The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-28
GOTHAN'S Vice CRUSADE
Citizens Discuss Methods for Puri.
flying New York.
Great Interest Displayed mt Meet
ing at the Chamber OF Commerce.
Ex-MayOr Hewitt Tells How to
Cope with the Evils-Ensy Matter
With n Good Republican Governor.

NEW YORK, Nov. 27.-The meeting Of
citizens to consider ways and means of
coping with vice in this city. which was
called by a committee of he Chamber of
Commerce last week. took place in the
rooms of the chamber today. Two hun
dred invitations went out, but three times
that number of persons tried to crowd
their way in. Holders of invitations only,
however. were admitted, but the fact that
fully so per cent of those who were turned
away remained for nearly three hours
in the corridor, waiting for the meeting
to terminate, showed the widespread in
terest in the movement inaugurated Icy
the chamber.
Inside the chamber were 200 of the most
prominent professional and business men
in the city. All displayed enthusiasm ever
the purpose for which they were called
together, as was shown by the warm APP
plause during the speeches of Abraham
S. Hewitt, Prof. Felix Adler, the Rev. DR..
Paddock, and others.
Ex-Mayor Abram S. Hewitt made one
of the most sensational speeches that he
has ever made in his long career. He
took up the moral conditions of the city
and showed they were about the same now
as they were when he was elected mayor.
He told what he did to remedy the evil
and announced that the same course must
be followed now if any results of a last
ing nature were to be obtained.
He told how he found the town wide
open. how he made the then superinten-
dent of police, Murray, admit that he
could close it up instantaneously If he
wanted to, and of how he had been advis-
ed by the president of the board of police
commissioners to let the matter of vice
alone. unless he was willing to be rele-
gated to political obscurity at the end of
his term as mayor.
He told how Superintendent Murray adj
mitted the possession of a fortune, al
though he had never in his life been
anything but a salaried policeman, and
of how this head of the police department
had admitted he had no doubt but what
the ward men in the various precincts
collected money from lawbreakcrs.
A great dead Of what was revealed TO
him at this time about the systematic
protection of vice by the authorities, Mr..
Hewitt revealed today for the first time
and the revelation was an interesting one.
He told too. how. without sympathetic
Governor to approve any act of removal
OF his, he reared UP the mighty spectre of
public opinion over his reluctant officials
and compelled them TO enforce the laws
against dives and places of evil resort.
The whole trend of Mr.. Hewitt's argu-
mcnt was that with Theodore Roosevelt
or Benjamin B. Odell. jr.. in the Cover
nor's chair at Albany the mayor of the
City of New York can remedy every evil
complained of within thirty days at the
longest, as he has the power of removal
of dishonest or lax officials subject to
the approval of The Governor. an approval
that will not be lcng withheld by the pres
ent or incoming Governor in case the re-
moval of the officials responsible for the
present conditions in the city is made.
Other speakers addressed the meeting
in similar vein. and some of those from
the East Side, like Prof. Felix Adler and
the Rev. DR.. Paddock. of the Pro-Cathe-
dral, revealed condition Of affairs which
greatly shocked some Of lheir hearers
Some of those present were Charles
Crimmins,. George p. Peabody, Jacob
Schiff. ". Z. Dodde, Morris X. Jessup.
Joel B. Erhardt. st. Clair Mckelway and
John S. Kennedy. Almost the entire
membership of the Chamber of Commerce
were present, although it was expressly
stated that the meeting was not one of
the chamber, but OF citizens interested in
:he publication of the city. Bishop Pot
ter was not present although a special
invitation YVES sent TO him.
The only definite action taken at the
meeting was the passing of a resolution
authorizing the chairman of the meeting
Charles Stewart Smith TO appoint COM
mitee OF fifteen to cooperate with COM
mittees OF other organizations having
kindred objects in view. Mr.. Smith said
after the meeting that he had not decided
whom to appoint on this committee, but
that he would make public the names
some time tomorrow.