New-York tribune., 1900-11-16
PANIC SEXES CROKER.
ORDERS TAM1nANY HALL TO
END LEAGUE WITH VICE.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO SEE THAT
EAST SIDE DENS ARE CLOSED
-"REFORM" THE CRY.

And right here 1 want to reiternte what 1
sald three weeks ago you, and that is
that not dollar comes into my posses
sion from landlords O pooIrooms and houses
oA Aah-lame, and If any one of you gentlemen
Nre collecting from any these people Won
mad better get out of the organization The
impression has gone abroad. and lit has been
opehiy charged to me right to my face, that
( we collect money from lawbreakers. L chal-
s"se any gentleman In this room. and you
nave known me for long time, say that
ne mus ever known me to take a dishonest
dollar.
say to you Coroner FitzpatricL) there ia
soliciting in your district. Even the police
"re sohc1ted there. and they don't do any
thing to stop 1t. i can produce poIicemep
VINO were collected in your district, IL Won
dont know about it you don't know as much
aD"ut your district as do, and 1 am not in
mat district One-thOusandth pa TT of the time
YOU are.-(RICHARD CROKER'S farewell n Tsr,r,ar,.
Hall leaders '4aA'
Ihere are more policemen in my district
who solicit than who are soIicfted-,coronar
, FITZPATRICK 10 RICHARD CROKER
me Aammany organization, placed upon the
ueIenslVe by present and prospective disclosures
ABOUT protected and police nurtured vice on the
East Side yesterday tried to stem the tide that
mas set in against ii. Richard Croker took the
initiative in trying to clear Tammany's skirts of
any or all blame for existing conditions on the
East Side Mr.. Croker recalls wildly what the
disclosures OF Tammany's copartnership with
wee resulted in when Tammany was driven
/ from power and Mayor Strong elected Mr.
Croker, apparently. fears a repetition Of that
campaign, for he has undertaken to place Tam
many on record working to stamp out vice
Mr.. Croker brought the matter up at a meeting
Of the Tammany Executive Committee yester-
day, Even in the organization. where the lead
ers tremble at the word of the boss and hesitate
even to protest. Crokers demand that vice
be
Coroner Fitzpatrick leader in the IVth District
tried to say that there was no vice in his dis
trict, or. If there was any 1t was impossible to
get at it. Mr. Croker didn't mnce words in
telling him that he would have stamp out
the vice in his district or the people would take
a hand in the matter.
Mr. Croker went to Tammany Hall yesterday
afternoon to say farewell to the leaders He told
them that he was going abroad tomorrow not
for pleasure. but for his health. The regular
programme OF calling upon each Assembly dis
trict organization TO choose a representative to
serve upon the Executive Committee. such seec-
/ tion to he made December 81 was adopted
and the vice question up. The result of
the wrangiing and discussion the appoint
mept of a committee of five to cooperate with
individuals and organizations to bring about an
elimination OF all disorderly places upon the
East Side.
POLITICIANS THINK IT A JOKE
When the names Of the members OF this COM
mittee read many will incline to think
/ that II is huge joke. Lewis Nixon is chairman
Others the committee John ". Keller,
president of the Charities Board; Michael r
Murphy president of the Health Board John
]. Scannell. Fire Commissioner, and George c.
Clausen. president of the Park Board
Mr.. Croker insists that the committee is al
honest and will work POlirician nc
generally last night. however. seemed to regard
the whole thing as a trick and move on Crok-
er's part to get out from under the rising storm
They seemed 20 doubt the sincerity of Croker's
/ action, and said it was only meant to avert
public condemnation from the organization. The
work of the committee will he watched with
great interest.
The question was opened by Mr. Croker soon
after the meeting was called to order. when he
. arose and said:
We have a gentleman present with us who is
acquainted with the condition of things the
East Side hope you will give attentive hear
ing to his statements of the condition of vice
that exists there and that after you have heard
what he has to say you will use your every eff
fort correct those evils as far as lies in YOUR
power. have great pleasure in introducing to
you Isidor Straas, president of the Educational
Alliance.
IsIDOR STRAUS SPEAKS.
Mr. Straus said he had met Mr.. Croker at din
ner accidentally. and had talked with him for
two hours over the conditions in the East Side
, and Mr.. Croker had asked him to talk the
Executive Committee of Tammany Hail. He
continued:
My interest in the morals Of the city as
| individual is probably greater, and, l hope.
no less than that of every good citizen: but
have another interest president OF organi-
Zation. whose headquarters at East Broad
way and Jenerson-st., which is known as the
educational Alliance. We try to reach every
man woman and child and try TO make them
better themselves, with the especial object of
acquainting them with the principles Of Ameri-
can citizenship The young and women
come to us from places where the officers of the
law are oppressors. Here try to teach them
I that the officers Of the law the servants and
the people the sovereigns.
In our work we have OF recent years, especially
the last few years. experienced a difficulty
which threatens to infuse a poison in the very
fountain head of righteousness. l refer to the
immortality in tenement houses and the immor-
ality in the streets; the manner in which the
boys and girls threatened with the tempta-
tions held out to them every side. And we
realize that no matter how strong influence
might be If the children are destroyed before
they come to us whole work is destroyed.
When i told Mr. Croker of those conditions 1
was greatly impressed with his ready desire to
come to aid. 1 have nothing to do with the
political aspect of this matter. but as a Democrat
nave over ana over again been cHdrSeu WITH
this. that the party to which l belong is being
daily supplied with money received from the
vice and crime against which our organization
Is struggling. II has been thrown up TO me
time and time again that Tammany Hall-ex-
cuse me for speaking plainly. the question is
one which prevents quibbling of words and
mlnClng of facts-that Tammany Hall receives
the greater part of its revenue from the people
IN these evil conditions Of life, and that good
can be accomplished unless this power of Tam
many Hall is destroyed.
1t Is not pleasant for a Democrat to be con-
rronted with such charges. and when talked
Mr. Crolra he anfad to