Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-31
The New York Graft.

There il no occasion To be surprised at
the size of the sum alleged 10 have been
collected annually in New York by the
police grafiers from the gamblers and
other promoters of vice in the metropolis,
rs indicated in the revelations of one of
the members of the Rosenthal murder
gang who has turned states evidence.
The truth is that $2.ash.OO0 year is not
out of proportion to the services which.
according to the disclosures, have been
rendered. ii is worth several million dol
lars year to those who are playing
crooked games and maintaining establish
menti that are forbidden by law 10 be
allowed to ply their vocations without
hindrance. In the old days before the
reform wave that temporarily swept Tam
many out of power even larger sums
were collected by the police syndicate for
itself and the men higher up Yet this
is not to argue that the police of New
York ana those whose agents they are
in this corrupt game have been moderate
IN their demands. They have probably
exaeted as heavy a toll they thought
the traffic would bear. Indeed. they seem
10 have gone just little too far, for 1t
was the excessive pressure put upon
RosenthaI that caused him to "SqueaT
and thus precipitate the tragedy that has
resulted in the uncovering of the truth
Interest in the actual killing of Rosen-
thai is subordinated to the question of
the police graft system, who got the
money from the gamblers and other
vicious promoters, how 1T was divided
and how far into the municipal adj
ministration the corruption ran. The dis
trict attorney is working hard to trace
the scandal to the end. He has worked
from the start on the principle of using
the little fellows to catch the bigger
ones. He first got from the driver of
the murder motor the names of the
men who hired his machine and prom
ised him immunity from prosecution in
exchange for this information. Now he
has got on the same terms from the trio
Of gamblers who managed the assassina-
ton information that duplicates lieu
tenant of police not merely in the kill
ing of Rosenthal. but in the handling of
police graft money. and he has in turn
indicated that Becker might gain at
least partial immunity by confessing and
giving Information leading 10 complete
uncovering of the whole game of cor
ruption that has been played in the po-
after the men higher up. with a success
thus far that promises results
Meanwhile Mayor Gaynor, whose posi-
ton in this affair has been unfortunate
from the outset is forced by the con-
fessions of the three gamblers to yield
10 the demand of members of the board
Of aldermen TO call a special meeting of
that body for the purpose OF starting an
fnypSfipatipn pf
An aldermanic investigation might pos
siby bring important disclosures But
much more likely to be productive OF re-
suits will be the probe of the prosecuting
officer, whose ordinary instruments of
dissection have BE- q keenly sharpened by
the confessions and the evidence which
lie has obtained through them
Usually the first thought that arises in
connection with municipal graft disclo-
sure is as 10 its possible political effect.
In this case. however. there is likely TO
pe but. small result from the uncovering
of the denominations in the New York
police department, as far as the popular
vote is concerned Mayor Gaynor's term
does not expire until a year from next
January. and by that time probably the
average New Yorker will have forgotten
aH about the corruption and the Rosen-
jilal murder will have become faint
memory 10 the majority. So. short of re-
movals and designations from Office di-
Tecfly due 10 the scandal there is little
likelihood Of changes in the municipal or
ganization. New York is not apt TO be
deeply shocked very long over the reve-
latiOn OF criminal alliance between the
roliCe force and the criminal classes
These things have happened before. and
me great tragedy of the whole situation
Is that they looked upon by large
part OF the metropolitan population as
inevitable