The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-14
A Goat for Tammany

In the homely philosophy of the middle
west of the United States there is saying:
"You can smother pole cat with roses, but
it remains a skunk just the same" This
observation applies with particular force to
Tammany Halls latest scandal growing out
of the attempt to conceal the real facts re-
garding the murder of the millionaire dope
peddlar, gambler "fixer, procurer, panderer,
pay-off man for gangsters and police and
luminary of Tammany politics.
AL Smith, late candidate for Wall Street,
bosom friend and companion of Raskob of
General Motors, who had as his campaign
stock-in-trade brown derby and the side
walks of New York, tried to create the myth
of a "new Tammany," a deodorized, fumi-
gated, perfumed Tammany adorned with hair
oil and spats that had no Connection whatso-
ever with the old grating, putrid Tammany.
1t is true that the explosion of the Queens
sewers in the midst of the presidential cam
paign filled the air with an odor reminis-
cent of the palmiest days of the Wigwam, but
Tammany Borough President Connolly was
loyal to the Organization" and became the
goat.
Now that the republican politicians, the
companions of Bill Ware, the head of the vice
Thompson of Chicago red-light fame, are on
the warpath trying to scalp the Tammany
chieftains in the next city election they have
seized upon the Rothstein murder case as a
means of revealing Tammany as the old
familiar pole cat of the days of Tweed and
Croker and Charlie Murphy.
The administration of the Broadway but
terfIy, Jimmy Walker, is the target for the
attack of the republicans. Since city cleo
ton approaches Tammany must defend its
rule of the city. 1t must stand by Walker
in spite of the fact that none of his pre-
election promises such as completion of sub
ways have been kept In some way it must
pretend that the Tammany administration
has contributed to the 'uplift" of the city.
Also there are considerations involving the
Tammany governor-elect, Franklin D. Roose-
welt, who is being trained for the job as Al.
Smiths successor at the head of the demo-
crat party. Certainly something must be
done about the Rothstein scandal A goat
must be found to shield Jimmy Walker. Al.
Smith and Roosevelt. The goat chosen by the
chiefs of the Wigwam is Jimmy Walkers old
friend and law partner, Joseph E. Warren,
whom he appointed to the job of police COM
missioner, job that offers such splendid
opportunities for enterprising graft.
Warren is said to aspire to promotion"
as judge of the supreme court, where the
graft is more "dignified." Tammany hest
tates to make the appointment at once and
may postpone action until it ascertains
whether the commissioner will protect the
administration in a proper goatlike manner
by taking the full blame for the Rothstein
dope ring affair. The propable successor of
Warren as police commissioner is the elegant
Mr.. Grover Whalen, Tammany politician
who was active in various capacities in the
Hylan administration and who now holds a
100000 a year job as an executive of the
Wanamaker stores. Whalens avocation is
chairman of Mayor Walkers committee on
receptions to distinguished guests" channel
swimmers, male and female aviators mara
thon runners, prize fighters, assorted dipIo-
mats, etc. The successors of Rothstein will
have to present calling cards when they call
on the new commissioner and conduct them
selves in the manner approved by the social
register.
Workers of New York City who have
faced the terror of the uniformed strike
breaking thugs on the picket lines, and at
mass demonstrations should not be fooled by
the tawdry performances of Tammany. They
must be made to realize that graft and cor
ruption is an indispensable part of the
modern city political machine. 1t is essential
to pay the political debts of the horde of
precinct captains, ward-heelers and others
who constitute the workers" in such
machine, whether it is dominated by repub-
licans or democrats.
In the coming campaign, as in past cam
pagns there will be one party that serves
the interests of the working class and that
alone can effectively fight against Tammany
and that is the Workers (Communist) Party