New-York tribune., 1901-12-05

| DER cent thus providing the much needed auto-
matte elasticity of currency
| THE SWAN SONG OF RICHARD CROKER
| On the assumption that there is no string at
| tached to Mr. Croker's retirement from the lead
| ership of Tammany Hall, it may be said that
nothing in his career as the head or the Orgau-
| ization has so well become him as the manner
| in which he announces his more or less volun-
| tary decapitation. No one could suppose from
reading the reports in yesterdays papers OF the
| interview to which he invited their representa-
tlves that he had been conscienceless despot
for many years and working for his own pocket
ali the time His remarks are rather those or
a political sage just escaping from long
martyrdom of public service and preparing TO
reward himself with period OF well earned re-
pose He talks in mild and pensive strain,
which takes a tinge of gloom as he reflects
upon the long labors which have shattered his
health and compelled him TO depart in search
of the rest which he Is never able to find iii
this country where the reporters camp around
him, however great his need Of solitude. The
only thing that temporarily arouses him from
this mood of gentle melancholy is an intimation
that his heart does not beat quite as warmly
for his adopted land as it used TO. With rather
more fervor than deiicacy of expression he de-
cares that idea TO be rot; but under the cir
cumstances the Characterization may be par
doned, for nothing is more certain than the be-
lief that his exploitation as the Squire of Wan
tage cost Tammany a great many votes at the
recent election.
1t has to be admitted, however that Mr. Gro
ker's estimate of the temporal insignihcance of
his visits abroad is subject to some slight re-
vision. His understanding of the matter seems
to be that he goes to England occasionally for
little while to reeuperate. whereas the cold
and supposedly repulsiye fact is that his latest
sojourn there lasted about ten months. He
sailed on November Is. 1900, and did not resume
the freedom of this city until September II.
1901. He will leave us again. and the
common impression is that lie will not return
earlier than the opening of the municipal cam
paign of 1903 But without attempting to pene-
trate the future, it is fair 10 say that the past
is considerably less secure from the residential
point of view than he would like to believe
However, it might be ungracious to intrude upon
his weary spirit the prevalent conviction that
many thousands of Irish American voters had
it in for him" this account. for he pays an
exceedingly handsome tribute TO the power Of
the press Of which duly appreciatiye.
He says there is no use in looking around for
other causes of the Tammany eclipse. One
cause was sufficent-the opposition of all the
newspapers in New-York. II might be remarked
in passing that all the newspapers In New-i ork
would not have been against Iammany govern
ment if it had not been quite as black as Mr.
Edward NJ Shepard painted it Il few years ago,
or if such a miracle could have been accom-
pshed that their united hostility would not
have sufficed to overthrow a virtuouS admins
traton.
This community has not heretofore been war
ranted in looking to Mr.. Croker 'for doctrine,
'for reproof, for correction, for instruction In
Righteousness and should hardly say even
now that the time had arrived for such an ap-
plication: but there is no reason why it should
not accept warning from him when he offers
one like this: "A defeat once in while is Il
good thing for any organization. After the
''f,lsonists have been in office couple of years
"the people will that the Tammany admin
''istration not such bad thing after all.
I'VE have been downed before by reform move
''ments, and we always up stronger than
''ever after few years. 1t will be the same
"story in 1903. Tammany-i is close to the COM
'.mon people of New-York.' Now, there is no
possibility that the conduct of public affairs
during the last four years will ever be vindi-
Gated by what may occur at some later period;
neither Is there the slightest reason to doubt
that the next administration will be an immense
Improvement upon that which is now drawing
to close But the fact remains that if the
triumphant assertion of municipal decency
which has lately been Witnessed proves to be Il
mere spasm of virtue, and the reputable public
relapses into that too familiar state of indiffer
ence which has given the industrious forces of
evil so many opportunities 1t will be almost as
hard 10 keep Tammany out of power two years
hence as 1t was to turn il out last month.
Furthermore. whatever the fact may be now,
il was true for long time that Tammany was
''close to the common people of New-York." 1t
got and stayed close by constantly exhibiting a
keen interest in them and by policy of benev-
olence which was proiigate but practical. There
is lesson in that state of relations and its re-
suits which the opponents of Tammany need
to learn and to apply with equal skill in blame
less ways.