The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-29
OFFICIALS FIGHT OFFICIALS.

The graft prosecutions in New York
have resulted in state OF affairs anal
ogous TO that which prevailed during
the American administration in this
city as between the authorities of the
city and OF the county. It will be re-
membered that here the county author
tiles made it their special business to
make war upon the city authorities,
thwart the city's officisldom, and to
"put over upon the city as much
odium as it was possible unscrupulous-
ly to do. Precisely so in New York
now. The police department. with the
backing Of Commissioner Waldo and
Mayor Gaynor, are at war with the
District Attorney office in that city,
Mr.. Whitman, the District Attorney, is
fought by the police department as its
deadly foe. Commissioner Waldo, at
the head Of that department. Furnishes
Inspector Dwyer, who has aided Dis
trict Attorney Whitman. Inspector
Dwyer placed himself and his assist
ants at the disposal of the District
Attorney in his search for graft and
his efforts to punish murderers and
grafters. Thereupon Commissioner
Waldo, evidently with the consent Of
Mayor Gaynor, who is denouncing
"the venal press" for its exposures of
graft in the police department, de-
grades Inspector Dwyer and breaks
up his staff of assistants,
This is fairly taken to be notice to
all honest officials in the police depart.
ment that if they aid District Attor-
ney. Whitman in his efforts to purify
the police force and correct abuses in
New York City they will do so at their
peril and under the censure of the
head of the police department and of
the Mayor. The city administration,
in resisting the District Attorneys ef-
forts to expose and punish graft, still
maintains its obstinate position that
there is no graft to punish and that
there are no criminals to convict.
Still, Commissioner Waldo is power
less to stop the progress of the Dis.
trict Attorney by any punishment he
can mete out to honest policemen. The
treatment Of Dwyer serves only to re-
mind the public that the Gaynor ad-
ministration is still doing its ipeffec-
tual utmost to block exposure of the
System this being the pertinent
comment Of the New York Tribune on
the situation. Still, the grafters ap-
- he he oil
was punished and Inspectors Hayes
and Stanton were dismissed from the
department for aiding the District At
torney with evidence Of guilt on the
part of police officials; and it is fur
ther explained that "the Gaynor- Wal.
do policy of attending to- witnesses
against the gTafters grows weak and
timid, especially now as the time for
the next mayoralty election begins to
draw near
There is no question of the vicious
ness Of a system which arraigns one
set Of public officials against another,
whether this is put into effect in New
York or in Salt Lake. Mayor
Gaypor, in assuming the attitude that
he does, simply puts himself out Of the
running for Mayor, although he has
given out that he desires a reelection.
But to elect Gaynor again as Mayor of
New York, under all the clouds
that have gathered about him, would
seem to be absolutely out of the aues-
ton. Even Tammany would not have
the nerve TO put him up as its caudi-
date. II it did, defeat would be as
sured; and with that defeat a weaken.
ing blow would be inflicted upon Tam
many's power, and Tammany will
hardly be expected to agree to a dam
aging blow against itself.