing to say. !
has been decided that hereafter witnesse
shall be compelled TO respect the commit
tee. and the freedom that was allowed DR.
O'Sullvan. Mr.. Henderson. and others il
the early stages OF last weeks trouhl
shall now be withdrawn. II Is expecte,
that as a result of the Henderson episod
witnesses Will be more lamb-like than be
fore.
The Change Mt lnIe.
(FrOm the Cincinnati Enquirer.)