Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-11
New YOrk'a RefOrmers.

The reform elements in New York have
| their troubles in almost every brush with the
enemy. When fusion would have beaten
Tammany without difficulty, the political
elements naturally opposed to the machine
failed to fuse and thus the Crokerites had
an easy victory. Now that another cam
paign is about to open and there is need
of unbroken harmony throughout the
ranks of those opposed to the corrupt adj
ministration, there are evidences already
that the zeal of the workers is tagging,
and that there is serious difference of
opinion as to the proper methods to pursue.
| The committee of fifteen, which has been
hard at work for some time raiding gam
bling joints, exposing the corruption of the
police and in general stirring things up to
stimulate the public resentment against
Tammany, has developed a case of serious
internal dissent There is dissatisfaction
with Justice Jerome, who has attacked the
gambling evil openly and vigorously and
who has come very near to detecting and
exposing the mysterious missing link which
binds the gamblers to the police system.
There is talk of withdrawal of support by
the moneyed men who are financing the re-
form enterprise, and, of course. if this is
done the movement will cease, for the in
vestigatiOns and raids cost heavily.
These misunderstanding fortunately
come at an early stage of the campaign,
and may be reconciled in season for the
fight itself. For it will be great fight,
taxing the energies of all the people of the
metropolis who wish for decent govern
rnent. Tammany has the advantage of be-
ing on the defensive and of, therefore, hav-
ing no necessity to devise ways and means
of attack There is little danger to the
machine of a dispute within the ranks as
to the best method. Silence and conceal
ment are the cardinal principles of resist
ance, policy simple that even the most
obtuse heller of the East Side can follow
it., On the other hand, the reformers must
expose corruption. identify the corrup-
ticniSts and demonstrate Enthusiastically that
Tammany is unfit to rule. This has been
done in part again and again, but it must
be done once more, thoroughly, and
brought home to the honest but Indifferent
voter. He must be aroused to realize that
New York is in danger of degeneracy and
robbery through a continuance of the ma
chine in power. He must be kept at this
point of conviction until election day, and
then persuaded to vote for reform.
1t is a grave question whether this re-
suit is best obtained by rafding gambling
houses at this period of the proceedings.
Every intelligent New Yorker knows that
the gamblers thrive in the city, and upon
the fruits of bribery. 1t is not the present
function of the reform committees to take
over the duties of the police but to
demonstrate to the public how inefficient
and dishonest the police are. Therefore,
the raids should be illustrative. not cor
receive. The purpose of the honest citi
zen is to create a wholesome public senti
ment task Of extreme difficulty in the
metropolis. where the civic conscience
seems to have been dulled by years of cor
rupt rule and the liberation and exploita-
ton of vice and crime.