Nearly forty years ago Boss Tweed got away with something like four million dollars from the city of New York. This startled the entire country. But when Mr. Croker went to Europe a few years ago, he is said by the “Boys” to have taken with him a fortune of fifteen millions cash! Tweed’s roll looks more like thirty cents alongside of Croker’s, and his successor, Charley Murphy, shows no signs of poverty thus far. If there is a bigger grafting institution in the country than this place on Fourteenth Street, we would like to know where it is. There are many ways whereby money can be used to advantage in enriching and bribing city officials in return for favors that the temptations to use graft are very great. Ordinarily, when we speak of graft, we mean the payment of money or its equivalent, to some public official or even a member of his family who is willing in return to perform a dishonest act or wink at the violation of law. A considerable amount of graft is received in the form of gifts and tips for favors given indirectly in one way or another, that cannot be considered criminal. Still no business man is willing to tip an employee of the city government without expecting some favors in return. What the average city official receives as gifts and gratuities are insignificant compared to what the “big grafters” receive who are the leaders of our political organizations, from rich corporations and railroads and for fat contracts, franchises and special privileges which are worth millions of dollars. A few years ago the Lexow and Mazet investigators, who exposed this graft plague in the city government, showed that many persons in the police department, from the highest officials down to patrolmen, were in the business for “Graft” and all favors and promotions cost money. It also became known that a captaincy cost as high as $17,000 to $20,000, and sometimes much higher. But the bi-partisan political character of the Board was mainly responsible for this shameful corruption. Under Gen. Bingham all this was done away, and merit ruled the department. For several years police officials have been involved in “Graft Scandals,” and after their retirement from the department were found to be immensely rich, besides having large real estate interests. This condition of affairs has gone on so many years that the rank and file of the force are not satisfied now with their regular salary, and demand graft for protecting the “gin mill,” the “immoral house,” the pool room and the “gambling hell,” all of which brings an enormous revenue. In some cases everybody in the block is called upon to pay tribute, and woe be to the one that refuses.