New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-04
THE CRAFT INVESTIGATION.

The membership OF the legislative graft
investigating committee is not reassur-
ing TO those who fear from the Legs
lature's attitude toward an investigation
as exhibited IN the resolution adopted
that the inquiry will not be pressed with
sufficient vigor to be completely success
full. Those who all along opposed an IN
vestigation. who are responsible for the
adoption of a resolution that so circum-
scribes the inquiry as 10 make the out
come dubious, and who at the recent
special session declined TO broaden the
inquiry SO as to make IL more surely
fruitful completely dominate the COM
mittee. With the exception of Senator
Allen. there is no outright supporter of
Governor Hughes on the committee. No
Assemblyman who was ardently in favor
Of an inquiry or who sought TO have
proper resolution of inquiry adopted was
chosen 10y Speaker Wadsworth to take
part in the conduct of the investigation.
And. on the other hand, the naming of
Assemblyman Merritt and Assemblyman
Young who as leading members of Mr.
Wadsworth's machine and who followed
him in his bitter opposition to an inves-
tigation. cannot be regarded as otherwise
than unfortunate.
The investigation. from which much
was expected short time ago, thus will
begin under a resolution that hobbies
the committee and was designed to
hcbble il. and it will be chiefly in the
hands of men who were opposed TO any
inquiry at all. The public will therefore
be extremely critical of the committees
work. For what it does or fails to do
the Republican party will be held respon-
sible in the coming campaign. If it does
not proceed in an unsparing way that
will win public confidence TO expose
every trace of graft and corruption 1t
can find. its work will only serve to
deepen the impression created by the re-
cent special session that the Republican
organization has turned its back upon the
leadership of Colonel Roosevelt and Gov
ernor Hughes and is following Messrs.
Barnes. WadSworth and Woodruff.
Faulty as the resolution is and unfor-
tunate as the policy was of putting the
inquiry in the hands of its enemies, it IS
still possible for the committee TO make
IFS work fruitful TO the public and use
full TO the Republican party 1t will do
50 if it realizes its responsibilities. 1t
may if it acts with vigor, bring out the
whole truth, of which the Aids revela-
tions were only one CLEAN. The sealed
books of the corrupt relations between
business interests and politics may be
opened. Here in the greatest business
state in the Union the whole story Of
how representative government was per-
verified and how special interests pro-
cured unfair opportunities may be e1-
posed as lesson TO a self-governing peo-
pie It matters very little if the raking
over of old scandals affords little or no
business for grand iuries. 1t cannot fail
TO be full of instruction to the people and
TO improve the moral tone of public life.
To begin right the committee should
secure counsel whose names will inspire
public confidence. Men of force and in
dependence should be sought whose char
acter is a guarantee that the inquiry will
be thorough. No greater mistake could
be made than the naming of counsel
who will be recognized as being related,
even if not very closely, TO the organi-
zation which won n victory at Albany
when the graft resolution was put
into its present form.