New-York tribune., 1901-10-18
TW AIN IMPEACHES CROKER
THE ARRANGEMENT OF WARREN HAST
INGS BY EDMUND BURKE APPLIED
TO THE TAMMANY BOSS.

lnpeach Hdchard croker OF hlgh crimes and
msdemeanors.
Il impeach him in the name of the people
whose trust he has betrayed.
Il impeach him in the name of all the people
of America, whose national character he has dis
honored.
"I impeach him in the name and by virtue of
those eternal laws of justice which ne has
violated.
Il impeach him in the name of human nature
itself which he has cruelty outraged injured and
oppressed. in both sexes, in every age. rank,
situation and condition of life
It was in these words that Edmund Burke
last night, in the person of Mark Twain.
raigned the boss Of Tammany Hall. BY means
of a happy shifting of historic scenes Mr..
Clemens had brought the great Irish orator
from the House of Parliament to the Waldorf
Astoria, had changed the House of Lords of
hundred years ago into audience of present
day men. who were there as representatives of
the anti-Tammany Order of Acorns and
raigned for trial in place of Warren Hastings.
the boss of the India company whom Burke
exposed. Richard Croker the boss of the New
York City Company. limited
Mr., Clemens achieved this piece of magic by
taking the speech which Edmund Burke de-
lvcred against Warren Hastings, and changing
a few nouns here and there as he expressed it,
address was from an article of his which will
appear in the November number of THE North
American Review"
THE INDIA COMPANY AND TAMMANY.
Mr. Clements said: Let the supreme masters
OF British India. the giant corporation OF the
India Company in London. stand for the voters
of the city of New-York: let the Great Council
OF Calcutta stand for Tammany; let the corrupt
and money grubbing great hive OF serfs which
served under the Indian Tammanys rod stand
for the Naw-York TammaEy's serfs; let Warren
Hastings stand for Richard Croker. and IL seems
10 me that the parallel Is exact and complete"
Here the humorist paused moment, and
running his fingers through his white lions
name as if IN search of some fugitive figure Of
speech, he added:
''Croker and Hastings is the parallel exact
1t seems TO me that they're twins"
Now, wish TO quote some of the things
which Edmund Burke had to say Of Warren
Hastings in that renowned trial I will for the
nonce bring the Irish orator into midst and
let him arraign Mr. Croker and Tammany before
the voters Of this city"
Mr.. Clemens then read an extract from Burke's
speech. which by a change Of Tammany for
India fitted the case in hand so we'll that Mr..
Clemens paused a moment. and then added:
THE Calcutta Tammany-like our own Tam
many-had but principle one policy. one
moving spring Of action-avarice. money lust.
So that it got money it cared not a rap about
the means and the methods. 1t was always
ready to lie forge. bctray, steal, sw!ndle cheat,
rob; and no promise, engagement. no con-
tract no treaty made by it's boss worth the
paper it was written the polluted breath
that uttered it,
Now. the more l compare Hastings and
Croker the more those twins look undistinguish
hot oIrara a169
what he has done for this town For. is not its
unsanitarv condition and its big death rate. so
much greater than it has any business to De a
sort of assassination?
Now here's paragraph from Burkes speech
where l won't have to change a word. 1t has
a special fitness for that blunt confession which
Mr.. Croker once made under judicial examina-
ton; which was. I'm working for my pocket
every time Here's the extract:
In an early stage OF the proceeding the GRIM
,rai desired TO be heard. He was heard; and
he nroduced before the bar of the House that
insoIcnt and unbecoming paper which lies upon
nnr tabIe II was deliberately given in by his
own hard and signed with his own name
PARTY LINES IMPOSSIBLE.
Here the author of "Innocents Abroad" be-
gan searching through his hair for another
escaped idea. At last he said:
Croker and some of his followers are trying
% draw party lines. They can't De drawn any
more than they were with Hastings OF with
anv other political buccaneer. Why. Repubh-
cans Democrats ProhibitOnists and all have
the same opinion of these pirates. And, by the
vvav the policemen feel the same way. too
am verv friendly with the police and the clergy,
which is all the better for me now and here
after, l suppose.
MIR Clemens at this point pulled out a letter
and continued; -,
signed his whole good Irish name. know
him He's pulled out of a scrape many
time Here's what he says:
I want to tell you that the men almost to
a man are for Seth 4"
morist said: We all realize that Tammanys
fundamental principle is monopoly-monopoly OF
office monopoly of the public feed trough,
monopoly of the blackmail dertyable from pro-
tected gambling hes- But 1 mustn't forget
Shepard. / will bring him in right here. He
said not Yesterday or the day before but four
years ago that Tammany Hall was a burning
and disgraceful blot II strikes me he has
changed somewhat. He doesn't think So He
thinks he is the same old Shepard as when he
was going around telling the truth
We'll, / hope that after November D he VIII
go back TO his old flock again. l like the man.
only I'm sorry for him. l believe that will
start out and try TO convert him 70 be an
Acorn
Joseph Johnson, the great oak Of the order,
introduced the speaker. Earlier in the evening
Mr.. Clemens the guest of William F. King
at the Waldorf-Astoria. Other guests were
Judge James A. Blanchard, Recorder John W
Goff District Attorney E A. PhiIbin Jerome
Duval, Ulysses D. Eddy. S. C. Mead r. r.
Walbridge. Robert Wooley, z. Buchignani and
Albert w Schole.