New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-27
PRICE THREE CENTS.
TAMMANY'S OBJECT CLEAR
RETURN TO LOCALIZED VICE THE "PURT.
FIERS'" DECLARED AIM.
BISHOP POTTER EXPLAINS HIS ,fE,.>-r>-o
IN REFERENCE TO a VIGILANCE
COMMITTEE

Tammany makes no secret OF the policy il will
pursue in dealing with the vice problem In
yesterdays Tribune it was explained that Mr.
Croker's committee OF purifiers had determined
among themselves that the most effective means
of following out their chiefs orders to suppress
the immoral conditions which prevail in -:
parts Of the city would ae to segregate the
evil. 1t is the openly avowed intention Of
Mr.. Croker's band OF so-caned purifiers to
congregate the disorderly women in one locality.
and to attempt to regulate them by statute
after the system that is adopted in some Euro
pean cities. This is the extent. according to
the views expressed by the Tammany commit
tee to which reform 60 If they can hide
the traffic of vice from public view and keep 1t
in subsection, they say. they will have accom-
plished all that the most exacting citizen could
demand of them
1T is impossible 10 get rid of the social evil"
said Park Commissioner George c. CIausan.
who is one of the members of the committee.
yesterday
Every practical man must recognize the fact
that the social evil cannot be abolished. and
that the best way of dealing with it is to reEu-
late IT, Our committee realizes that there are
TOO many women of the disorderly class in New
York. and our first work will be to drive out as
many as possible. and to send back TO their own
country as many of the low foreign
element which fosters the vicious condition
the East Side. Alter that We intend to look
after the West Side. to drive the dsorderIy
women out of the fiat and apartment houses. AMI
to put the whole city in such condition that
decent people walk along the streets with
cut the danger of encounterng tho class OF
women to which I refer. The only way to ac-
complish that is TO colonize the disorderIy
women in one part of the city. ana that is what
we intend to do"
A HIGH WALL ALSO FOR TAAIMANY.
In Mr.. Clausen's statement is unfoIded. with
out reservation qualification ,he plan which
Tammany has in view. Il means nothing else
than the restoring of conditions which existed in
this city about twenty years ago. when certain
streets of the metropolis were notorious through
out the country for their infamous character
Respectable citizens in discussing this latest
proposal of Tammany. 10 confine the vice in one
quarter readily commended it. They agreed that
nothing would tend more to bring about bet
terment of the city than 10 hedge vice around
with high stone wall. Sing Sing they sug-
gested. would be found to be a particularly ap-
propratc locality and. carrying their admira-
tion of Tammanys scheme step further they
intimated that if certain politicians and officials
who are directly responsible for th4 deporabIe
state of affairs in New-York to-day were sent
to Sing Sing 1t would provide a splendid object
lesson of the merits of the vice segregation idea.
=
Bishop Potter will be. unable to attend che
meeting TO he held in the Chamber Of Com
mere to- day for the purpose of bringing about
a unifcaton of the different forces which are
opposed to lawIessness and disorder meeting
of the Cathedral trustees viii prevent his pres
ence When the Bishop was seen yesterday by
a Tribune reporter . declined to discuss in any
way the movement which has grown out of his
address in ST PauIs Chapel on Friday last.
but when it pointed him that his sUg-
geston of forming d vigilance committee had
been interpreted in some quarters as advocating
| a committee that should take the law in its own
hands. after the style of Western vigilance COM
mittees the Bishop said:
That is a grotesque idea My meaning
that there should be organized 2 body of citi-
zens who would be vigilance committee in the
correct sense of the name-that il should be a
committee Of men who would observe how the
city's affairs were conducted and who would
see to 1t that the law and ordinances were prop
| erly enforced.
Governor Roosevelt when he was al the
head OF the Police Department was in himself
a kind of vigilance committee. IIe went around
the city, saw things for himself. and compelled
the police to do their duty. Amplify what he
did. by forming a body Of citizens who will do
similar work. and then YOU viii have the mean
| ing Of my suggestion regarding the organization
JOHN E. PARSONS ON THE POLICE
John E. Parsons. one of the sgners Of the
call for to-day's meeting. in speaking upon the
situation yesterday. said
In anything which l say 1 express only my
individual opinion The function of the police Is
TO prevent and, far possible. bring about the
punishment of crime II the Department does its
full duty outside action is necessary. Any at
tempt to do the work which properly devoiyes upon
the police must meet with the difficulty of obtain
ing evidence of Offences which axe perfectly well
kho"Ii 10 inc ponce duIh"IltleS IN NFW-4 Ork
there is universal opinion that the police many
inerest consideration IT the situation. therefore.
leads TO the conclusion thdJ the police be
strument with which 10 work upon them Is public
opinion. II there q universal ntinent upon
one who is well aCquai ltsd with the city can fail
to know that there are great many citizens I
sons; the fact Is fairly well understood
Whether II be SO or not. II Is generally believed
that the individual policeman In many parts the
city is in the pay nj the criminal classes In my
Justify the enormous expense which they cost the
city. To say that they cannot suppress vice is
surd. From the president OF the Board down every
officer of police VIII say. IN a conscientious mo-
ment thar OF course they can suppress vice. The
ists., This IS { luaIly absurd They have remedy
in their own hands, and should be compelled to
use IT.
ABRAM s. HEWITT HOPEFUL
Abram S Hewitt. replying to an inquiry IL ha
believed that any substantial and permanent
good could be accomplished by wrestling tha
city government from Tammany, was quoted al
replying:
Certainly 1 do rot and precisely that Is what
to speak. But IL is only what / hdv, repeatedly
,6s ,S!d the SLenS 9I 15 1oTH IN past e4gs told
Mayor. that my defeat would mean Tammany con-
which had rescued the city during my Mayoraity