The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-25
SAYS MAZET Is SEE-SAW.
Parkhurst Looks For No Benefit
From the Investigation

New York. May 25.-The Rev. Dr.
Charles H. Parkhurst, pastor Of the
Madison Square Presbyterian church.
sailed for Europe yesterday to be gone
until late in September Before his de-
parture he issued a statement, upon
which he had bestowed a good deal of
care, upon the aims and work of the
Mazet committee. From this state
ment the committee is likely to derive
little comfort, for what faint praise is
sounded by the doctor is Iavished for
the most part upon Frank Moss. The
individual members Of the Society for
the Prevention of Crime" said Dr.
Parkhurst, sympathiZe with every
honest attempt to bring to light crinni-
nal irregularities, and have not expert
enced any diminutiOn of confidence in
the integrity or moral courage Of Mr..
Moss, counsel to the Mazet commit
tee
graph of disclaimer of the report that
the society is at odds with Mr.. Moss.
Continuing, the doctor said:
I have understood that the policy of
abstentiOn adopted by our society has
been interpreted by Tammauy in a way
TO afford a degree of sOlace to the
strained nerves and stricken sensibiIi-
ties of that Ieprous, gangrened instftu-
ton. Because I one day alluded to
Croker as Brother Croker I was cred
tied with having forgotten my antipa-
thy to that ear of bOOdledOn- and pic
tOrially represented as Claspiug with
him in the embrace of a long lost but
now found brother
But it should have been remem bered
that I have called even Thomas Q.
PIatt Brother PIatt'- I hardly know
why. but perhaps as a seni-conscious
Renaissance of the days when he and
I were enthusiastically affiliated Having
frequently mentioned Mr. PIatt in this
caressing way, it was not then to be
wondered at If I obviously slipped into
accents of endearment when speaking
OF one who, up to a few weeks ago, was
clandestinely knit with Mr.. Platt in ties
of political twinship-''
After declaring that it would be a
good thing for the city If PIatt and
Croker could be kept apart as far as
possible, Dr. Parkhurst went on:
This being understood to be rather
a Plattlsh committee, and Mr.. Croker
and his accompIices being understood
TO be the prime objects of investigat ton,
think a good deal may be expected
from the Mazer fnqufsitfou. or rather.
perhaps, from the Moss iuquisition-
am anticipating that the committee will
do more in the way of making Platt
and Croker irrecOncilable than it will
in the direction of producing positive
moral effect upon the community at
large.
Interesting as are some of the dis
closures made by the committee. there
are no indications as yet of any deep
stirring of the public conscience.
I see little to indicate that the in
vestigation will issue in any moral up
rising It may accumulate sufficient
material to make basis for anti-Tam-
many legislation But the anti-Tam-
many legislation of '95, even with a
moral uprising behind it, produced little
beside temporary results, which are al
ready principally matter of memory.
Any transient political advantage
thus gained does not penetrate to the
heart of the situation, and so does moth
ing toward securing a municipal gov
eminent that has in it the element of
moral stability For Republicans. when
in power, to curtail legisIativeIy the
power of Tammany viii only furnish
to Tammany excuse for a similar exer-
else of legislative power when its turn
comes and the movement that is made
in See-sawing. with all intensity and
continuity there may be in it, must not
be mistaken for progress