New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-01
ELL 10 PROTECT CRININILS.

There is bill at Albany providing that
" every person who shall entce, induce or IN
veigle any other person to Violate any statute
or commit any crime for the purpose of inform
ing against such person. or in order to become
witness on the trial Of such person for such crime
or offence, shall be deemed and held to be an
accomplice in the commission of such crime or
offence, and shall be subject to the same penal
ties and punishment As is provided by Jaw Tor
the offence or crime committed" The purpose
of this proposed law is perfectly obvious. No
man can vote for it without understanding thai
he is voting in favor of protecting the poolroomS'
policy shops unlicensed saloons and other VICIOUS
resorts in this city. lie is voting TO leglSlate
away from the citizen the right to assist IN the
enforcement of the law against large classes OF
the worst criminals in New Iork-crlmlnals
against whom proceedings of all kinds are ex-
ccedingly difficult anyhow. In order to convict
4 poolscer or other gambling house keeper 1t Is
necessary to prove that somebody bought ticket
or was engaged in gambling transaction IN MS
place OF course it is impossible to induce MS
regular customers to testify against him. lhey
would be testifying TO their own shame aS wen
rs his. Absolutely the only way of securing
clear and positive evidence Is through the 'eSu-
mony Of some one who has gone into the place
for the purpose of procuring that evidence 10
make this necessary detective work lt'cif
crime. to degrade the law-abiding citizen who
does the community the service of seeking eW-
dcnce against a criminal engaged in an lIIcgal
business. is nothing less than an outrage ana an
effort to promote and protect crime.
Not in many years has there been at Albany
Z Legislature more utterly regardless than the
present one of moral considerations and public
honor Booders. blackmailcrS and political
rnflians of various kinds and degrees are in con-
troll of the Democratic machine there, and hay
ing the machine. they have got the party. They
wbip /. into line for almost any evil purpose
they choose, no matter how fagiant violation
il may be OF popular rights. Decent people are
at a great disadvantage in addressing an appeal
in favor of dcceucy to such mob aS this, and
sometimes it seems rs if the best possible course
were 10 let il have all the rope it wanted. II Is
impossible to resist the hope, however, that there
are enough scIf-mSpccting men in the LeglsIlt-
urc 20 prevent the enactment OF this bill us
shameful character is plain on lts face II was
sent there by gamblers, and none but criminal
classes are behind il. No party, however bad
can afford to proclaim the fact in so many words
that il is utterly without conscience, but the
man who vote for this bill must understand that
they can never aftcrward escape the charge II
djwnlight corruption. Every vote cast Tor 1t
vii, be the vote Of a man who uailicS in his
honor, and who considers that the best way to
get business is to advertise that he is pre-
pared t. do anything that may be required OF
him. no matter how shameless or how harmful
10 the public