New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-23
WHITMAN BOOM
ON FIRM GROUND
Dinner at AIdine Club Develops
Unusual Sentiment for His
Promotion in City's
Service to Mayor.
DR.. ABBOTT TAKES LEAD
More Taffy and Less 'Epitaphy'
His Text-Guest in Reply Gives
High Praise to Subordinates,
to Courts and Grand
and Petit Juries.


!, to Courts and Grand
and Petit Juries.
Charles s. Whitman, District At
torney, who ''has delivered" as one
speaker put II. received his first public
spoken meed Of praise for the work he
has accomplished, at a dinner at the
Aldine Club last night. With the open
ing OF the after dinner oratory Charles
/. Patton, president of the club, an
nounced that II was not the purpose OF
the club TO launch any boom for any
one, but in spite Of the warning the
idea hovered close to almost every word
| that was uttered that Whitman could
and should finish as Mayor the Job Of
civic housekeeping he has started as
District Attorney.
DR.. Lyman Abbott set the pace for the
evening when he said In his opening
words: I'VE have come not to praise
but to pledge him our support in the
service which he is to render to his city
in the future"
Remarking, then, that he intended to
speak plainly, DR.. Abbott spoke of the
obstacles which Mr.. Whitman had sur
mounted. There was peril to life in the
| job, he said. but II was not that which
appealed to him as the greatest OBJ
stacle.
"We Responded to Him."
TT was that this man stood facing
the police-the chilllness and reserve,
If not the opposition. OF the Mayor Of
the city. and fought for what was right
and clean until our courage was
aroused by his courage and we re-
sponded to him."
Robert Underwood Johnson, who fol-
lowed DR.. Abbott, spoke even more
| plainly what was evidently In the
minds of all the diners when he said:
I'VE are on the eve OF q campaign
which cannot be called political. II is
campaign in which we Will be fight
/ ing for our lives, a war to rid our
selves of this great incubus. II is idle
, TO say that Tammany Hall is not re-
sponsible for the state Of affairs that
puts our city in the hands OF the
CRATER There are many fatalists who
seem to think that we must always be
| tied to this juggernaut of inlquity. I
tell you that the most appalling thing
in this whole affair is that the under
world has believed II impossible for
protected vice TO be exposed"
DIR. Abbott, before his pointed refer
ence to the stand Mayor Gaynor took
| I'm the early days OF the Becker case,
drew a picture of what he called "the
loneliness Of a great public official"
and declared that the great need or our
civic life was to have neighborly
sort of public opinion which would
show it's support of such an official In
his daily work.
More "Taffy," Loss "Epitaphy."
He said he believed thoroughly in
that sentiment expressed in the words,
"A little more 'taffy' while we live and
q little less 'epitaphy' when we die" A
! great dramatic event like this, he said,
aroused the people so that they re-
snonded, but ordinarily such man as
| Whitman fought graft and dishonor In
the city's life without any dramatic
surroundings, and fought 1t practically
alone.
"Real Justice includes wrath against
crime. not once in while. but per-
nnanept and forceful," the doctor said,
| and he believed that preachers should
emphasize that thought from their pull
pits.
Edward ]. Wheeler called the atten-
tion of the gathering to the fact that
Whitman was born in Berea, Ohio,
which he called "the grittiest place on
earth" He explained that the whoie
town was one immense sandstone
quarry. and opined that whitman must
have imbibed q big share OF II early
| in his career.
Walter II. Page declared the TWO
most striking things about the case
and IL was noticeable that not single
sneaker mentioned the name OF Roseh-
thai or Becker, were the revelations OF
the underworld which Whitman iaid
hare to the eye Of the community ana
| the promptness with which the cnief
offenders were convicted.
Mr.. Whitman prefaced his ADDRESS
with the remark that 1t was difhcuit
70 say anything after what he mad been
listening to, and then proceeded 10
above over all possible credit to his
associates in the District Attorneys
oft,cs 70 the courts. to the grand and
oo,it turies. and even to "sone OF" the
police. ,
Hjah Praise for subordinates.
nrrvarv man associated with me In
INV once" he said. has tried to be the
nInd of man that you gentlemen have
said ! am"
". said the men in his office had
| han doing the same kind Of honest
and faithful work right along, and with
the explanation that he was speaking
for them, he said: II think events OF
the last few months have demonstrated
20 the good people Of this city-and
,bov're In the vast majority-and to the