The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-01
Because the Committee "Let
Up" on byrncs.
Some Straight Shoulder Hits DeIiv
cred by Or. Parkhursi.


knowlcdgng the splendid work that has
hecn done by the senate committee and
Its counsel, stating that there has been
created through their instrumentality nm
epoch In the history Of New York, and
there has been secured at tho polls
municipal revolution thar would have
been impossible except through an inyesti-
tatlon, The members OF the committee
Sre warmly thanked for their faithful and
thorough work. and the executive COM
mittcc OF ine Society for the Prevention OF
Crime came in for large share Of praise.
The statement gors on TO say, however,
that the committee plainly withheld their
support from efforts made to show that
there was something that could be proved
against Superintendent Byrncs, and con-
tinues: "We are justified in saying that
while the committee sto al up to the rack
magnifcentiy through all the earlier por-
tions OF the estigation, they ninched at
the crisis. They stumbled just at the COM
pletion of their work. The chairman of
the committee will not dare to deny that IL
was policy Q have used that word ad-
visedly; he will recognize what refer to>
that controlled him in his handling OF
Mr.. Byrnes and not desire to act in view
of all the probable or ascertainable facts
In Mr.. Byrnes case
"In Rot Thirty-one Years.
"Now the presumption is on the, side Of
the superintendent being as criminal as
any other member OF the force; so that
hesitancy to handle him as Williams was
handled could not proceed from any prior
conviction OF his innocence Wherever
they have stuck In their fork, they have
found rot; and whether Byrnes be rotten
or not he has been In rot for III years, and
has been the executive head Of rot for the
last two years. The presumption there
fore was against him.
There are two ways in which Mr..
Byrnes has put the committee under OBJ
legations, and TO that degree destroyed
their independence He put them under
obligations by consenting to help defeat
Tammany Hall, and it is TO be remem-
bercd that this committee is frat and fore
most an anti-Tammany committee. 1t is
60 be remembered that he did nothing
more than he ought to have DONE without
being asked to do It, and nothing more
than he had the same authority to do In
previous elections II he had only had the
official courage to use his authority.
1.-The second way In which the CON-
mittee put themselves under obligations
20 him was by taking him into their con-
f1dence and allowing him to become
confederate with them In breaking down
che force. To the degree I'm which they
obtained help from Mr.. Byrnes. they put
put themselves practically under oblga-
tions TO protect him. Now, / know the
language that Byraes used touching this
point, and when heard It knew that
everything was up as FAR as n square in
vestigation of him was concerned.
Committee Numbered.
1--WE are not charging the committee or
its counsel with dishonest intent, but
they blundered and they blundered badly.
Whether there was any such stipulation
or not, the acceptance Of his assistance
practically involved the deals and CON-
mittee that came down from Albany With
the express purpose Of investigating deals
ought to have boon punctiliously careful
TO avoid even the appearance Of having
susceptible side for the very sort Of offense
that they were designated to detect and
aljudge.
at has seemed to our committee
strange that the senators, knowing fthe
earnestness and the sincere character of
our work, and knowing to what extent we
regard Mr.. Byrnes as that element in the
force that was the hardest to reach, and
from whom we feltthat most was to be
feared, have not taken more pains to ia
lniliarize themselves with the points of
view which we have been brought to oc-
cupy in respect to him.
I'VE Of tho executive committee feel
that our fight during the past three years
has been permanently a contest with Mr..
Byrnes lie has known perfectly well
that our only htention has been to secure
the enforcement OF law la this city, and
yet he has dogged our steps from first TO
last and has omitted no efforts to dis
credit us in tho estimation OF the COM
munity.
Prosecuted ~ Byrncs.
"Byrne, hated US and tried to make us
contempublc in public esteem by showing
that our agent was levying blackmail,
which, as shown By the Lexow committee,
was precisely what his agents were doing
and precisely what we are Obliged TO pre-
sumo hc knew his agents were doing.
within three days of the above attack,
he strUcls oar society another blow by
trying TO discrrlt its president Unless
nll the newspapers of that date lied, he
called together reporters, and, in terms of
unrcsiraincd b,lteraess. published to the
world u mass ol black guardism concern.
ing the MOI Ises ol my work, the base i'm.
pulses hat rsl ircd it--all % which WA
solid and cononpt.bl ll,lsehood
II ana wiring his wlh1ut animosity,
but he LIED all -tIne, ami che object
the lie was 20 hreaN ths power that wa
exercising against the viciousnoss OF hi
department H. even perpetrated vile.
sneaking insinuaiion against my church
by saying that he knew of "A 'wcll.trudde,-
path that conductod from my vcstibulc Z,
brVthvl. For low lived vicionsDess tha'
taunt Is easl untitled to the prize
1i.ef A A nm ,.. c,,,.st..i.,... t...t.
that Mr.. GOf, an his oharac. eristic mar
ner, shocld broil Mr.. Byrnes on that bl.
futcatc dilcmmaf II had been a laiyyc,
of MIR Gcff's ability, would have guar
nntccd 20 broil out OF him all OF his off
cial reputabllity inside of one days ses
sion.
Let mo say In conclusion that hav.
no interest I'm this matter save profound
and passionate desire 90 see work thnt a