Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-10
Vice Crusade in New York Takes
Wide Ramifcations.
LEWIS NIXON IN 4 DILEMM 4
j. w. KeIIer's Reputation Damaged
by the Investigation.
ESTATE AWAITS J.. j. SILLIMAN
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

NEW YORK, January 9, 1901.
1t is a common saying among the re-
porters in the city who are priting special
and detailed stories in connection with the
different investigations now In progress that
one can never tell what day may bring
forth. Things are becoming so much mixed
that it is impossible to even venture a
guess as to where things are drifting. One
thing seems to stand out above all the 9th
ers, and that is that Tam.lany Hall IS
thoroughly frightened by thu turn that al
fairs have taken. The fitting of Croker to
Europe is quite sure indication that a
storm is approaching. Vantage has become
a sort of city of refuge for the Tam
many Hal boss, and there are many who
regret that they are unable to follow the
chief to the English race tracks and the
German baths. Croker is the man to watch
where one is Interested in developments. If
Croker returns to New York next summer
il is proof positive that he expects Tam
many Hall to win. II he remains away
during the season and the following cleo
ton il j. proof positive that Tammany is
doomed to failure during the next municipal
election.
one thing which makes the average man
doubt whether Tammany has any chance OF
winning is the scarcity of candidates on the
Democratic side For republican reform
mayor of Greater New York any NUMBER
of good names have been mentioned. though
Seth Low seems to be the favorite among
the independent voters, and 1t is poss'hle
that the republican organizations Will be
forced to accept the president OF Co.unioia
University in the end or else submit TO
break between the republican and reform
wings and take chances on possible tri-
umph Of democrat There are hundreus
Of good men on the republican side, but the
in had Il
date.
Lewis Nixon Cookers Choice.
The suggestion has been made that Rich
ard Croker mad Lewis Nixon made chair
man of the Tammany Hall vice hunting
committee of Ave for the purpose OF max
ing nim the orsaniza ton candidate when
the convention time comes. Ii Nixon mad
not been compelled to accept the position
he might have had chance Tor ne stoou
well among the business men OF the city
and powerful combina lions would nave peen
organized in his favor. But he has placed
himself In the position OF antagoniZlns the
chamber of commerce committee or fliteen
and his steps have been watched by I'M
friendly eyes. If he throws up his position
OF chairman OF the committee of five In
disgust and announces that 1t Is Impossible
to reform Tammany; if he confesses. what
he must know, that the system is radically
wrong from start to finish, he can regain his
standing as a business man and man OF
high chara cter, but he will lose his position
and place at the hall. If, on the other
hand. he declares that the Tammany Hall
leaders are not to blame for the gambling
and the GenS of vice. he antagonizeS the
business men of the city, the Independents,
the chamber of commerce. the citizens
union organizations, as well as the repub-
licans. Nixon is at the parting of the ways
this minute Either he must in the near
future whitewash Tammany Han or he must
acknowledge that the Tammany Hall lead
ers cannot be defended.
The few 6dbS of whiteWaS1 that he
has placed Richard Croker and several
of the Tammany Hall leaders by recent
statement have only had the effect of max
ing Nixon the laughing stock of the city.
He admits the vice, admits the gambling,
but claims that the money did not reach
Croker or the Golfers of Tammany Hall.
His claim up to date Is that the saloon
keepers. the dive keepers and the proprie
tors Of gambling houses have b,en black
mailed by men who pretended to be acting
IN the name OF Tammany Hail. but In real
ity these men were selling these violators
of law gold brick The absurdity of
this position is seen upon a moments re-
Election. The proprietors of the different
gambling houses, the owners of the dives
OF the city are men about town. They know
better than to take anything for granted.
They are not in the business for their
health.
They are acquainted with the Tammany
district leaders in different portions of the
city, and many of these men are acquaint-
arCes OF Richard Croker Chief Devery and
the men whose names have been linked
with this system of b.ackmai in one way
and another since the Investigations of the
committee of five and the committee of
fifteen began.
RIacLmailcd for Thousands.
These men have been obliged to pay out
thousands and hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars TO Tammany Hall politicians during
the past three years. If the go-betweens,
the middle-men. the agents who have been
selling these gamblers and keepers
gold bricks for years were not protected
ny persons high up in Tammany the Won
der Is that they have not been exposed long
ago. II Is Impossible to believe that pool
room KING. or policy dealer, or a gam
bling house proprietor would pay out thous-
ands OF dollars for protection without find
ing out whether 1t was necessary to give up
THIS money. The men who are running
these places are wideawake, up-to-date in
dividuals. They were not born yesterday,
and they are laughing In their sleeves at
the "innocentS abroad attitude that Lewis
Nixon has placed them in. No gambler in
this city would pay a thousand dollars a
week for protection without knowing that
he was getting value received.
The facts in the case are that Mr.. Nixon
has told half truth: These go-betweens
and these agents did not give up all the
money that they collected from the vicious
Violators of law, but they did give up half
OF IT, and II may be said positively that the
half went higher up in TamInany Hall
circles than Chairman Nixon appears to
dream OF.
One thing should be remembered in con-
nectfOn with NiXons statement that any
district leader in Tammany Hall found
guilty of taking vice money would be
turned out of the hail is the fact that Mr.
Nixon is not the court of last resort in
this respect. Nor, for that matter Is
Richard Croker. The Tammany Hall lead
ers are elected by the people of their dis
trict and the people of the district alone
can turn down any Tammany Hall leader
Nixons statement that even Senator Tim
othy Sullivan would be fired" if anything
of the sort could be proved against him has
caused smiles 10 penetrate even that re-
gion of darkest New York known as the
East Side. Even there It is known that
Senator sullivan has proved of all the Tam
many leaders the most independent; that
he has defied Richard Croker and laughed
at him again and again; has dared the
Tammany boss to do his worst, and the
man who fights and runs away has been
unable to discipline Sullivan in any way
shape. or manner The only people who can
turn Senator Sullivan down are those who
reside in his district, and just so long as
they have vested rights in vice and just so
long they continue to find it profitable
there Is far more danger that Richard Cro-
ksr would be turned down himself than