The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-29


pretty nearly alike the
country over, the "reminiscences pre-
sented by ex-Mayor Hewitt at the
Chamber of Commerce meeting in New
York Tuesday evening, illustrating
how as mayor he handled the problem
of regulating vice and what his re-
ward was, have more than passing in
terest.
Mr.. Hewitt. chosen mayor of New
York on the Tammany ticket, assumed
Office determined to do his whole duty
fearlessly. The first thing he found
upon taking up the reins was that
many disreputable places were doing
violation of law. He did not wait to
be told; he went about looking at the
manner in which the law was being
enforced. When he had seen enough
TO convince himself that something
was wrong he called in the superin-
ray. He asked Murray if the disrep-
utable places could be closed up. Mur-
ray said they could. He then asked
Murray why they We're allowed to re-
main open. Murray said political in
fluence was back of them, that the
men who had been Hewitts best sup
porters in the campaign were inter-
ward was, have more than passing in
ested in their protection; and that it
would be political suicide to inter-
fere with them. Murray, who had
never been anything but a police
man. himself confessed to being worth
100000, acquired, he explained, through
tips in Wall street: many police cap
tains, he admitted, were also well-to-
do. Mr.. Hewitt continued:
l said TO Murray that I would take advantage
OF what he had told me, bu. l asked him 10 do
his duty faithfully from that day on lie said
that he would, and lie did. then sent for tie
president Of the police commission. 1t WIS
bipartisan board then as now. There were
two Republicans and two Democrats, but thu
president OF the board was a Republican. ]
told him frankly what Murray had told me
and asked him whether lie was willing TO
operate in the suppression Of the dives and the
closing up OF these disreputablc and unlawful
places Of resort. He said if | wished il lie
would, but he thought l had better let thing,
alone; that was going TO let loose hornets
nest and that il I had any political ambition
in the future lie wanted to tell me from his
great knowledge Of politics, and no lhan had
more, that it would be my political ruin; that
there was no place that l could ever pc elected
to in this community. lie also told me the
truth.
To make a long story short, Mr..
Hewitt disregarded the warnings of
Superintendent Murray and the presi-
dent of the police commission and in
sisted that the disorderly places should
be closed. Within 60 days the citv
outwardly at least was clean: vice was
not fiaunted in the faces of women
and children walking along the streets
and those looking for its enticements
had TO pass behind screens and cur
tanned windows. All that was possible
for one resolute man in the Office or
mayor to do, working with the moral
power of the community behind him,
was done. Behold the result:
Tie predictions of the chief Of police and
OF the commissioner OF police We've realized. At
the end OF my term certain citizens OF New Iorl.
thought that ought to be rcnominated and they
renominated me. Tammany Hall, OF course, nld
its own candidate. was no longer any use to
them although I-had been elected on the Tam
many ticket. The Republicans, led by the most
gentlemen in this city, many Of,
them members OF the Chamber OF Commerce.
promptly met in the Union League club and di-
rected that candidate should be nominated.
And they nominated Il frst.ratc candidate, a man
better fitted for mayor than | was, Colonel
Erliardt. lie accepted the nomination, hut
That nomination meant the restoration Of Tam
many Halls power, And there began all the
evils under which you are now suffering ! do
not refer to this because | have the slightest
personal feeling about it. have none. IL was
II great relief to me to get out OF the mayors
Office. But that is the difficulty in this com
inunity-the moment an effort ior reform is made
one or the other political party will seize upon
it rs an opportunity TO gain power. and by
together they will defeat the candi-
date Of the reform clement in this city. Now,
who is 10 blame for all thi,2 Not Tammanv
Hail. not the Republican organization headed by
Platt, but the people of the city of New York
who allow themselves TO be led by tho nose and
to be used as an instrument for III, pn.A AIncnt
OF the honest administration oi public aGials and
for the restoration OF incompctcnt ani dishonest
men to ofilcc. | have nothing 10 suggest
have 10 program, What have said ] haze said
oh-hand from such recolections as have OF the
two years when was in Office, striving To make
New York better and more decent and, ! may
add, without much sympathy as iar as | could
Fee on the part OF the general public.
IT is always pleasanter to deal In
optimism than in gloom; you feel bet
ter yourself and You cause others to
feel better. But it is not always so
The fact of the matter is
that there is great deal of substan-
tial truth in Mayor Hewitt's remarks:
truth just as applicable to Scran-
ton as to New York. In many of
our cities today reform movements
are in progress. They are epidemic.
They are also necessary. Without
them our municipalities would tester.
The men in charge of them, the most
of them at all events, are honest, earn
est, sincere and deserving of unquali-
ed approval and popular support--all
the more SO from the fact that they
are doing necessary work of great
difficulty and considerable peril abso-
lutely without compensation or expeo-
fancy of personal profit. They will
succeed TO certain point, get few
criminals In Jail, scare the harpies into
temporary hiding, exhaust the novelty
of the thing, and fall by the waysida
with hardly a sign of public Interest
or regret. Afterward history will re-
peat.
The problem of deciding whether or
no Minister Conger is the man for the
occasion in China can safely be left TO