The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-01
BYRNES SAVED By A DEAL.
The Committee Let Him Gff Light for
Services Rendered.

T
ing an Honest Ballot at the Polls in
the November EIection-Dr. Park
hurst Highly DispIeased With the
Committees Course in the Case of the
Superintendent.
New York, Dec. 3l.-Dr. Parkhurst to-
night made public the statement he has
promised regarding the handling of Super
intendent Byrnes by the Lexow committee
while that official was on the witness
stand.
The statement, which is very lengthy.
begins with the reverend gentleman ex-
pressing appreciation for the splendid
work of the committee and it's talented
counsel, up to a certain point in its pro-
ceedings.
Late in November" he continues, "the
indications were clear that the investi-
cation was not to be pushed TO its close
with the same energetic and unsparing
manner that had been followed up to that
date.
"A good many days went by in which
cases wer discussed, which wearied the
public. which made no substantial addi-
tion TO the knowledge already gained.
and which We're frittering away the time
that we knew ought to be expended on the
inspectors and the superintendent. We
knew that the character of the police force
was a reflection from the character Of its
chief executive. and his immediate sub
ordnates, and that however many cap
tains might be besmirched and however
many sergeants might be cashiered, the
germs Of the matter would not be reached
Till we had arrived at the quality Of the
i've men, who together, constitute its ex-
euutive headship.
IN view Of all this we are justified in
saying that while the committee stood up
TO the rack magn,fcently through all the
earlier portions Of the Investigation they
fnched at the crisis. AS long ago as
when Mr.. Moss attempted to adduce
evidence against Mr.. Byrnes in the Mar
Tett matter, the investigating committee
Erang to Mr.. Byrnes' defense. Now that
Is not a thing to. be debated. Their att.-
tude was instantly recognized by those
in attendance and distinctly stated in the
Journals Of the next morning. The pur-
suit of lines that might possibly ha We con-
1uced 10 the real inwardness Of Mr.
Byrnes' conduct and character was dis
couraged as it had been discouraged in
the case of no other man
NOW, there was a reason for that We
are not saying just yet that there was
anything that could be proved against
Mr.. ByrneS; we are saving that the com
mttee withheld their support from efforts
made to show that there was something
mat could be proved against Mr.. Byrnes
we are not saying that there was any
thlng N the Marrett case that was dis
cred1table to the superintendent, but we
are saying hat the committee was indis-
posed to have the matter thoroughly in
vesigated in order to discover whether
there was anything dscreditable to the
superintendent The thoroughness broke
down at that point They stumbled Just
at the completion of their work. The
chairman of the committee will not dare
to deny that it is policy q have used that
word advsedly, and he will recognize to
what l refer) that controlled him in his
handling of Mr. Byrnes, and NOT q desire
10 act in view of all the probable or as
certainahle facts in Mr. Byrnes case.
Now Inc presumption IS or the side Of
the superintendent's being as criminal as
any other member of the force so that
the hestancy to handle him as Inspector
Williams was handled, could not proceed
from any conviction of his innocence
Wherever they have stuck in their fork
they have found rot; and whether Supt
rot for thirty-one years and has been the
executive head of rot for the last two
years.
The presumption therefore was against
him, so that the indisposition to handle
him thoroughly must have been grounded
on some other consideration than that of
his presumable innocence.
There are two ways in which Mr.
Byrnes has put the committee under obli-
cations and to that degree destroyed
their independence. He put them under
obligations by consenting to help defeat
Tammany Hall, and it is to be remembered /
mat this committee is first and foremost
an and-Tammany committee and came
down here for anti-Tammany purposes.
we are not saying that it was stipula-
TED that If we would secure an honest cleo !
ton it would be remembered in his behalf,
but in the very nature of the case favors
nave 10 be reciprocated. We are not 60
ing to disparage Mr.. Byrnes good Offices
at all. He did nothing more than he ought
10 nave done without being asked to do it.
ana nothing more than he had the same
authority to do in previous elections if he
thority
The second way in which the commit
zee PIT themselves under obligations to
hln was by taking him into their conf
oence and allowing him to become a con-
1ederate with them in breaking down The
force. To the degree in which they OBJ
tanned help from Mr.. Byrnes they put
themselves practically under obligations
TO protect Mr. Byrnes. Now 1 know the
language that Mr.. Byrnes used touching
precisely this point, and when l heard it
knew everything was up so far as a
square investigation of him was con-
cerned Their acceptance of it had mort
gagged the committee to that extent, and
one popularity of a mortgage is that it
has to be paid off or foreclosed. In this
connection it ought to be stated that Mr.
Moss declares that he never knew or sus-
pected that Mr.. Byrnes was furnishing in
formation to the committee or 10 the coun-
sci, and 1t was well known that he would
not sanction such action.
MIR. Byrnes has repeatedly attempted
to play the same game with the Society
for the Prevention OF Crime, but we have
refused to ally ourselves with a man
that we believed to be more than any
other responsible for the condition of the
department. If we had consented to do /
what the investigating committee and its
counsel have done we should thereby have /