New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-28

larly to women and children, were most revolving
and offensive.
MURRAY WAS FRANK ABOUT 1T.
The Chief of Police at that time Murray
most intelligent and capable officer. tolc
him what had seen. He said it was all true
told him that wanted to have the dives CLOSED
up. and while did not expect that vice coulc
be suppressed eXtirpated in a great city like
this, I wanted at least that respect which vice
pays to purity. by being little more decent
He said to frankly: IAN that you say is
true"
said: Can they be closed up?'
He said: Certainly; it is only necessary to
give the order to have them closed up
said: Then why do they exist at ALP
Wen" he SAID, you'd better ask some of your
| political friends about that
I said: Are they interested in these places?
"Oh, many of them" he said And If the
order goes forth to close them up you will be at
tacking the men who have been your best sup
| porters in the last election. and who have placed
you in the Mayors chair"
said: That is a revelation. but it does not
make any difference to who they are The
places have got to be closed up"
yourself to anything, Murray. but are you a
Well" he said Il don't know what you call
he, Il am worth $500 OO0''
l said Murray, did you ever have any bust
tain?" He said NO"
I said. How did you get that $500, 000?'
why" said he, Il have friends in Wall Street
who have given me good opportunities. and
have made this money. and I very we'll
satisfied with the results"
said, How about the captains? Are there
any Of these who have fortunes"
oh he said, most Of them well-to-do.
There some poor men among them"
said, How do they get their money!" We'll"
said he, you readily understand that
long this condition Of things goes on there
are opportunities to make money
said, How about the ward men? | hear
that they go around and collect money" We'll"
said he, they don't collect any for me, but /
think it very likely they do collect money"
Now said 7 you have told me very frankly
the condition of things here. I don't propose TO
take any advantage Of il. You have dealt with
entire fairness with me. AL I ask you to do
now is from this day to do your duty" He said
he would; and he did.
I then sent for the President of the Police
Commission II was bipartisan board then
as now. There were TWO Republicans and two
Democrats but the President of the Board was
Republican. l do not care to recall names.
cept one, have since died. told him frankly
what Murray had told and I asked him
whether he was willing to cooperate in the
suppression OF the dives and the closing up OF
these disreputable and unlawful places of
sort He said if I wished il ne would, but he
thought I had better let things alone; that I
was going to let loose hornets nest. and THAI
II had any political ambition in the future, he
wanted to tell me, from his great knowledge Of
polfttcs-and no man had nore-that it would
be my political ruin; that there was no place
that could ever be elected to in this conmu-
nifty. He also told me the truth.
PATRONAGE DIVIDED Up.
Now what happened? The police was man
aged by four men who divided up the patronage
into four parts. Two Of them were Democrats
two OF them Republicans and each one had his
portion. / was informed that the Mayor, if he
saw Mt, might have portion from each OF
the appointments declined. Of course, to &C
cept the offer. But just consider the condition
that Every appointee of the police is potica!
appontee. No appointment can be got without
a political pull, and when the Police Board is in
the hands Of one organization, practically as It
that no policeman can ever by any possibility
be appointed or be promoted without the consent
Of the ruling powers in Tammany Hall. That IS
a condition Of things which in an intelligent and
civilized community would to be intoler-
able. l found it So
I want to say to you that the great majority
OF the police force are honest men. The num-
ber who are willing 20 take brihes from gamblers
and the keepers of improper places of resort
are few, and that accounts for the fact that
those few get rich because they don't divide
with those who are DESTROYS simply to 90 their
duty for the pay which they receive from the
public treasury Now want say distinctly
that my experience of the police a body was
most favorable But when they headed By
a corrupt superintendent and by a corrupt
Board of Commissioners there is no limit at all
to the abuses which may be perpetrated, for if
a man tries to DO his duty he is promptly trans
ferred to some place where there is no exercise
for his sense Of right. Twenty-three thousand
transfers. told do not speak of my own
knowledge-but I told that twenty three
thousand transfers have been made by the pres
ent Chief of Police since he has been at the head
means five times for every member of the police
force IN this brief period. Now You may draw
your own differences I do not propose TO draw
any am only dealing with facts and things
that / know.
SAYS THE PEOPLE ARE TO BLAME.
Now for the final result it is little interest
ing The predictions Of the Chief Of Police and
OF the Commissioner of Police were realized. At
the end Of my term certain citizens of New
York thought that I ought to be renominated
and they renomnated me. Tammany Hall Ct
course, had its own candidate I was no longer Of
any use to them although had been elected on
the Tammany ticket The Republicans, led by
the most respectable gentlemen in this city,
many OF them members Of the Chamber of Com
merce-doubtless many of them in this
promptly met IN the Union League Club and di-
rected that candidate should be nominated,
Ana they nominated first rate candiGate-a
man better fitted for Mayor than 1 Was-Colonel
Erhardt. He accepted the nomination. but that
nomination meant the restoration of Tammany
Halls power And there began all the evils
under which you are now suffering. l do Lot
refer to this because I have the slightest per-
sonal feeling about it, I have none 1t was a
Office. But that is the difficulty in this com
munity-the moment an effort for reform is
made, one or the other political party will seize
upon IT as An opportunity to gain power and by
combining together they will defeat the can
didate Of the reform element in this city.
Now who is 70 blame for al this? Not Tam
many Hall, the Republican organization
headed by Platt, but the people Of the city of
NewYork. who allow themselves to be led by
the nose ana to be used instrument for
the punishment Of the honest administration Of
Public affairs and for the restoration OF neon
petent and dishonest men to office. Thare will
be no reform and no restoration of this city to
condition in which decent can live with
their families until municipal politics di-
vorced utterly and absolutely from National crd
State politics
No community can afford to tie itself as a
tail TO Tammany Hall which. in one form
other IS responsible for all the evils that you
met here to denounce and deplore. There
fore you can take no part, but If that Purity