The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-09

Candidate BOOkwaIter's Letter-Tag-
gart's Shortcomings.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
Mr.. Bookwalters letter and his speeches
are quite a. surprise to those who imagine
a man who conducts a large business sue
cessfully has no time or taste for munlcl-
pal affairs. He seems TO think he is stock
holder in the municipal corporation, and
that he not only has a right, but 1t is his
duty, to know all about how its affairs are
administered, but he also has some very
pronounced notions as to how they ought
to be. That a very large majority cf those
who have large private interests do not do
this is true, and the more is the pity. But,
after all, the election will be determined
along party lines. Very few Republicans,
if any, will vote for Mr. Taggart's second
or would vote for any Democrat half SO
stepped in what may be called TaggarIism,
while not "A Democrat will vote for Mr.
Pookwater except here and there a stock
holder in the municipal corporation, who
has taken time from his private concerns
to note the utter ruin that Taggartiom is
bringing upon us These will rebuke the
policy by rising above party. but all that
pother about gas meters and the like is
mere filling in to hide the real issues.
To my mind not a word has been said or
is likely to be said about the greatest
crime of Mr.. Taggarts administratlon-the
nonenforcement of municipal and statutory
law. Take the curfew law. for instance
1t was intended 10 break up those schools
of vice which the after-night outdoor life
of boys and girls promotes. For few
months after its passage II was enforced
with satisfactory results: juvenile offenseS
were reduced to a minimum, ana great
hope was entertained that much perma-
nent good would follow, but il has long
been dead letter, and the dozen or more
commitments to the Reform School within
year might have been prevented if the
after-night schools Of vice had been dis
perSed. The curfew whistle is now useful
only to regulate clocks by.
Then there is the ordinance forbidding
reckless speed and riding bicycles on side
walks. No ordinance could be deader than
that. Boys run races with the street cars
and beat them on all improved streets
every day in full sight of the police and
many sidewalks have been converted into
bicycle tracks by permanently putting in
lifts at the crossings of streets and alleys,
so that on all improved streets the side
walks are the race tracks for wheelmen.
Then there is the ordinance against rapid
driving within the city. yet every day wit
nesses the fast driving of horsemen on
North Meridian and other improved streets,
and the nabObs who own fast horses drive
at full speed at the noon hour, when the
streets are full of children going TO or from
school to the imminent peril of life and
limb, but the police never say a word. 1t
is hardly eXtravagant TO say that more
than half of the vicious class everv dav
carry loaded revolvers and the police know
1t, but they pay no attention to the fact
unless II Is necessary 20 arrest some deS-
fact of having a loaded weapon serves a
convenient charge for the slate.
To the police and to a great many fairly
good citizens this conniving at violations
of law signifies very little Let me suggest
that they are by far greater offenses against
the interests of the city than all of Mr..
TaggartS vicious financial schemes The
city can survive these. A few years of
Republican economy will repair the dam
age, but generations cannot recover us
from the moral blight of the training of a
generation of lawbreakers the system main
tainS 1t is not matter of Indifference
TO the families of the incOrrigible bows
that have gone to the Reform School. nor
to the rest of us, but the cOnnivance of
the police at the violation of the curfeW
ordinance trains the boy to violate the
wheel ordinance and soon to DEFY all law
that restricts him in his desires
one who processes to know says there
have been three deaths in the city within
eighteen months clearly attributable to in
1uries received from unlawful bicycle rid
ing, not to mention scores of serious
cripplings. But all that is insignificant
compared with the moral degeneracy that
habitual defiance of law has caused II is
a lesson in crime that opens the way to the
next Offense. Possibly the Police Court
records may show how, many have been
wounded or murdered by the interdicted
loaded pistol. but all that is nothing com
pared with the education in lawlessness
the Indifference of the police to the ordi-
vented.
1 can condone all of Mr.. Taggart's blun-
derS in purely money matters. such as his
temporary loans, high prices for park lands
and the like. | can even apologize for him
by presuming he did not know any better
a very violent presumption, by the wav-
but / cannot be Indifferent TO the schools
of vice he has maintained from the lirtl.
boy in crimes Kindergarten. who. with Mr.
Taggarts approval. violates the curfeN
ordinance every night. and the larger boy
who scorches in the street or rides ON tbe
sidewalk to the hoary-headed sinner who
defes the law in the very presence of the
police every night and all day every Sun.
day in the saloon business.
Is ii any wonder crime is on the increase
with such facilities for its development
But what about Mr. ROokWalter's admin.
istratiOn in this regard? In the first nlac.
il cannot possibly be any worse For one
l am willing TO trust 10 his good sense IN
the matter. ] should hesitate to ask hin
for any prediction pledge that he viii
pOunce upon every boy and girl who is out
after curfew hours. A proclamation that
the ordinance must be obeyed. followed b,
the prompt arrest Of every persistent de-
fer regardless Of color or social standfna
would reduce the orfense 10 its minimum
In thirty days The same would be true "A,
10 the bicycle riders and the fast drivers
would be harder to deal with, but a pur.
pose TO enforce all ordinances and all law,
would soon break up at least so much OF
the schools OF vice as teach disregard of
law. There Will be burglars and highwa,
robbers ViOlators OF liquor laws and Grim
inals OF that class forever but we should
not encourage lawbreakng. L. L. SEE.