, 1881-05-08
MAYOR HsRRtsoN's REFORMS.

The principal Objection urged against lle
reelection OF Mayor Harrison was the loose
and Indifferent manner III which he exercised.
or omitted to exercise, his authority for the
suppression OF certain ErlcVous o1tcnses
against morality. decency, and public ORDER
These offenses were Of three kinds: the
illegal immunity enjoyed by gamblers and
gambling houses; the immunity enjoyed by
the public establishments where liquor was
sold to miscellaneous crowds of men aud
women, and boys and girls; and the freedom
from police Interference eIjUyed BY noiorl-
ous dcns where children We're Vlcllmized and
made the instruments Of the most degraded
forms OF vice and crime Arguing from the
past it was objected that II Mayor Harrison
was reelected the reelection itself would be
construed as an Endorsement Of what was
claimed as Ills ''|iberal policy,'' and that the
future would be even worse than the past
Better results, however, may follow, and
no class Of citizens will more cordially
applaud and sustain the Mayer III the
sharp, reprcs5iye measures of reform, 1t In
stitutel by him, than tile great bulk OF the
2s,OU0 citizens who voted against him. The
fiscal administration Of the City Government
during the past two years, SO far as tho Mayor
had contEo! Of it, was Objectionable, anu rs
hehas now given some assurances OF change
In the official treatment Of the criminal class.
and has by actual proceedings reformed Ger
tain gross abuses, tie public have reason to
hope that somo OF the worst blots Oh the city
will be wholly removed.
The Mayor has, it Is said, practically
broken up one of the most demoralzin- OF
the various classes of sambling-houses, those
known as ''kello establishments" Into
these dens, wherever they are tolerated, are
gathered, night after night, as many persons
rs the room will contain, Of all classes,-
men and boys, clerks, salesnlcn, laborers,
mechanics, teamstcrs, storekcepcrs, and, i'll
fact, all who have 50 cents or more at
their command. It Is needless to say that
the bulk Of this money remains in the estab-
lislinnellt when the gaAaesters retire Tor the
night. The sums yenturcl are comparatively
small, but the ventures repeated. Ihe
game is practically sort Of lottery, in which
the tickets are sold amt. blanks and prizes
drawn with a rapidity that eScltcs the pur-
cilasers Intensely. The frcQuenters and pa
irons Of these establishments are not sGner-
aIly of the class who attend the regular or
ordinary gambling-houscs but as. each VIC
TIM loses all he has, and the number OF pa
irons are ten to the one who visit the more
costly establishments, the aggreg;lto plumber
is very large. and the number of persons edu-
Gated practically in gambling is immensely
greater than in any other. Let the Mayor
receive due praise for this much suppression
of gambling and let its good results inspire
him to extend the reform to all other classes
OF gaming houses.
The Mayor has, itisclaimcd, Included in his
pronoscd Teformatory measures the refusal
to license any place for the sale Of liquors
where that business is merely the cover for
otfcnses against public decency. These are
the so-callcd places Of amusement, patron-
ized, unfortunately, by youths Of both sexes,
and where girls and boys are filled with
liquor, and where but tile thinneSt wells only
shut out the filtniest immoralities. For this
let the Mayor receive, as he deserves. all
praise. He has revoked liquor licenses to
many persons operating houses of this char
acter, and promises that he will not renew
them. We are aware Of the difficulties at
tending this business. The moment a license
to 4 3 is revoked there is ;tn application filed
by G D. This application is indorsed by
numerous persons in the neigllborhood.
The Mayor cannot fairly refuse a license,
but as soon as it is granted it ap-
pears that C D is. a cousin or
other relative, or an crnpioyG, a
barkceper, or other friend Of the first inculll-
bent, and that practically the old gang is re-
installed. It often happens that q license is
issued to Il person wholly unknown to the
police, and that this license passes by assign-
lnent through several hands before 1t reaches
the real keeper Of the brothel. The public