New-York tribune., 1911-10-29
CROPSEY SAYS'
Addresses BrookIyniteS on the
Judiciary Nominations Expose.
RIDDLES WILLETT DEFENCE
Intimates McCooey Is Now Due
to Offer Explanations as TO
His Candidates.

Was there ever such scandal IN Kings
County in connection with judicial nomi :
nations? To say that the Democratic
judicial ticket has the taint OF lammanS
upon it is putting it too mildly. Inc SIT.
uation is revolving to all fair minded and
omen minded circumstances G. Crop
sey. addressing the Brooklyn Union
League Club.
James C. Cropsey. the Republican candl-
date for District Attorney in Kings Couh-
tv. at a meeting Of the Union League Ciup
of Brooklyn last night read the afildaVlt III
the complaint in the case against NilliaH'
Berri. Of THE Standardization, ana aiter
reading it said: THAT affidavit shows tha'
Berri was responsible for the article he
wrote. and he could be criminaliy prose
cuted Tor IT.
Concerning the statement given out Dy
ex-Coneressman Willett, Mr.. Cropsey salu
i contained a misstatement Maybe he
will say in his stump speeches about the
county lust what part of the editorial that
Berri wrote he objected TO.
As a matter of fact" continued Mr..
Cropsey. "the whole ticket was the Gre
alton Of McCooey, who acted in obedience
10 his master in Manhattan. Charles +.
Murphy Now McCooey is exercising that
power over the candidates for the judiciary
TO have them sign papers, even though they
Glsapprove Of what those papers contain
Mr.. Cropsey then referred TO the present
election as one of the greatest issues ever
faced in Kings County. He said 1t affected
the integrity of the Supreme Court ana al
forded the spectacle Of judges buying their
nominations.
The meeting waited uneasily nearly two
hours for Mr. Cropsey TO appear. 1t was
brlmming over with curiosity to hear what
he would say about Willett. When he en-
tered the room everybody jumped up and
cheered wildly.
After holding Willetts statement up ana
rlddling il with bullets Of satire and invec-
tive. Mr. Cropsey facetiously remarked
that the county might expect an explana-
tion from McCooey to-day. He hinted
plainly that the plaintiffs in the Bcrri ac-
ton wanted the case to go over until after
election on account Of certain facts Whlci
made it unwise to go on just now. He said
I'm part:
But we need no longer conjecture as to
what the certain facts were Whlch hldue
it unWisc for the criminal prosecution 10
have ever been begun and Impossible toi
that prosecution 10 be carried on success
fully. TWO of the Democratic nominees III
question this afternoon issued statements
that those certain facts" had convinced
them that so far as one Of the three Demo-
cratic candidates for the supreme Court
iudgeshp was concerned there Were
strong grounds for the position taken Py
Mr. Berri and THE Standard Union. In
other words, we have the virtual admission
by two of the three Democratic candidates
that the charge made i'm the publication III
question was true. at least so lar as II
related TO one of their number.
Has there ever been such scandal IN
Kings County i'm connection with judicial
nominations TO say that the Democratic
judicial ticket has the taint OF Iammahy
upon ID is putting IL too mildly. The situa-
tiOu IS revolving To all fair minded ana
open minded citizens The voters OF this
county have repeatedly shown that the
judiciary should be kept not only un-
sullicd. hut free even from suspicion.
Party lines have never been drawn by
voters around judicial candidates. The
voters have always insisted upon Keeping
on the bench good judges, regardless or
their politics. and have been equally in
sstent upon elccting as new Judges those
who are not only best fitted for the Office,
but against whom there cannot be any
thing said and as 10 whom there is not
even the suspicion Of anything improper.
A. this has been true in years past, 1t
must be especially true this year, IN the
face Of the exposures and admissions that
have now been made. This year the voter
who insists upon Keeping the judiciary on
the high plane that II has maintained Will
cast his ballot for ,he candidates I'm the
Republican column as q protection alike
to himself and his interests and the inter
csts of the residents of the district and a
rcbuke TO the methods which made possible
the nomination Of the Democratic candi-
/ dates