The Van Buren press., 1901-01-12
FRANK MOSS SPEAKS 0(JI.
The Ex-president of the New York
Police Board Talks About
"Things in General"
The ANIMUS OF THE WAR AGAINST VICE.
He Suggests n Looking bshind 'ne
Scenes to See What Greater EVIL
IL is Sought to Shield-Who are
the Men That are Fastening Upon
Special Privilegesf

New York. Jan. 9.-Frank Moss, eX'
president of the board of police com
missioners, speaking at the Unlversai
Thought salon, at Winterburn hail. on
the topic, Things in General blamed
the men who buy special privileges
for municipal misrule in New York.
He said among other things:
Look Behind the Veil.
"This unanimous pointing to poor
Senator Sullivan, Martin Engel, Per-
cy Nagle and Devery is suspicious. 1t
is suspicious that all the newspapers
agree in attacking vice. 1t is sus-
picious that Tammany itself points to
the particular vices of gambling and
disorderly houses. | am inclined to
look behind and see what greater evil
is shielded. The men who might start
an organization to overthrow Tam
many are themselves guilty of doing
particularly the same thing. Then
men who have been building up this
system of corruption know that the
men who were in control in New York
life were buying privileges and were
fattcning upon upon the fruits OF spe-
c;hl purchased privileges.
missiOners ns Guilty as Devery.
"Devery is bad enough, but he is n
mere creature, a mere product. The
commissioners are as guilty as Dew
cry, yet they talk of taking one of
them to the single head of the depart
mept. He is the very man who broke
his faith with the chief with whom he
had no fault to find, to put Mr.. Dew
very where he is at the behest OF
politicians and gamblers. There has
been all this discussion about vice, but
he has done nothing. There has not
been a single trial, but he is not the
ultimate criminal. He is the creature
of u system.
The Drains Behind Croker.
"Crokcr j. certainly an Object
against which we have to turn our
batteries, but | don't know that he is
the worst one. There are men in New
York who are great financial powers,
and who Lave been furnishing the
brains for Tammany hall for years
and profitng by it, and they have
been using the rough man who is the
nominal head to control the masses
and they have given him the rough
mans price,
Enormous Value OF Privileges.
Mr.. Moss described the enormous
value OF the subways as an illustra-
ton of the special privileges which he
said certain few men were interest
ed in, and he said that it was to pro-
tect them in the enjoyment of that
monopoly that they maintained Tam
many and through iammary pre-
vented construction of lh. pipe
galleries, which wonld carry wires in
competitor with tn subway:
The Condition as II Exists.
"This is the condition, yet the mis-
VIuplV publiN ~ uIouS'u oN'i uIN'o
and gambling dens and the holders Of
special privileges slyly say, Wen see
see II we can't get the reformers to
put in nomination for mayor some
man VINO won't interfere with our
special privileges.
would End Him II lie Told.
"One of the biggest builders In New
York said to me: "'If | were to tell
you some of my experiences IL would
turn the city upside down.
"'Why Cont YOU tel, me? sad.
"Oh, ii would end rur.' was the re.
ply.
Men Dare Not speak out.
"What whiteliyered men we are in
New AK! have seen men turn pale
when | suggested that they speak out
Though vice is bad IL is not the wors,
thing, II II was not for corruption In
business life there would not be 10
much In politics. One can be rail.
road wrecEer or nm rbsorlcr &C cor.
porations and be considered respecta.
BILE. The strife that Is now on will 90
on until race Of men who have pa.
triotism and civic pride win redeem