The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-24
rs THIS A CITY OF CRIMINALS

Of toughs9 Is II true that We are more Interested In
the details OF vice than In the decent and honora-
BILE things Of lief
Such questions arc forced upon thoughtful OBJ
| servers by the literary apOtbeosls Of the thief
catcher and the detective which has set In upon us.
We read as curious studies OF manners and men,
the writings Of Fielding and smollct, wondering
| over Jonathan Wild and Newgate Moll a. pictures
OF curious sort OF dominating life when the finest
literary genius OF those times found It's best occa-
sion In depicting tho struggles OF criminals and
| their capturcr.
II has not been considered by the later genera
tions that these things represented either robust
or high type Of life aud manners. Quito the con-
trary. Yet We engaged Ia making our foremost
heroes Of the thicftakeH Any one would imagine
very bad lot SIN II Is not true that tho
! people Of New York are lovers Of crime Asa rule
they arc far TOO manly and ylre 10 Admire this lit
eraturc. We are pretty decent sort OF commu-
nifty after all
| Hut n the day shall come when our times be-
come archaic TO some far distant generation, what
will be thought by the antiquarian who shall UNI
earth the forgotten files OF one OF our leading news
papers, for instance. and on declphcring the mys.
terious language In which they are preserved shall
be Obliged TO announce TO his own times that the
heroes Of those long forgotten days were criminals
and detectives lilo might In his innocence find
| difficulty In deciding as TO which was which. But
as to tho literary admiration and taste Of that
world" there would be no questlon.-Nep York
Gruphie.
The questions asked in the above article
can better be answered, perhaps, by what
your true "cockncy" New Yorker would
style an "out-of-town" person than by a
real metropolitan. Such an one without
intimate inquiry after the facts and only
reading some of the papers would say that
New York as TO vice was away above the
average, that it was one OF the worst cities
in the world. In some respects IL is really
the worst. A trip at certain hours on some
Of the east side street car lines Is more
dangerous than a trip across the plains
used 10 be twenty years ago. There Is no
knowing when tough will take possession
OF car and make il rough for any one
who cxpostulates or attempts TO interfere
in the name OF deoency. The worst Of the
cowboys, anywhere from Texas 10 Dakota,
are gentlemen compared with the mem
beers Of the gangs OF which we read now
and then that the police arc trying TO or
have succeeded In breaking them up. In
this work the New York police are unre-
hitting and really deserve all that is said
in commentator OF them. And Il may
also be said in truth that
the newspaper, even those that
make police news their best effort, deserve
well Of the public for the persistence with
which they continue 10 make il warm for
the criminal classes. They are lshmael-
ties and their hands are against every
mans, and every mans hands should
he against them for their suppression or
reform. No intelligent or thinking person
will mistake the isolated facts OF crime for
gauge OF the moral condition Of the whole
population Of New York. Compared with
the same number Of Europeans the New
Workers for an Astounding charity and lib
craliiy will take the palm. So, too, for
the peace and security guaranteed by the
vigilance Of lis police. So, too, for It's ed
ucational facilities for It's churches, for
its amusements, and as 10 trade in any and
every direction, itbcais the world Iii the
metropolis Of both Americas, and Is iast be.
coming the metropolis OF the world. There
are only the gangs" 10 be dealt with, and
Mayor Hewitt has made an excellent be-
ginning 10 crush out the secret places OF
wickcdnoss. This IL a warfare that has
been going on ever since the angel broke
up the cosy and dalliancc inducing sicsta of
Adam and Eve. Thc Graphic will find that
much work Is necessary oven In Chicago,
where, Il is claimed, good souls stop on
their way TO Paradise. The Ncrs, which Is
20 faithful a reflex Of that metropolis Of
the Lakes, has lis sad hours, when over.
como, rs Tho GuJhic Is in the above arli.
Gle, II almost conicSscs that the roughs and
toughs have taken possession Of the town.
But don't bo afraid, M. Grdphic, the "out.
oi.,own" people, no matter how much Of
criminal news you publish, will know that
Il Is In the line Of business. the best bust.
ncss the press can engage in, 10 cripple
vice aud restrain II and crush the gangs"
that arr the greatest disgrace to New York.
life in tho metropolis should he made as
tolcrablc and secure ON the east side rs Il is
ON Broadway or Fifth avenue.
|
A LONDON cabcgram states that whether
there Il or is not 10 bc war In Europe,