The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-04
Forty Columns and a Thud.

lMPUDENTISS1MCs began on NOV. "a WITH
an editorial denunciation Of Mr.. Koch and
Mr.. FITZPATRICK as the most perfect types
OF what Tammany officials. In the full flower
OF their development, can be-" and then
and there 1MpUDENT1ssrMus registered this
solemn pledge and awful threat:
1--WE shall give In day two soms fresh and start
ling evidence Of their criminal neglect Of duty In
gard the licensing Of saloons the public sohools
neglect which. for brutal indifference to the moral
welfare Of the community. has NO parallel even in
Tammany annals"
IMPUDENT1ssIMUs was even better than
his word. He did not walt q day or two.
He began the very next day. Nov. as. with
his fresh and startling evidence showing
the cordons Of saloons which Tammany
had established around the public schools.
Between Nov. 25 and the end Of that month
he had devoted ten columns Of his valuable
space to an exhibit OF the brutal indifference
Of the present Excise Commissioners to the
moral welfare OF the community. and the
exhibit made such an impression on his
own mind that he was prompted to remark
edltorially. on Nov. 20. concerning his rove
lations" and disclosures"
"They throw . more searching light upon Tammany
methods and morals In than has been cast
by any previous revelations They show that thcrs 10
not schoolhouss In the city. so far examined which
has within radius Of 200 feet at least liquor 80
looms. and at least has twenty. In alcases.
Is needless to point out their proximity 10 an evil
which amounts to moral pestilence This 10 so OBJ
vous that officials those OF tho dullest oven
brutalzed. moral perceptions would take upon them.
selves the responsibility OF placing them there. That
Of three Excise Commissioners are men OF this
character pretty well known fact before these
disclosures made The city owes their presence In
office to Mayor GRAFT. who appointed them duruK his
nrst term. - II must be said that We have been
drifting steadily into this condition Of liquor DONNA
ton since the advent ofDAvp Hill to tho dictatori
control Of Democratic State potics He and rammany
together have uourshcd IL and fostsred It until this
city and all the other large cities Of tho State
or ess at its mercy"
Between Dec. and Dec. 8. the date when
we took IMPUDENT1ssMUs In hand. he pub
lished about nine columns more Of "reve-
lations" and " disclosures" making nearly
twenty In all up to that time. It was then
that The Sun showed that IMPUDENTIss1-
MUS had wasted his twenty columns of
space tnasmuch as he had been arraigning
the present Board for locating saloons L.
censed. In about afteen.sixteenths Of the
cases alleged. before the appointment Of Mr..
KOCH and Mr.. FITZPATRICK to Office.
This important fact would have staggered
any moralist less self-contained than IMPU-
DENTBsnIUs. He was silent for O day or
two. Then on Dec. 9 he came back with the
cheerful assurance that THE Suns "de-
fence OF FITZPATRICK and KooH." as he
termed it. had not passed unnoticed by the
Post. "Our delay in replying" explained
IMPUDENTIssnUs, "is due simply to the
proper arrangement Of materials"
On the next day. Dec. 10. IMPUDENT1ss1-
MUS announced that he had now turned his
attention exclusively to licenses granted by
the present Commissioners. with results
even moro startling than he had supposed
those Of the first series to be-:
"They responsible for tho 2.o87 new licenses
which they have issued since taking office. We have
examined. table shows, 25O OF these licenses
taking them at random and have found that 20 per
cent. Of them have been for saloons to school
buildings We shall continue the examination until all
Of the licenses have been Investigated. great
deal OF new and valuable material bearing on Tam
many methods In government has been discovered In
this inquiry to which The suS's defence Of the Com.
niss!oners prompted us and this VIII DO published In
due time In fact critcism like that Of TEE suy ID Of
great value IN work Of this character for opens
fields OF inquiry which had previously escaped attsn
ton"
For the next ten days we allowed IMPuDEN.
TIssIMUs to run along in cheerful impudence
and fancled security with that new series Of
disclosures" and " revelations" which was
destined SO soon to become celebrated. In
this second period he added thirteen col.
umns to his previous twenty. making about
thirty.three in all. He became 30 far embold-
ened as to remark editorially. on Dec. IL:
1--WE shall continue inquiries until tho entire OCT
lcAnsea bee examined ia thusf far
attained more than justify all that have charged
concerning the indifference to the moral welfare Of the
children Of this city which has characterized the doings
of Messrh KocH and FITZPATRICK the two members 'of
the Excise Board who responsible for its acts As
the city was well filed with saloons in all quarters
those around the schools they have looked upon
these reservations merely much unoccupied field.
and have had no scruples whatever about giving It
saloon domination. tits worthy Of uote that
TIE Sun Is the only newspaper Of any standing in the
city which has ventured to and defend their
conduct We hope that Tue SrS will continue its de.
Tending and that criticisms will BE- made freely In all
other quarters for all tie desire IN hs rr "a 10 hare The
full rnh revealed, and the responsibility placed where it
| belougs
When IMPUpENT1ssIMUs had committed
himself sufficiently to his dishonest trick
OF reckoning licensed places Of every char
acter as saloons" and barrooms." and
to the fraudulent system Of measurement by
which alone he was able to bring any con-
siderable number Of licensed places within
his own limit OF 600 feet from the public
schools. we accepted his indlscreet invita-
ton and showed him up thoroughly.
Since then. IMpUDENTIssIMUs has mani
tested marked disinclination to approach
the subject Of saloons or public schools In
tho editorial department OF his newspaper.
Indeed. he has not had single word to say
about the value Of THE Suns assistance In
"work OF this character" about the crimi-
nal conduct OF Mr.. Koch and Mr.. FITz-
PATRICK. about Mayor GRANTS indifference
to the interests Of public morality In ap-
pointing such men to office. about the
startling revelations Of Tammany's morals
and methods Of government. or about the
remoter but not less appalling relations Of
DAVID BENNETT HILL to the plot to de-
moralize the youth of this town.
In the news columns OF the Post there
have been one or two half-hearted attempts
| to pursue the same line OF misrepresenta-
&,or ,,, thnr than nj, m ynncura