The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-11-08

VI UcluS SuOWu, DS6luc ICdNlA6 plSuty
Ct money for all incidental expenses.
THE PEOPLE STILL RULE.
Probably nobody more fully under
stands the meaning of the results of
last Tuesdays election in New York
than does Richard Croker. AS soon as
ed the boss resigned his position as
leader Of Tammany. BY this act he
admitted that the people had grown
tired Of him and his rule of corrup-
ton and gave proof of his acceptance
of Shepard's defeat as a personal re-
buke to himself. He acknowledged
that the charges which have been
made that ii elected Shepard would
only be a tool of Tammany were true
and that the fight had not been n
between political parties, but a strug-
| gle between those standing for all
that is high in citizenship and honesty
! in municipal government and a gang
bent upon plundering the public and
growing rich off the spoils to be made
by looting the public treasury and ex-
acting tribute from vice and immor-
atty. Still his loyalty to his band of
freebooters is commendable and it is
a pity that he could not have shown
himself possessed of the same loyalty
to the people. When he found him
self repudiated and the system for
which he has stood SO long disowned
he resigned his leadership and turn
ed over the command to some n
whom he thought would be more &C.
ceptable to the people because prob
ably not so well known and therefore
more likely to be able to again secure
ascendency for Tammany. 1t is not
! probable, however, that the ruse, will
succeed or that the change will be re-
sultant Of any benefits to the corrupt
organization for a long time to come.
Even though John Carroll has been
crowned king of Tammany, Croker
will always be regarded as the power
behind the throne and no matter who
may pose as the ostensible head of it,
the people know that Croker is still
actively identified with the organiza-
ton and that the other man is mere
ly a puppet who must and will do his
bidding.
Should Cookers retirement be com
main as a menace to public decency
and the well spring of d%ebauchery
and corruption in public affairs. No
matter who may be it's leader, it will
still be Tammany and so long as it
remains an organized body having for
it's sole object of existence the control
Of the politics of New York City so
long will it be regarded in the same
light as it has been regarded in the
past and the people will be suspicious
of it. However, there is fortunately
little likelihood of it's again acquiring
the power of which it has just been
| shorn and the administration of which
the city is now assured will prove
| so much different to those that have
preceded it for many years that the
people will hesitate long and think
hard before they will again take the
risk of turning over the municipal
| government to the men whom they
have 10Y kicked out.
The result of the election is the
source of congratulation to the entire
nation, for it is proof that though
slow to anger and often long in turn
ing, the American people can be de-
pended upon to assert themselves at
times and do that which makes for
honest government and purity in pub
lie affairs. The battle won by the
decent element Of New York is one
of the greatest ever fought in the
country and in far reaching results
is but little short of a national cleo
ton Itself.