New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-07
RING RULE AND GANG RULE.

In large affairs, the Ring; in small affairs. the
Gang. That seems TO be the rule of government
In this wide open town. Probably not many peo-
pie paid more than languid attention to the
news of bit of organized ruf1ianism on ferry
boat in New York Harbor the other night, when a
gang took possession of the cabins, insulted and
terrorized the passengers and damaged and
stole as much they conveniently could. In fact.
OF the large number of people personally out
ragged by the Yahoos not one would take the
trouble to appear in court against the two who
were captured by the police. The next day
q scarcely less offensive gang practically took
possession of a car in one of the Bridge trains,
obscenely insulting and menacing with violence
oil the other passengers. In that case no at
tempt at arrest of any of them was made. And
so it goes on, without let or hindrance. Organ
lied gangs of ruftians infest the streets and pub
lie conyeyances of this city night and day. Some
of them aim at robbery. Some merely strive to
scare passersby into giving them drink money.
Some content with nothing more than an
noying men with insults and assailng women
with disgusting ribaldry. All do their vile work
with boldness and with impunity.
And why-or why not? A single car conduc-
tor cannot enforce decency upon dozen burly
rowdies. To demonstrate with them would be
to incite them to redoubled blackguardism, prob
ably to violence against himself. The citizen
who, when walking along the street with his
wife at his side hears some rlbald remark made
about her, or even to her by one of dozen
slouching thugs at a ginmill door cannot per
sonally chastise them And the police! BY the
time the outraged citizen has hunted up police
man the gang has disappeared Or If not 1t
brazenly stands it's ground greets the officer
with Hail, fellow! well met" and assures him
that His nibs is off his nut, sure! since not one
of the goodly company ever dreamed of COM
hitting the offence in question; whereupon the
citizen is courteously hidden by the policeman to
"go chase himself" Or it, to suppose an ex-
IRENE case, the policeman arrests one or more
members of the gang and escapes having MS
head broken by the rest what is the result?
Why, the prisoner on being arraigned reveals
himself as the loyal follower Of some potent
district leader or other member of the ring, and
is forthwith honorably discharged while the of
ficer who arrested him is lucky if he gets off
with nothing worse than reprimand.
No, we cannot altogether blame the police
man. He does not like either to get broke" or
to get his head broken. The fault lies back OF
him and above him. The gangs are nothing but
creatures of the ring. 1t is the ring that IS re-
sponsble for them, that shields and encourages
them; and as long as the ring rules the city the
gangs will infest and befoul the streets. With
a prizefght approving Chief of Police and to
hell with reform District Attorney, no wonder
that every unclean gallows bird of the slums
feels safe in staggering abroad in open day
light and in lording 1t arrogantly over mere
honest and law abiding men and women. The
gang that hailed the advent of the ring to
power two years ago knew we'll what to expect
1t knew that under the sway of Croker and his
splenetic vicegerent the city would indeed be
wide open for all the gangs the precincts and
the purlieus of the Tenderloin could spawn. And
they have not been disappointed.