The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-03
Tweed's S Successor Puts Him self on a Pedestal as a Foe to Infamous
 Ring,
RABBI "NARR0W OLD MAN"
Rabbi Wise Had Declared Supreme Court Justices Disgraccd by Att tendance at Crollcr's
 Dinner.

New York Dec. 2,--Richard Croker himself of all those present at Mon day nights dinner, when District At torney Jerome and score of New York judges joined with "Pat" Me Carren, Charlie Murphy, and other politicians gathered to- do him honor was the only man who would mako any reply to-day to the sharp criti- csm by the Rev Dr. Stephen $, Wise, who had characterized if as night of shame for New York
 You can say for mo, said C'roker, in his rooms at the Democratic club, that I don't mean to engage in any controversy with such narrow old man as Rabbi Wise,
 He would begrudge me a welcome from my old friends He calls him self a republican socialist He may be that, but he certainly isn't true socialist. I'm sorry for him. I'd be sorry for any old man who has no more strength of mind than to boast that he has allied himself with the republican party
 Apparently the eX-boss had got Rabbi Wise confused with somebody else, when he called him old The rabbi has only thirty-slX years to his creditl
 T see that he says I'm the success sor of Tweed, continued Croker. Yes, I did succeed Tweed, but some one had to succeed him when he was | put out of business, didn't they? But l he didn't tell the whole truth helped to drive Tweed out of power. put his cronies out of public life, and when things were cleaned up, then | succeeded him, Why shouldn't have done so?
 "I never stood for Tweed or what he did, No man that knows my record ever charged me with that was glad to help beat him. And say now to the republican socialist Rabbi l that the prosecuting officers of this city must have been a pretty poor rt if l am in the same boat with Tweed and they haven't got the goods on me.
 Now, as I said, I don't want to be- 1 gin controversy with this rabbi. He l has a motive for his attack, all right. l sec he has nothing but praise for Roosevelt and Root 1 have nothing against Root, either, but 1 recollect that he was defending Tweed when I was trying to put him behind tho 1 bars.
 Wise isn't consistent when he ties | mo up with Tweed and praises the man that defended him.
 'I see that Wise thinks he scents in | the gathering a desire to begin early an aggressive campaign for the may orally next fall Good ! say to that: He's right If could strength en the hands of my party and make them drop their personal differences, |. would give me more pleasure than anyth'ng else l could do, and make my visit here worth while"
 After delivering himself thus free ly, Croker suddenly grew cautious. He | refused to say what were the diff | fcrences' in the party, or whether he l had any intention of returning to New | York later on in the year and trying l his hand as a peacemaker. He mere. | ly repeated that he was 'out of pol- | ties"
 Part of the speech made by Dr. l Wise was as follows.
 Last night was night of shame for New York city II was night of shame for the twelve supreme court justices, and for Mir. Jerome. who dis graced themselves and dshonored the city by joining in a tribute to tho sue cessor of the boodling Tweed and the predecessor of the unspeakable Murphy
 'I an' sorry for the supreme court justices, and | am sorry for Mir. Jer- omc, for l do not believe that they wanted to go to that dinner, but 1t must be remembered that they lacked the courage to stay away. The citl- l zenship of New York should resolve never to do honor to any man who | lent himself to do honor to the one time botrayer and despoiler of his city, A list of the guests at that din- ner should be published in order that we may know who are the admirers and reverers of Mir. Croker,"