Evening star., 1900-10-04
Croker is Scared at the Attack of
Bishop Potter.
he WILL PROBABLY FIGHT BACK
Si|ventes Are DispIeased at SheIv-
ing of Their Pet Hobby.
SWEAT SHOP INVESTIGATION
special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


alone can determine whether 1t will prove
the political sensation of the campaigns
the fierce attack which Bishop Potter has
| made upon the police force of New York
city directly and upon Tammany Hall in
directly. If any other clergyman except
Bishop Potter were leading this attack the
average voter in Greater New York would
say: "Oh. there is another clergy man play
ing politics" But the Episcopal Church
is so powerful a factor in the religious
and political life of the metropolis, and
Bishop Potter is well known throughout
the country, and in fact, throughout the
world that his charges against Tammany
Hall cannot be dismissed with sneer or a
smile
The facts in the case are that there is
just one kind of a man in New York city
that Richard Croker and the leaders of
Tammany Hall are afraid of, and that is
clergyman. Ever since the Rev. DR..
Parkhurst started his crusade a number of
years ago there never was a day when
Richard Croker would not rather run from
a clergyman than fight one DIR. Park
hurst appeared to have been the first man
who has ever succeeded in even tempo
rarily defeating the ''boss" of Tammany
Hall. And Tor that reason Richard Croker
has no desire at this time to enter into a
contest with Bishop Potter. Tammany
Hall took revenge upon DR.. Parkhurst by
dragging his name through the mud and
the slime of metropolitan politics. All that
could be said, all that could be done against
the intrepid clergyman was done by Rich
ard Croker. 1t was demonstrated that he
had seen sights that no respectable clergy
man would think of seeing, that he had
visited places that even the man of the
world would hesitate about visiting. yet
DIR. Parkhurst pleaded that it was done
In the name of duty and that he had only
IN I'd # pit OF hoo tAra Yie n z
were the Parkhurst measures, they accom-
plished their purpose, but the reaction left
DR. Parkhurst without influence a leader
of political thought and action, and it
undoubtedly injured his work as a clergy
man along certain lines. DR.. Parkhursts
congregation has always stood loyally by
him. and the loss of prestige and Influence
experienced by the church which followed
the coming of the Greater New York char
ter and the passing of the Strong admins
tration was always aScribed to the uptown
the wealthy and the fashionable, rather
than to any downfall Of the Parkhurst
school Of religion, morals and politics.
What Croker May Do.
What Richard Croker has up his sleeve
for Bishop Potter remains to be seen. II
the bishop persists it will, perhaps, be
fight to the finish between the bishop and
Croker, and the Episcopal Church and Tam
many Hall, with the odds against Croker
and Tammany Hall. Says the bishop:
II have known Of these terrible condi-
tions for some time. 1t was my intention
to let the matter rest until the close of the
political campaign. fearing that we might
be charged with playing politics. We have
double duty. One duty as churchmen and
another as citizens. Both we must per-
form faithfully. If the awful conditions
this metropolis shelters were known to
men there would be such storm of In
disnation as would shake the entire social
structure The church of God must cast
off fear and take It's stand for purity and
righteousness.
According to these lines 1t is war to the
knife between the clergyman and the po-
ltical boss from now on. DR.. Parkhurst,
who has just returned from Europe, has
promised to take a hand In the hght.
Father Healey of the Roman Cathoiic
Church is also pledged to the movement
and dozen Jewish rabbis are making life
a burden for the saloon politicians OF the
Tammany stripe on the East Side. Richard
Croker has been quoted as saying that he
would rather fight dozen newspapers than
one clergyman. What he proposes to do in
the event of his defeat by the clergymen
and the republican reform forces this year
remains to be seen. Perhaps he will again
return to Europe and thus dodge another
investigation and look after his racing IN
tereSts at the same time.
The united churches of this city, with
Bishop Potter at their head, Will shortly
take concerted action against the police de-
partment. This will be the first move. The
action will be practical and buslness-llke
and by individuals who are determined 10
put an end to the system OF police black
mail by which millions are annually exact
ed from lawbreakers for the privilege of
robbing. swindling, sandbagging and cheat
ing with impunity, The charges to be
police commissioners, who have smothered
such things in the past, but to the mayor,
and the police commissioners themselves
will be asked for explanations. According
fo Iafo Iad at ont a
man engaged in the crusade against the
police the yearly tribute levied upon vice
amounts to $4,l5oOOo
SfIverftes May Bolt.
The smothering of the silver issue in the
campaign text book issued by the Kings
county democratic committee has caused
much comment and may result In bolt
Of the silverites upon congressional nomi-
nees. If this occurs 1t means the election
of republicans who are candidates In what
are usually democratic districts. Just how
the book which has caused so much COM
ment was compiled is not stated. Bridge
Commissioner John L. Shea stands spon-
sor for 1t, however, and Martin w. Little
ton, the assistant district attorney, Is sup
posed TO have written 1t. Mr.. Littleton does
not admit this charge. but much OF the
matter contained in the book is part of a
speech delivered by him before the county
committee recently. The section of the
book that has caused the most adverse
criticism Is as follows:
ION all great questions of the day the
Kings county organization Is In accord with
the majority sentiment Of the people of
this state. 1t stands for liberty, CONNER
cial competition, just tariff and the gold
standard. Thanks to the efforts Of it's rep
resentatives In Congress and in the Kansas
City convention, the money question, which
four years ago alienated so many excellent
democrats, is not considered an issue In
this campaign. That Imperialism has been
fS he a "a ray,la fSCJJ NJ
the campaign of 1900 is due in no small
measure to the aggressive fight made by
the Kings county delegates In the Kansas
City convention against the free coinage of
silver The solidarity of the democratic
party in this country Is apparent to all.
There is no line of cleavage, as there was
In 1896. All democrats are convinced that
the restoration of the democracy to power
In the nation Is necessary to the welfare
Of the republic. Hence the element of per-
sonal interest lacking four years ago en-
ters into this campaign and assuredly
makes for victory"