New-York tribune., 1905-11-05
IAWBREAKERS FEAR HIM.

,,,,., .,o ..roa enersy Mr Jerome has fought
AGAINST ''shyster' lawyers, against the ois"11
,,ad hands OF thieves who plundered heIcii'ii'o
,p-o,,Fh the aid of clerks, against graA1l44s
labor leaders and against gangs OF desperaooeS
NJ tho "Monk" Eastman type. MONK f@aS'
man for example boasted that no one oaleu 10y
hands on him. Again and again he had peeh
.+d orI,, 10 be released Jerome sent MIN
10 Sing Sing.
Vet the fact that Tammany does not assam
thu honsxtv of Mr. Jerome should not make
o,,izans forget this all important characteristic
~ the man In the District Attorneys ONCE
nsrsonaI integrity is indeed the chief requisite
AS soon as there is any likelihood or money
making its power felt in that department OF the
city's government the whole machinery OF GRIM
tnaI Justice is endangered. The opportunities
for graft for a District Attorney are unilm-
tied and even II he is not corrupdble himself
he NAV allow corruption to pervert those ABOUT
him from lack of watchfulness.
Mr. Jerome knows full well what graft is IN
the office which he now holds. When a young
man he was appointed an assistant district at
tornev. and he had chance to see how it was
run under Tarmany administration. Croker
was then boss of the city. After few months
Of experience he discovered that the Office, in
stead CT fighting certain lawhreakers was in
stead protecting them. He saw how convicting
evidence against dangerous criminals was sys-
tefnatically pigeonholed how affldavits and i'm
portant court records disappeared, whole Sc
ries OF discriminating testimony vanished from
the office. It sickened him. and he left the Of
fee, and later. when as judge OF Special Ses-
sions he had come to the front as the avowed
enemy Of gamblers and political bIackmaers,
he referred to what he had learned by saying:
The vast system of blackmail in this city is
known by every one, but the District Attorneys
have never done anything to root 1t out When
you have in this position man who Is aggres-
svely honest and does not sit and wait for
crime to rub against him, you may look for
revelations and reforms where you little think
1t now
The people Of New-York County put Mr. Je-
rome In this Office and they have had ample
evidence that he has been ''aggressively honest"
Even the gamblers have come to admire him,
and. strange as it may seem, some going TO
vote for him next Tuesday. The reasons for
such support were fairly expressed the other
Gay by racetrack man. who wandered into the
Jerome headquarters and laid down $50 which
ne had won. so he said. "on the ponies"
Il says TO rnsyelf, says l." he began ''afore I
put up q little bet IF I win this it goes to the
campaign fund Of the guy that runs the District
Attorneys Office We people know our game,
We rscetrack people. It's against Ine law and
We have 10 fight every day. but Jerome fights
fair He's on the level and works for a salary.
There's no graft In his. and were tired of
paying for goods and not getting them This
nfty is all right 'Taint tainted"
NO SHAM FIGHTER.
But the enemies of Jerome say that his hghts
against various kinds of evil have been more
Spectacular than real. Such criticism may easily
oe shown TO be unfounded.
Nea-lr- gamblers have