, 1874-02-01
CHIME IN CHICAGO.

! cR1ME IN CHICAGO.
During the last few days The TRIBUNE ha
takon occasion to 1an down and expose evidence
that crime and vice have bceo On the increase il
this city during the past two months. A fe'
days ago VIC printed IN account OF d number 0
bold and successful burglaries that hare bee1
committed under the very eyes Of the police, and
it ne may accept thsir pretonse OF ignorance al
| genuine, without their having discovered them
Tho information which VIC have given the public
has been obtained outside OF the Police Depart
ment, which is ominously silent, if not absolute
| " ignorant, concerning what has been going on.
| Whether the police are actually deaf. blind, and
dumb, or whether they conceal the facts in
negotiate with the thieves for the return of the
property, We cannot Say positively, but either
is equally disreputable with the other. To-day
We add to the stock OF information by showing
We give no directory OF these places, for the po-
lice know very well where they are, and We do
not propose to help any others to such infor1na-
ton. Incidental to the subject in hand, wo
print an interview that occurrod same time ago
between Mayor Medill and well-known
gambler, in which the latter presented
the gamblers side OF the case with
certain degree OF plausibility, but not enough
to induce Mayor Medi1l to order the raids On
these places to be discontinued. The new Ad-
minist1ation, however, seems to have espoused
the garnblers' side OF the question, and, by an
unprecedented laxity. is permitting these and
other disreputeble resorts to increaso in number
and in the boldness Of their operations. II wo
may regard the Stauts-zetung as the organ
OF the Peoples Party, it is not the sentiment OF
that purity that their representatives in Office
ahali tolerate and encourage the thieves, gam
blers, and vicious classes; fo.tbe Staats~Zeiung,
in 3 recent issue, denouncea them, aud calls upon
the City Government to put additional restraint
upon them. The matter ia entirely in the hands
Of Mayor Colvin, and he must account to
the people OF Chicago for the way in
which it is treated With his power under
the Mayors BILL which be is very anxious to |
have renewed, be has the authority to punish |
inedciency On the part Of the police force by SUM-
mary removal. If he fails to make IN improve [
ment over the present condition of things, it will
be believed that his sympathies are rather NTH |
the vicious and disreputable classes than With
the respectable people.
In regard to the gamblers, ne are inclined to |
think that {ha E+a+a's A+torrov hs1 ha&+n. &ot.
them in hand The State law OF 1879 is strong
enough to drive them ont Of Chicago, it it is
vigorously and persistently applied. It provides
not only large fine, but imprisonment in the
County Jail and the Penitentiazy for repeated
offenses. This law hns already beeo before the
supreme Court, which sustained the construction |
hat includes all faro-dealers under the gen.
,lal classification OF "Keepers" of gaming
aouses. II the police were disposed to CO.
perate with the States Attorney in procuring
Indictments, and the States Attorney were willing
0 so to work in earnest, the gambling houses
ould he closed and tho gamblers run of to other
itien. It is time to put on the brakes, Or before
"a know 1t, the train OF crimes and vices will be
eyont the control Of the City Government, and
'hicago will have become one Of the most dis
eputable cities on the Continent.
Neither Mayor Colyin nor the Police Depart
lent can longer make reasonable protense Of I
;norance about the increase Of crime and the |
gg1essivaness Of the vicious classes. What the
olce pretend not to know The TRIBUNE has |
ow pointed out to them and If steps be (
OF taken ut once to suppress the dis1eputable {
[aceB, drive of the gamblers and confidence {
en-, and arrest the thieves and burglars, Mayor
olvin will be required to explain why they are
,t taken. IT