New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-02
AS TO THE "WIDE OPEN CITY"

THE Brooklyn Eagle ODJects 10 'he ihlio
duction of the wide open city, question into
this campaign. 1t says II any local ONO IS
were being elected It might be IN order, but
that neither shut up city nor wide open
"city' has anything to do with the question as
"to who shall be Governor Of the State OF New
"yorl, Augustus Van Wyck or Theodore ROose-
welt" But it has. and THE Eagle In It's next
paragraph points out how for it says: Frank
rs Black IS Governor of the State Of New ork
"a rank Republican. He has power to denl with
"den0uent city officers and none of these very
"Republican complainants. Frank Moss, ex-
mayor Strong. and the like, have made any
complaints to him about any local office-hod-
"ers"
That Is Just the point The Governor has
mower TO deal with delinquent office holders
II Augustus Van Wyck should be Governor
would there Re the slightest possibility of his
dealing harshly with Robert A. Van Wyck
even though the moral condition of this citys
government should be manfestly as bad as
shown by the Lexow investigation? Would he
not adopt the same line of reasoning that led
him to vote for Bryan when he did not believe
in Rrvanism and conclude that. much as he dis
approved of the police taking pay from immoral
women for protection in the practice OF their
trade yet the Democratic party must be pre-
served for the good of the country. and con-
seduently any act which would damage the or
canizatIon here be avoided? The fact that the
inevitable tendency of Tammany government
here is to build up a system Of police black
mail Of crime and persecution OF honest trades
men who oppose Tammany rule, such as is now
openly practsed in the With Ass mbly District
of New-York County is a good reason for OPP
posing the control Of the State government,
which is the sole refuge Of the people Of this
city against defiant lawessness on the part of
their local rulers, by the same organization that
permits such misrule here
1.-THE Eagle" is sceptcal Of the wide open
ness of the city. and regards 1t as campaign
tnlk, and taunts the complainants with not
making formal charges. But anybody who re-
members how such complaints were treated in
Mayor Gilroys time, and how Devery now
eyades dealing with Mr.. Franklin Mathews's
recent revelations. understands why nothing ef-
fective is done by the reformers whom "The
Eagle" sneers AT. And as for preferrng
charges to the Governor, even the Lexow rev
e]ations would not have relieved the Governor
from the reproach Of partisanship If he had re-
moved Mayor Gilroy, and with the W ole power
OF the city government ranged with the black
mailing officials IL is exceedingly dllncult 10
make legal case Of malfeasance on the part
of high officers, though the Matchmaking be pat
ent 10 oil eyes.
1t is patent TO all eyes except those which do
not wish TO see The town Is wide Open,' and
not in the sense which THE Eagle" would
cuse as being Objectionable only TO Purians
and Republicans with a passion for minding
other peoples business. Nor is this wide open
ness" a new thing. 1t began in January, when
streets and parks which were before quiet
and decent became suddenly 'nnt for respect
able women 10 walk In at evening. The evil
has grown progressively worse. 1t IS plain TO
the sight Of every man and woman who
walks Manhattan streets with open eyes and II
Is not the shamefaced evil which we must al
ways expect Will exist in great city, and ac-
cept as existing so long as It touches only those
who seek TO be touched by 1.-THE evil which
The Eagle" pleads for as Democratic, where
every man has what he wants, even II il Is bad
provided II Is not publicly offensive. II is the
evil which brazenly haunts itself and frankly
ayows that II is protected. the evil which sends
bows and girls openly through the streets to
solicit patronage for immoral houses. II Is the
evil which an Italian priest months ago-not
now. at election time. when, The Eagle sug
gests, all the complaints are made-denounced