The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-03
REVELATIONS BY AN EX=MAYOR

J h f4,if n
land explained to him the trivial Incident
which had led TO tho published reports
which seemed to have ag tated him. He
nodded approvingly and said:
AS A you know, made q pretty fair
contribution to your campaign fund, and
| business man, would see that the busI-3
l8ness interests of the city would not suf-5
| fer during your administration from any
lsof these business killing campaigns. l.
lam dec. edly in favor of keeping saloons
|disorderly houses, gamblers and the like
always have been here and always will
! be here, and wo must accept thcn, as neg,
| essary cvils. 81 Regulate Sthem, keep them
$nnder restraint. but II is useless TO att
tempt to remove them" M. .st
But" protested. y fail 70 see why
an effort to stamp out admitted evils
lean njure business :"
There is mouse in you and memat-..
1 tempting to fool each other" he replied
| you know and i know that lively times
start an active circulation Of money. and
That helps business all around we may
not like to take that view OF the situa-
stion, hut the fact is that q live town
begets good tines"
After the contributor to my campaign
! fund had left / walked to the office viii
dow. From, my point ofsylew.s could
seeithe roof OF a building which bore the
4 tame of Its owner: q household name
/ in my city. !. In the basement OF this
guiding was a saloon, which according
to a report. that lay on my desk, had
i ,eens the place Of Il robbery the night
before; a countryman had been relieved
of his money and watch by a woman,
i End the report ended III
This place Is the hang-out Of one OF
1 the worst gangs Of women crooks in the
j business district"
I at once wrote peremptory order5to
/ the chief OF police to close up this sa-
1 loon Immediately. The order was car
i rled out that afternoon and Just as
i was shutting down my desk for the day
i the proprietor of the place and the own
4 Ter OF the building, with one Of the alder.
i men rushed into my office. Tho owner
1 OF the building appeared to be the most
4 excited OF the group, He took ME aside
i and told me there must have been
/ mistake, that the saioon-keeper kept a
.|greputable place, and then he added.
4 ISput up $500 for your campaign fund.
4 and now you are taking $50 a year from
4 MY income. 81,
3i.po YOU mean to tell me- replied,
i that you get rental OF 5000 year
4 Tor d ftfty-foot basement?'
i "It's worth IT. lie retorted With some
4, il.eat. II have been offered more than
a that, but the present lessee has been
Il there for some years. lie gives me no
4 l,oublc, and this is the first time he
4 has had trouble with the police. fou
j know, you cannot always control people
(. iii saloons, and he tells mo that the man
4 who was robbed brought the WoinaH W
Il the saloon.
Il "Thnt's just It." said. our tenant
4 allows women TO frequent his place"
I and 4 handed him the police report OF the
4 robbery.
He showed 1t to tho saloon-keepor, who
declared that the police had IN
for him. but did not deny the charge,
j Finally the owner OF the building, the
u alderman and tho saloon-keeper pron1--
4 Used me that no more women would
be allowed In the place, and gave
the saloon-keeper written permission to
reopen.
have cited these two Incidents to
call attention to the curious moral ,astig-
lnatlsm, with Which some of the prom'-
nent business men of large cities are
afflicted.
These men unquestionably were pubic
spirited citizens, Their business reputa-
4 tons were stainless, They stood foT
all that was honest and sound ~ the
/ eomna> sal sworld, but when Y came 10
dammifig up one or more OF the streams
Of revenue, which flowed 10 tlelr res
81 cryolls, they became impressive defeno-
ers of saloons and champions OF the So
cial evil. Any man who has served as as
mayor, of any large American city VIII
bear me out In the statement that one
Of the fgpeatest obstacles In the way OF
cleaning out Of public evils has been
/ The open or secret opposition OF men
Il Who owned property which was rented
j, 10 the keepers Of low saloons or dsor-
Derby houses.
This condition was brought to my at
!, Itention, through the inspection by the
. Health Department of a district YhioN
: FORMED the zone Of transition that llndi-
Gates that the business center Is push
,, ing its way out Into the residence dis
4 ltrict. 1t As in such localities that houses
|. Of Ill repute frequently are found, me