The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-10-31
POINTS FOR REFORMERS
HERE AND EVERYWHERE


protected crime and vice. 1t was by
no means my first introduction to the
police department-wc have been ac-
quainted for several years-but it was
my maiden experience with reform
movement. My interest in the ex-
perience was purely professional one,
my duty being merely to make a re-
port concerning certain matters: but
it was very instructive to work under
the auspices that did, and number
of new points of view were revealed
to nae. The same ex-bank robber who
helped me later in Philadelphia was
also an assistant i'm the investigation
in New York. When the Investiga-
tiOn was finished we had a talk about
our finding, and in the course of the
conversation / said to him something
like this:
"You have looked over the city
pretty carefully from two absolutely
opposite sides. You used to know it
as an expert thief and burglar, and,
as you say, you helped to make it
crooked and bad. You knew it in
Tweed S me, when the situation was
considered extremely criminal. Dur
ing the last few weeks you have had
look at it from a new point of view
you have been employed by the re-
form side. Now, tell me frankly what
conclusions YOU have come to, after
both experiences, as TO the best way
to 90 to work and stop public officials,
policemen, ETC., from grating. The
years when you were a known CRATER
must have given you some ideas on
this subject, and our recent work to-
gether has probably also suggested
things to you"
The old man hesitated moment
before replying, and it was evident that
he was trying to formulate careful
answer He finally spoke as follows:
1.-The main thing / find fault with
is that reform gets tired out. I've
seen it lie down and 90 to sleep in
every city in the United States. AS
rule it never wakes up till just be-
fore election time. Mind you, that
isn't saying that the fellows that 90
i'm for reform amt on the level. l
know some of 'em personally, and
THEY'RE honest men. But they are all
50 busy with their own private affairs
that they amt got any time to fight
graft except when there S chance of
beating the fellows that have got the
offices.
sMy notion of the right way to
hurt the graft is that you've got to
keep hammering away at it just as
hard between elections as when one is
ON. The grafters don't stop grating
between elections, and why should re-
form?''
''But it is very difficult to get the
necessary money with which to fight
the grafters after the reformerS have
suffered defeat in an election, - re-
piled.
ssThat's true, but it don't spoil my
notion" the old man continued. "a
lot of people say: Let the churches,
the newspapers, the charitable SOcie-
ties and the priests fight the grafters.
It's their job That's all poppy
cock. Since you and 1 have been
working together, have we heard
single CRATER show any fear of the
churches or the priests? Not on your
life. They re afraid of men like Jer-
ONE, in New York, and that young
man called GiDboney, in Philadelphia.
''Why? Because these fellows get
out and fight 'em right in their own
hang-outs. If the millionaires of New
York and Philadelphia would give a
lot of fellows like Jerome and Gibbon-
ey enough money to fight the grafters
to a standstill, and the grafters knew
that the millionaires meant to keep
on with the battle they'd throw up
the sponge. know it because I've
been CRATER myself, and also because
yea and / have heard them talk DUR
ing the reform hullaballoO. l hope
the reformers will get the Offices this
fall, both in New York and Philadel-
phia, but I'll bet you $50 that the
grafters will have the offices again
after the next election comes around
unless somebody shells out money on
big emo 1cale to scare 'em.
Crooked md Office holders
are lii hieves-they re
bOl% think you're
hen they
yer get
you
lie