New-York tribune., 1900-08-10
"oH, THE WILD CHARGE THEY MADE~


District Attorney Gardiner is a great man.
That, we believe is n safe proposition For
he himself has said it." He is great in ances
try, great in military achievements, great in
friendships with illustrous men, great in ap-
probation of his constitutional prerogatives,
great in legal lore, great in ability to leap over
turnstiles great in the vehemence with which
he can say ITO hell with reform But per-
haps his highest attribute of greatness lies in,
or at least is manifested in, the degree of great
ness which he is able to reflect upon all those
who come within the charmed circle of his in
fuence and favor That is the supreme mark
of greatness, hitherto reserved Cor sOvereigns
of imperial rank. But whatever any mere King
or Emperor could do, that Major Gardiner, the
constitutional representative of the Peepul, can
do. We should not. indeed be surprised if by
the mere rradiatiOn of his own sweetness and
light he could make Van Wyck urbane and
Whalen wise
Note. for an illustration of the quality of his
subjective and objective greatness. the exalta-
ton of those who are privileged to serve him
in any capacity We have before us a list of
charges made upon the treasury of this city for
services rendered to the prosecution in the trial
of Roland b. Molineux for murder. 1t is a
formidable list. footing up more than $50000
There are charges by expert detectives, expert
physicians, expert chemists and experts in
handwriting. Doubtless they all able and
honorable men, else they would never have
been employed by the constitutional representa-
tive Of the people, at the peoples expense
Their charges seem large, it is true. Men who
probably deemed themselves on the high road
to fortune when they succeeded in making as
much as $50 week put themselves down for
$50 a day and all expenses paid. Men whose
talents had been supposed to be worth 81 200
a year at best demand that sum for the services
of a week or less. Men who would, for equally
arduous services have charged mere million
are some hundreds of dollars charge the city
some thousands Does that seem strange, un-
just, exorbitant? Not a bit of it. 1t simply
shows how great n man District Attorney
Gardiner is, how much greater he is-when he
has the Citys money to spend-than any other
employer. and how much more exalted his ser
vice is than that of any other man. and how
much more highly men should be paid when
they work for him-at the city's expense-than
when they work for any one else.
Great man. Great services! Great charges
This is what 1t costs the city TO have a Descend
ant Of His Ancestors in a great constitutional
Office and to have him advertise himself by
exploiting sensational trial with great array
of hired experts. For we assume. of course,
that there is nothing more than that in the
matter. 1t is not to be imagined that there
is any collusion in the charge making. or that
there is to be any rake off, Of the proceeds
The charges are made in good faith just as the
expenses were incurred in good faith. 1t was
worth the citys while, the District Attorney
thought, to spend all that money. just to give
him chance to advertise illustrate and pro-
claim his greatness; and it was no more than
fair, these experts thought. that they should
receive extraordinary remuneration for serv-
ing so exalted purpose. 1t is so much better
to make $50 a day and live like n fighting cock
at the public expense than to worry along at
$50 a week and foot ones own board bills
But what do the taxpayers Of New York, who
are called upon to pay these outrageous charges,
think Of thus being mulcted for the glory of
Major Gardiner and for the enrichment of his
favored company of experts? And what do
they think of habitually having to pay in a
public cause from twice to ten times as high
prices as any business house or private citizen
would have to pay for precisely the same ser
vices?