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Article: In Pursuit Of Virtue
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 26, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Richard Croker, the Tammany Hall boss of New York, came along
nearly a century before Marion Barry was elected mayor of Washington.
Like Mr. Barry, Mr. Croker was hounded by newspaper investigators,
magazine muckrakers, preachers and "good government" reformers known
then, as now, as "goo goos."
The issue, of course, was "municipal corruption." It existed on
such a scale that, by comparison, city governments of today are as
pure as the local Missionary Society. Policemen grew rich off bribes
from saloon keepers and prostitutes. Inspectors and agency heads
grew rich off the people they were supposed to inspect and regulate.
Mayors and aldermen grew rich on rebates and commissions from ...