Evening star., 1901-04-23

York as moral as New England village,
yet which apparently is helping to improve
gambling. the running of pool rooms and
other infractions Of the law are winked at
oy the police and they are proceeding to
demonstrate that they know what they are
talking about.
Both the tenderloin districts and the
BoWery are the scenes Of their operations
and they operate with fair degree of sue
cess. The practical aim of the committee
Is shown in its employment of practical
men to carry out the movement The raids
are made under the direction of John Nc
Cullough, former chief of police, who has
a pretty full knowledge of crime in the
great city and the avenues through which
1t seeks prot tection.
While opinions differ on the final outcome
trend is that they are going to hurt Tam
many by disassociating from it certain ele-
ments which heretofore have been tolerant
on the theory that liberation is essential in
municipal politics. If this turns out to be
true Mr.. Croker, when he returns from
ENGLAND, will be confronted by condition
IN Tammany Hall far more serious than
the revoltS which heretofore he has had to
meet There Is G. great mass of poor peo-
pie, especially in the east side districts
VINO have affiliated with Tammany because
aney saw that organization on its best side
ana In the social and philanthropic attitude
OF which its critics know so little If the
ldea spreads in the tenement districts that
;na.a ;Ia.ninany is an enemy to the poor people
alsc1piine and his hold on his followers win
be broken.
Republican Troubles.
Whlie there is a distinct anti-Tammany
trend II cannot be said that the tendency
Is TO place power in the hands of the re-
Puolcans Many Of the republican voters
seem to be about as tired of their party
organization as do the democrats of Tam
many. The displeasure with the state
legislature Is especially marked. L have
heard only condemnation of 1t from repub-
lcans VINO were deploring the inability of
some of their leaders to grasp the situa-
ton They complain that the legislature
IN amending the charter of Greater New
YORK made mistake which was political
crime. 1t was not a blunder, because
what was done was done with full knowl-
edge of the meaning and with purposes
which hardly could be called less than sin
lister.
The action of the legislature undoubtedly
gave a great opportunity to Mayor Van
Wyck, who, under the state constitution,
mas the power of veto over this charter
legislation. He exercised that power In a
manner which has caused the New York
community to forgive many Of his past
delinquences. The republicans are un-
comfortable about 1t and say that the mis-
takes made in amending the charter will
be corrected by supplementary legislation.
But whether they override the mayors
veto or not they will not be able to con-
fnadvertent ones.
New York is fairly jealous of It's home
rule privileges though occasionally it has
spasms of despair in which 1t would be
willing to take any kind of government.
However, as a rule, any political party
which undertakes to interfere with the
municipal powers is certain to be punished.
The republicans thought they had avoided
this danger when Governor Odell took
stand against Senator Platt's state con-
stabulary bill and served notice that If
1t passed the Legislature he would not ap-
prove 1t. In avoiding that pitfall the party
leaders fell into another one. They have
various explanations, but these explana-
tlons are of no interest outside the city.
The point about them is that they do not
satisfy republicans themselves, while they
have put weapon in the hands of their
opponents.
GOV. OdeIl All Right.
I asked one Of the local republicans how
1t happened that Gov. Odell, who has here
tofore prevented many party blunders, per-
nlitted this one to be committed. His reply
was that the governor was not omnlpotent,
ana, moreover, knowing the devices Of the
democrats to keep in control in New York
city, was himself little color blind in this
matter of the amended charter. This re
publican was sure that it would come out
all right, but he was not proud Of the legis-
lature, and said the party would have to
depend on the record Of Gov. Odells state
administration instead of on the legislative
record.
This Is true. Gov. Odell seems to be
strengthening himself steadily and his fol-
lowers are sure that when the time comes
he will be reelected. After that they are
speculating little on the possibilities of
the presidential nomination. Perhaps these
speculations have not yet been sent over
the long-distance telephone to Oyster Bay,
where Vice President Roosevelt is resting
quietly, but there are politicians in New
York who think that the governor of the
empire state will be in better position in
1904 than the Vice President in Washington.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.