El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-16

that the influence IF other Tammany
leaders without Croker would be I'M
speakably bad. The 10000 men who
have surrendered their citizenship to
Croker might do far worse with it. In
all their ignorance and greed and men
dacity they might use that citizenship.
If the time ever comes when they do
use it unrestrained by the intervening
agency of Croker or his heirs or as
signs. heaven protect wealth and social
order in New York city, Take away
the steel hoops of Tammany from the
social dynamite, and let il go kicking
around under the feet of any cheap agi-
tator who may come by with his head
in the clouds. and then look out for the
fireworks. A cautious rascal is safer
than a demagogue. A corrupt king is
rather to be chosen than the anarchy
of million hungry despots. Croker
has his place in the scheme of things.
The system that has made him a king
out of a ruffian grows out of the de-
mand for ruffian kings. 1t is case of
supply and demand. Some natural
law governs the relations between the
two.
Into the Tammany grist mill. with
benevolence and civic corruption for
its upper and neither stones. the crop
of Ellis island is dumped. The grist
comes out kind of citizen; a poor
kind. indeed. but a better kind than
no citizen. And with all the mould
of feudaliSm which the Tammany mill
preserves. the Tammany- made citizen
is more trustworthy than the citizen
that Herr Most would make. or than
that the red Anarchist would make.
And that is Tammany or the dyna-
miterS. The good citizens up town
may contribute funds for charity which
is done through this. that or the other
institution. The good citizen may go
so far as to send a few political tracts
to the tenementS, or to send an officer
to kick up fuss about the number of
people who sleep or work in one room
"a fuss which only irritates the tene-
ments and proves to them for the hum
dredth time that the reformers are en-
mics of the poor. The good citizen up
town may even send young men and
young women down to live in the tene-
ments. But the anarchist and the
Tammany precinct captain are bro
theirs of the people. flesh of their flesh. |
bone of their bone. They understand
and are understood. Also. when the |
Tammany man rises in the world. he |
comes back to his kith and kin. not |
as scientist examining bugs; not as |
an evangelist announcing the last call |
from long and prosperous |
journey. with an open hand and warm |
heart
For Tammany breaches contentment- |
II tolerates no Jeremiahs. Its phil
sophy is eat. drink and be merry: fight |
he enemy and knife the traitor: and |
Richard Croker. late of the Fourth Az
.nue Tunnel gang. late precinct cap
ain. late district leader. and now hal
owed with such divinity as doth
hedge "A king is the same Dick Croker
Who ran the caucus and clustered
lbout the polls twenty-five years ago
lie will do as much for friend as he
would in the old days. and the friends
MORALS interest him no more than his
owe affair or the color of his hair. An
'ther reason why Dick Croker of the
Fourth Avenue Tunnel gang is safer
han the anarchist to control the mill
hat is turning the raw material of the
teerage into American citizens. is that
,roker desires to he a gentleman. The
narchist likes his gentleman on a spit
n rather underdOne. Il
When Croker is in America. he lives
I the Democratic club. which may be
escribed as the st. James of the
'ammany nobility. There gather the
eauty and chlvalry of the institution |
D. l.,
aptains of police. the chancellor of the
Xchequer. the lord mayor. the keeper
the buckhounds. courtiers, mobiles ,
nd gentry. and his sacred ma jeSty the ,
ing. all assemble there to pass quiet {,
our discussing matters of state. This
club is quartered in a high.
rCwn stone structure well up toward |;
entral park. on Fifth avenue. where
entlemen pass the door all day and as +,
tie at night as gentlemen are out of =
ed. Here are four floors upon which
es thick velvet carpet-bought. they q
ill tell you. by the chief meaning =,
roker. Complete sets of fat leather
lrniture and sets of gilded spider
gged chairs and divans. also selected !,
' the chief" are set against the wall \,
hereOn glowing pictures. framed in =
Did. hang exactly on the line. in the -
iut-up throne room of a parlor. A
brary. where are government reports :,
I'd broken sets of editions de luxe of .
reign novelists. is conveniently near -
Re card room. and under the roof is a -
ming room. splendid with much fine =,
I'D. where the court frescoer has ;,
formed the ceiling with sanity pic ~
res of the democratic fathers. with =,
legoric scenes in pea-green and blue ~
ON American history. and at each =,
rner of the fresco with the smiling :,
tistied face of a tiger on an ami :,
lted bust" II is unnecessary to add -
at this room Expresses in terms of .,
rm and color the orison singing in -
@ kings heart. -,
In the royal palace Croker is treated | \
tn all the pomp and circumstance Y,
at become a king. When he enters of
g dining room robust conversation A
sps into silence until Croker is seat III
he, he. I.afI fal1 | /.