New-York tribune., 1900-12-12
c. Y L. OPENS ITS CAMPAIGN
CHARLES STEWART SMITH PRESIDES
OVER A MASS MEETING IN
COOPER UNION.

The City vigilance League began last night with
mass meeting in Cooper Unien campaign
that it proposes wage relentlessly against Tam
/ many Hall until next November The large audi
| snce which attended the meeting frequently
| demonstrated their sympathies with the speakers
in the denunciatons of the evil and vicious effects
of Tammany's administration. Charles Stewart
Smith presided. and in his opening address said
regarding a remark made recently by Clergyman
Of this city that the vice conditions were IN the
nature Of an underground rapid transit TO hell
We must hunt out the promoters of this road 70
hell and rescue the victims while we brand those
who fatten upon the revenues OF wee ano crlIlS
give them clearly TO understand that the vengeance
Of aroused and outraged community Stalks Oe-
hind them.
Urging the necessity OF municipal refcrn, MI
Smith remarked that according to the last census
there in the United States l2s cities Win
population of 25.00o more each. II was his De-
lief that there not one municipality in al that
number whose government was not in greater
or less degree reproach to republican institutions
Communications indorsing the objects OF the
meeting were read from the Rev. DR.. Lyman Ao-
bott w H. Brooks, Maltbe D. Babcock and the
Rev. Robert L Paddock. DR.. Parkhurst also sent
long letter wherein he maintained that every
other enemy to municipal wellbeng should be for
gotten in the concentration Of an onset upon Tam
many Hall.
Croker" he said lis the only boss to be thought
about this year The experiment was tried three
years ago of killing off both bosses by single
assault The experiment failed. Sooner or later
rid ourselves Of both, for either is as bad
the other if not worse; but not this year; the
public mind is ready for it. This year 1t is
Croker and all in the shape of egitimated Grimm
ality and organized beastiness that that illomened
stands for. All reputable people can certain
ly sol!dify along that line. and we must put our
work where we shall be sustained by the largest
eoncensus, although cannot forbear saying for
our announcement that there is sort Of Siamese
Hgature between the two bosses. and that killing
one Is going be the starting Of paralysis in the
other"
In closing his letter DR.. Parkhurst deprecated the
discussion Of what he termed such subsidiary ques
tions as the social evil. There sense. he
contended. in talking about methods OF dealing
with particular crimes until that institution in
FOurteenth-st that was In itself the granw accum-
ulation and combination Of all crime, had been got
rid OF
The Rev Thomas R. sIicer said the campaign of
1901 was not be a political campaign 1t was
10 be a campaign intent upon business, righteous
ness and decency campaign addressing itself TO
the vast number Of people on the East Side who who
midst of a community that was constantly war
ring upon peace II was 70 be campaign OF res
those who believed in a righteous administration;
societv fy f4r M tSc AiS of jewish Psoner made 4
particularly earnest address that won for him fire.
cd not 6y on the East SIDE but In the Whole Of
NewYork. He denounced in strong terms the po-
lice corruption which largely responsible for
the conditions on the East Side Immigrants, he
added, were unable to understand the beauties OF
American freedom when they were forced to pay
tribute to the police and were unable TO set jus
tice in the police courts.
Ex-Charities Commissioner John p Faure con-
demned the municipality for It's neglect in COM
pleting the building of the Harlem and Gouverneur
hospitals.
Frank Moss spoke at some length on the per-
ncIous state of the city's morals, and pointed out
that the evils he referred 10 abounded in other
parts of the city than the East Side.
The first number Of The New-York Vigilant,'
the organ OF The league, was distributed at last
nights meeting. Considerable space was devoted
to exposures based to a large extent upon the
evidence adduced before the Mazet Committee, of
TanmanYs dishonest conduct of the city's affairs.
The feature of the publication an article deal
ing With the reasons why the proposal TO construct
pipe gaRer4es in connection with the underground
railroad had been abandoned. The complete an
swer TO this question. the paper said. would let in
food Of light that would dazzle and frighten
the sluggish people of Nev-York. Comprehensively
The ViSiIant'' asserted that the monoplsts who
owned t4Ae existing pipeways had defeated the
pipe gallery project.