New-York tribune., 1900-07-29
CONEY ISLAND.

Inc progressive degradation of COney Island
Is subject on which great deal has been said
and written, but nevertheless il has not at
uacted enough attention, or at least enough at
tentlOn of the right sort. There Is no dispute
we believe even in those official circles from
which it is usually difficult to extort an sc
acknowledgement that anything Whatsoever is the
matter with the government and institutions of
New-York, that the condition of Conev Island
has been more disgraceful this summer than
ever before. The only public ocean beach easily
accessible to the people of this city-we have in
nina not the people who can easily go where
they VIII and have no need to come in con-
tact with vice and dirt and disorder bur the
multitude to whom a quiet. safe and respectable
resort near at hand would be an immense bene-
tactiOn-has been almost wholly surrendered to
the purposes of a criminal and vicious element.
and even the few oases of decency have been
tainted by the fetid atmosphere around then,
At last the situation became so shameful tbs r
oDtuse official senSibilities could no longer 10
more 1t. police captain new to the Island was
put IN command, pretty general transfer of
suDordlnateS mas been made and the authori-
ties are announcing a stern determinatio to in
S'iIute REFORM. You can say for me to the
readers of The Eagle and the peonle of
brooklyn" said Deputy Chief Mclaughlin to
an Eagle" reporter yesterday. that Conev TsI
land will be cleaner morally tomorrow than II
has been in ten years. To verify that nredic-
ton would not be an extraordinarily dificuIt
achievement, though we are willing to rs
sumo that really radical improvement Is nron-
lsed Tor to-day. But for how much longer is II
promised? This community is familiar with srd
den crusades against vice and lawlessness for
political purposes. Times without number # has
conducted for few days, only to be abandoned
when the pressure of public sentiment was re-
lieved and there is nothing sensational or mucb
that is even encouraging In the virtuous profes-
sions which the authorities are now nutting
forth. We dare say that CCney Island will no
comparatively decent and peaceful to-day. that
the purveyors Of immortality will for the most
part be kept out of sight and that reputable mon
and women and innocent children will not be
grossly atfronted at every turn. But how will II
be few days or r few weeks hence? Do the an
tnorlueS mean business? Or they merely
playing the same old shabby trick which do
ceves nobody, and least of all the vile creatures
with whom occasional interference is n part nf
| the COntractI
Within year or two the scheme for sea
| side park at Coney Island has been earnestly
| advocated, and though the intrinsic merits of
the oilSIhal propoSal nave Oeen somewhat OBJ
| scured by the fantastic Gravesend marsh at
tachment. they are indisputable Yet 1t is neces-
sary TO consider what the fate of such an i'm
provement would probably be under Tammany
| rule. Equipped on moderate scale and rigidly
| protected against moral and material vandalism
| such resort would be unique and inval-
| liable addition 10 the growing list of public i'm
| provements. But there VIII be danger In sup
| porting the plan until the authorities have given
| convincing proofs of their desire and ability Ia