The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-04-15
Candidates for High State Offices
Make Princely Donations
to Campaign Funds.
CROKER is NOT OVERLOOKED
Judicial Sales Transacted Through Ms
Real Estate Firm. Which He
Thinks Quite Proper.

NEW YORK. April HL-Richard Croker
testified before the Mazet investigation
committee today.
You live at the Democratic Club. do
you not" asked Mr.. Moss.
Yes, sir" said Croker.
You are leader OF a political organl.
zation known as Tammany Hall, are you
not?'
Il don't know that; am generally con-
sidered 10 be-"
Are you n0t?" asked Moss.
Well, said Croker. Il amt talking
for myself II others say am. am"
Croker agreed with Moss that the gov.
ernment OF the city and county depended
upon political parties,
Moss had asked Croker a number Of
seemingly immaterial questions regarding
Tammany Hall. when Croker Interrupted
and said:
1t is not necessary 10 bring up all that
which everybody knows. There is no U.s.
playing TO the galleries. We all know
everything that has been said. We know
that am the leader Of the party and tiat
all the people are my friends. and tina,
l am going TO stick by them all The time -
There was roar Of applause as Croker
finished this sentence.
Just give me good straight talk" said
Croker when the applause ceased. That
is all | want All these gentlemen know
l am considered the leader You have
taken up half an hour for nothing"
Croker said he gave prominent Tam
many Hall democrats certain amount
Of advice and directions and that some
times they followed it. and sometimes
they did not
Croker conceded the proposition that he
had probably greater influence with the
municipal administration than any other
citizen. He was a believer in the theory
that the party in power should have the
Offices. He could tell nothing about the
contributors to campaign funds. and
rendered no account to the finance COM
mittee OF Tammany. Of which committee
he was chairman, Of the moneys dis
bursed by him.
He said the judicial candidates had con-
tribu,ed to the campaign fund. but not
by compuhsion; their individual donations
might have been as much as 5000 or 5000:
none Of them had paid as much as $4,000.
Moss tired 10 bring out that judicial sales
had been given to Croker's real estate
firm on account of the political influence
Of witness. Croker said that at present
his firm had nearly all Of the judicial
sales
so that, II YOU have a controlling voice
in the affairs Of that party" asked Moss
and secure the nomination OF true men.
you may be sure that, at least in the
real estate exchange and in the firm Of
Meyer & Croker, YOU will. as a true DEM
ocrat. get some of that proht?'
I'VE at least expect to be befrieuded. !"
said Croker
Then you are working for your own
pocket?"
IAN the time; the same as you are.
1t is TO the party belong the spoils." said
Croker.
"And to the boss belongs the lions
share of the plunder?" sneered Moss.
mo plunder, no." said Croker He saw
nothing wrong in receiving profits that
came through appolntees of the organ
ization.
Wheeler H. Peckman, formerly presi-
dent OF the bar association, took the
witness chair OF his own knowledge
he could not say that the judges were
assessed for political purposes, but a
Judge whom he could not name had told
him the amount paid by the judges
ranged from $4,000 to s25OOO each.
Ex-Judge Roger A. Pierce testified that
he had. at Richard Croker's suggestion,
contributed $4,000 to the campaign fund
when he was nominated for justice Of
the supreme court, and to this sum he had
added $500,