Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-25
The Wickedness of New York.


The New York Sun takes strong ex-
i ceptidns TO the views of DR.. Park
hurst relative to the wickedness of New
York as compared with some of the
European cities. In answering Dr.
Parkhurst's criticisms of New York the
| Sun says:
when the Rev. DR.. Parkhurst said
to correspondent of The Sun in Lon
don on Thursday that it is humiliat-
| ing To an American abroad to read con-
| stantly in the English press tales of
crime and lawlessness in New York,
he spoke in his usual strain of exag
geratIon. 1t must be inferred that in
looking ut the London papers he con-
fined his attention to the American
news, and that. he omitted altogether
to glance over the papers Of the CONT
ncnt Of Europe, where he has been
Spending the summer
$50 far from there being anything
specially humiliating in the con-
ditiuns as to crime and lawlpss-
ness in New York, there is much
reason to think that we compare
favrrably with the great cities
of Europe. The English newspapers do
not give the crimes committed in their
own country any very great promi-
mence unless they happen to be ex-
traordnary in type; but glance
through their police court and trial
court reports from day to day will sat
isfy any one that every species of Of
fence with which the New York police
have to deal is rerniciously prevalent
in London. Liverpool, Manchester
every city in King Edwards domniGns.
That crime is far more prevalent than
the court returns indicate is a safe in
ference from the recent estimate of a
London paper that, beginning with the
theft Of the reGalia of the Order of St
Patrick from Dublin Castle, something
like 100000 worth of jewelry thefts
had taken place in the United King
dom this year without any of the plum
der being recovered.
"A Partisan newspaper of the popu-
lar or yellow type any day in the week
just now is an appalling proclamat ton
of the ramrancy of crime in France.
Murder. assault. outrage and robbery
are exhibited in every column. one
story tells of the latest nocturnal
atrncity by the Apaches in the streets
of Paris. Adjoining columns report
by bands of brigands In the
provinces. The parade of women
the streets of Paris in protest
against the repricve of the monster
S"lcilan1 was not an uprising against
his single crime. brutal though il was.
hut against the terrible frequency Of
murder and abuse of children and wo-
men. Coupled with these pictures Of
crime are the same attacks on the
police. the same grinding against the
authorities which are 50 familiar in the
Of DR. Parkhurst ana his imita-
'"rS in respect to the officials Of New
York
The newspapers of Berlin similarly
ecm with reports of crime. t. speak
II st. Petersburg would be grotcsuue
The cities of Italy have their criminals.
IN Spain a brigand who tcrroriZed n
whole province for years has just been
killed. Crime, unhappily. is rife every
VII, re. New York has no monopoly |
If 1t. We need not hang our heads in
shame in the presence Of any Euro
'can. Indeed. considering the chaotic
nature of our population and the lack
f the restraining force of neighbor-
rood opinion among thousands who
lav" no n"ighbnrS whom they fear or /
Nh"So good opinion is precious to them,
$" hay" much reason to hold up our
reads, allow ing Or. Parkhurst to rcvel /
II his humiliation alone"