New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-26
The Bank Accounts Higher Up.

Tho hank accounts in District Attorney Whitman
possession will soon tell the story. Mr. Sulzer swearS
that Senator OGoman told him that Gafney was
Nlurpbvs chief bagman. Gafney received large
sums Of money from contractors obtaining contracts
from oficeholders under the boSSs control. lie
received il in payment for advice" and as cam
paicn contributions" And according 10 Stewart
the contractor who was Senator OGormans client
he sought much more than he go-vaSt sums that
were too much either for advice or for campaign
purposes. but which looked like percentage of the
contracts awarded or to be awarded by Murphy
men in office.
Where did the money collected by Gaffney for
advice" or otherwise go? Did he keep it all him
self: or did others share in it? Specifically ala
anv Of il go 10 the boss who controlled the Office
holders having the power OF life and death over
the contractors who contributed" or who paid CAN
ncy for advice: The collection Of this money
NAV have been within the law or it may not. he
money may have been "honeSt graft for the Tam
many politicians who were not odicehoders, or it
may have been just plain thieying graft But the
public wants to know where it went
II cannot see Gaffney active without suSpecring
Murphy Moreover. it remembers that Sulzer, who
seems 10 have told great deal Of truth about graft
swears that Murphy said he attending TO the
case Of Stewart. who sQueang. while CARNEY
tried to get $4,000 out Of him for advice or
something else. Everywhere in this whole business
Murphy appears. Murphy offceholders awarding or
refusing contracts. Murphy agents approaching
contractors with advice or something else Murphy
legislature decaptating the GOvernor-the nell oil
q Governor'-whO was making trouble with the
.svstem"-everywhere the hand of Murphy is Wis
ible except i'm closing upon the coin. Whether 1t
closed upon the coin the bankbookS in Mr.. Whit
mans possession will show. The boss has no ground
for complaint that ne is under suspicion. Men have
been hanged upon not much better evidence than
exists against him. If he had no part in the con.
Spiracy to use the machinery of the state govern
ment as a means of extortion he should put every
handbook that he owns in the District Attorneys
possession as to clear himself
If the bankbooks tell who got the highway graft
it will be because Of the foolish reliance Of polih-
clans in the safety of taking bills Take only
cash perhaps d wise rule in the old cheap days
when graft ran in tens and hundreds But what
more damnug could have upon him than
$4,000 or $4,000 IN bills? Men like those whose
/ hankbooks are in Mr.. Whitman'S possession do not
do business in cash to that amount Something has
10 he done with bills If they appear the record
Of banks the amount and the date will establish a
moral if not legal certainty of graft.
BY obtaining these bank accounts Mr. Whitman
has followed the highway and canal graft trail
higher up than he ever succeeded in following the
police graft trail If any of the ocehOlders shared
in the graft their act was clearly crime and with
a crime established against any of them the
District Attorney will have powerful means of
learning the criminal responsibility, if any. of the
bosses behind them all the way TO the Man High