Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-29
A Bold Stroke.

Mayor Jimmy" Walker of New York
to order Tammany officeholders to re-
turn to the grand jury investigating
alleged trafhcking in public offices,
waive immunity and testify is a bold
stroke. 1t cannot fail to stir the resent
ment of the Tammany Tiger, however,
and the Tammany vote in New York
City is vital to the success of Gov.
Roosevelt in his campaign for re-elec-
ton In November. On the other hand,
1t has been clear that Charles H. futile.
the Republican nominee for Governor.
would attack corruption" in New York
City and would seek to align Gov.
Roosevelt with the Democratic organi-
zation there. Indeed, already the word
had gone out that the Republican on
slaught would deal principally with the
corruption issue and would charge Gov.
Roosevelt with failing to do his full
duty toward exposing the Tammany
organization. With the Democratic
state convention slated to open today
In syracuse and Gov. Roosevelts noni-
nation at hand, it was necessary to act
quickly. Tho Governor has acted. What
the effect will be remains to be seen.
The Tammany leaders, headed by
John F. Curry himself, summoned be-
fore the grand jury now investigating
the Ewald and other cases of alleged
purchase of judicial Offices in New York
City, declined to waive immunity and
testify. MFR. Curry, Tammany chief
tain. holds no public Office. Gov.
Rooseyelts demand, therefore, does not
apply directly to Curry, but to those
other Tammany leaders who are on the
municipal pay roll. There are a num-
Der of them holding fat jobs. GOV.
Roosevelt has said very properly that
the declination of city officials to tes-
tify and to waive immunity in so doing
Is contrary to sound public policy"
Certainly the declination of the solid
phalanx Of Tammany leaders summoned
before the grand jury to testify was
making very bad impression on the
public.
Mayor Walker has fallen in with the
views Of Gov. Roosevelt. He will tell
the Tamfnany officials, holding public
ONCE, to 60 back to the grand Jury room
and testify. he has said. Probably, how
ever, Mayor Walker is scarcely more
pleased ut being told by the Governor
of the State what his duty is in this
connection than are the Tammany lead
era Vyhn will noun he avnan&oS a. 1.-a
themselves UP to questioning by the
grand jury. It is one thing for the
mayor to act on his own initiative and
quite another to be told by the Coy
ernor what to do.
If the grand jury turns up additional
cases of graft and corruption in the
city government of New York during
the interval between today and Mo-
vember 4, when the election is held, 1t
is not likely to help the Democratic
cause In New York State. However,
Gov. Roosevelt's demand upon the
Tammany leaders became necessary.
He would be in far worse position II
new scandals were discovered and pub
lished had he kept his hands off. Even
now he is being charged with holding
of too long.
The New York political situation has
taken a strange twist in the last month.
The Republicans have been helplessly
divided in the Empire state. Gov.
Roosevelt's reelection seemed assured
But the nomination of Charles H.
Tuttle, who as United States attorney
has had leading part in showing UP
scandals In the city government Of
New York, on a plank demanding re-
peal Of the eighteenth amendment, has
changed the picture considerably. Gov
Roosevelt and his supporters have
thought that 1t would be possible to
make prohibition the main issue in the
campaign. That issue has now been
taken away. Corrupt government looms
as the main issue. 1t is true that
the professional drys are intent now ON
putting an independent Republican
candidate in the field, who may take
many votes away from Tuttle. On the
other hand. many wet Republicans who
in the past have been content to vote
for the Democratic candidate in New
York are likely to return to their old
party allegiance. With election day
only i've weeks OF. the Democratic
leaders have good deal to worry about.
If all the stories that come out Of
Russia are true, what was once called