The Portland daily press., 1900-11-02
CURRENT COMMENT.
CROKER BREAKS LOOSE.
IN. Y. Times.

Apparently the cerebral cxcitement at
tending Croker's efforts to play the part
of national leader has at times been too
much for his nerves and he has dropped
| the mask he has SO long and so labori-
ousIy striven to construct The latest of
these occasions was that of the utteranue
of the following remarkable sentence, an
| utterance he admits and justifies:
MY advice to Democratic voters the
COUNTRY over - to congregats about the
polling places on the evening of election
day, count noses, and then, II the elec-
| tion returns for bryan don't tally with
their count, to go into the polling places
and throw those fellows In charge OF the
returns into the street,
This is an attempt OF pure rowdyism.
In contempt for law and order. 1t is
worthy OF thE leader of '.gang.i
From a man in Mir. Cookers position,
1t is a direct Indictment to violence and
riot.
In the party that he controls thers Is a
number OF hoodiums In every election
district, entirely in sympathy with the
lawless sentiment expressed, who would
he only too happy In carrying out the
suggestion of their admired chief.
IL will be interpreted as an assurance
by the man who rules every department
OF the city government more completely
than he rules the iaokeys at his club that
the police VIII not interfere with any
rlo1inB buas may ioIioW theSe instruo'
tions. III rioting did occur, MIR. Croker
would be morally responsible, and
though this Is of no practical Importance
he would be legally responsible also
In reality, the utter folly OF such talk
exceeds even Its lawlessness.
Croker silly talg ts but the involun-
tary "reminiscences of the old rowdy In his
nature. He sees defeat shead of him,
and he Is very man.
CROKER'S INCENDIARY ADVICE.
New York Post.)
1t is not at all surprising that Richard
Croker should incite his followers to riot
in case of trouble at the polls next Tues.
day; nor that he should announce mis- in
tention of taking this lead himself I'D of
"knooktng down. the nrst man who at
tsmpts to Interfere with his free exercise
OF the ballot. We have no doubt that
the boss would be perfectly capable OF
carrying out his threat, for he has
knocked people down many times In the
course OF his career. Croker Is not SO
young as in the days when, as the leader
OF the old Fourth Avenue Tunnel gang.
he was the terror OF the twenty-first
ward; but Il Is hardly likely that his
right arm has lost any OF the cunning
that inade him the respected associate,
and occasionally the teacher, OF prize
fighters in the days OF Tweed and Con-
molly. His threats carry us back thirty
years, to the time when his prominence
in politics was owing chiefly to his feats
In shocking down psople at this polling
booths. He was not the Hon. Richard
Croker" then: he was simply "SIippery
Disk" as he was styled by the New York
Times In describing how, In the course of
an election fisticuff. she assaulted q man
by the name OF James Moore with a
slung-shot, knocking him down and then
kicking him." His recent outbursts also
recall the fact that he Ia the same man
who was described by the Tribune In 1858,
as "the notorious Dick Croker, the leader
OF the Metropolitan bandits, always well
armed and spelling for light
SUMMING UP OF THE COAL
STRIKE.
New YORK Evening Post.)
The drama In the anthracite eoaI