New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-24
WHAT THE MAYOR LEFT OUT.

The gaudy exterior of the City Hall seems to
have inspired the Mayor to make a spectacle of
himself within its walls yesterday afternoon.
The occasion was hearing on the confession
Of judgment and Ramapo bills which under the
more less benign requirement of the COnsti-
tuition had In due course been submitted to the
tribunal of his powerful intellect. 1t has to be
admitted that he did not make an Indispensable
contribution TO public knowledge of these i'm
portant measures, but on the subject of New
York as place at which the angels in heaven
must gaze with rapture he came out strong not
TO say rank. I'VE require more water than they
do in Liverpool" remarked we'll meaning but
incautious speaker, to which the Mayor replied,
"They drink more rum over there" And then,
perceiving' that he had found his text he
launched himself upon the tide of speech with a
reckless Indifference TO the difficulties Of getting
back to solid ground which might have been
sublime if it had not been ridiculous. This was
the substance of His Honor's discourse: Most
everybody stands up and says some other city
lis better than New-YOrk You never hear that
"NewYork is better than some other city. Old
"Parkhurst never says that. But it is a fact, all
1.-The same. Every city of fifty thousand inhab-
"itants has ten times many gambling and
"disorderly houses the city of York, and
ten times as much rum drinking every day In
prohibition towns. This is the cleanest and
most moral city in the world, and nobody
knows it better than old Parkhurst and old
"Slcer"
We don't suppose there was a barroom In
NewYOrk last night in which old Parkhurst
and old Slicer were not jubilantly described as
having been made to look like 80 cents. But
the Mayor, who has never yet succeeded in con-
vincing even those whom he loves to berate
after the manner of a fishwife that he is totally
destitute of understanding, must have become
aware after his emotions had subsidized that his
panegyric On the municipal cleanliness of New
York would not have fitted the case even if IT
had approached within speaking distance of the
truth. Suppose, Mr. Van Wyck, that there were
only one gambling house within the boundaries
of the metropolis. That would be marvellous
and profoundly gratifying. But if that single
establishment paid you 81 900 week for pro-
lection you would be an odous scoundrel whom
honest citizens would rejoice to see exposed
and punished The accusation against the gov
eminent over which you preside Is not that it
has not succeeded in eXterminatng vice and
crime, but that 1t lays collects and distributes
to its members tax on vice and crime. That
is the indictment which has been found on over
whelming evidence against your administra ton,
and which multitude of good citizens, includ-
ing old Parkhurst and old Slicer, want to have
tried. You gain nothing but the tumultuous
applause of vicious minority when you man
ufacture numerical comparisons in the hope Of
quieting public agitation which has its source
In the belief that your political associates and
personal friends are levying tribute on the
earnings Of infamy.