Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-23

AAcs ~NNNSs "AAS1 lax
criminal supineness of the constituted
authorities, set for the defense Of de-
cency and good order. threatens to doom
Them"
The bishop did not press any plan
upon Mayor Van Wyck. but in closing
he said: 18th situation whi,, confronts
us in this metropolis of America is one
of common and open notoriety, and Of
such a nature as may well make us a
byword and Kissing among the nations
of the world. For nowhere else on earth,
I verify believe. certainly not in n civ.
ilized or Christian communit J. does there
exist such a situation as defles and
dishonors New York City today. Vice
exists in many cities. but there is at
least some persistent repression of its.
external manifestations. and the agents
OF the law are not. as here. widely be-
lieved to be fattening upon the fruits of
it's most loathsome and unnamable
forms. Vice not only faunts in the most
open and ribald forms. bu hard-work-
ing fathers n mothers find it harder
than ever today to defend their house.
holds from a rapacious RIGHTEOUSNESS
which stops at no outrage and spares no
tenderest victim. Such a state Of things
cries to God for vengeance, and calls no
less loudly to you and to me for redress
When Bishop Potter first announced
to the insolent police authorities that he
intended to make such a protest as
would be heard. he was scoffed at with
ribaid jests. Blind to everything except
the power of Croker and rammany. they
never dreamed that a plain citizen. with
no credentials but a noble life. with 40
power except the power Of truth. could
bring Tammany's prophet to his knees
in a single day.
Yet it was done. Bishop Potter's ap-
peal was addressed to Mayor Van Wyck,
but ii went straight TO the heart Of all
New York. It rallied to the standard
raised every nan and woman in whom
there was any civic pride. any love of
justice, any dislike of corruption, bru-
talitv and vice.
Croker, who was packing his trunks
for Europe. paused, appalled,, and then
oo11al a r,oat;,r or rToy,,,,,a nv, p, Ia1;ro
measures for depressing the evils. But
he was too late. In his first surprise, he
of existed; that the situation had not
been exaggerated, and laid all the blame
for the existing conditions upon-Dr.
Parkhurst.
However, he held his meeting and ap-
pointed a committee of five to ~investi-
gate. When asked regarding the matter,
he sa!!:
THE one man responsible for vice in
this city is Rev. DR.. Parkhurst. He scat
tered the disreputable women from a sin
gle district all over the city-even to
IL cIih u. IL 1 4 NV " llfAA An
would be no cry from the east side, or the
west side, or any other part of the city
from decent people. Instead of tryingto
discount other peoples efforts, DIR. Park
hurst should look to his own dirty work.
This movement of ours is in no sense
political. TaHnhmany hall was never more
earnest in any matter than it is in this
crusade against vice. Those who are dis
posed to charge bad faith should remem-
Der that l never fooled or deceived any
body. If anybody knows when 1 lid, now
is the time for him to come Coward and
prove it." -
That's about the most purile defense
ever put UP by Richard Croker. His ut
ter lack of sincerity is shown, first, by
his admission that the evils exist, and,
second, by the knowledge all possess
that he could, at any time. a RENE
died them, had he been so minded. The
great movement has been started, and
Croker is merely furnishing the neces-
sary humorous feature. Even Mr.. Hearst
and the New York Journal have repudi-
ated him, and Saturdays edition of thai
paper contains a full page editorial de.
handing the regeneration of New Yorl
City, and denouncing Tammany as re.
sponstble for it all. Croker has simply
resorted to the old criminal trick o.
yelling stop, thief" but it will avail
him n~othing-he is doomed. The tida
wave created by Bishop Potter arose S.
suddenly that ne was powerless to pro
New York is divided into two parties
Croker and anti-Croker. Even in 1897
mon cause as exists today, enough anti
Tammany votes We're cast to defeat Va,