New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-15

Affairs fell to the lot of the aged Mayor,
A. J. Mathis, by virtue of his Office.
But scarcely had the board met than it
began to play politics. W. P. Hume, liv-
eryInan Of convivial tendencies and bad
political associations, who had managed
the campaign Of Ash and Mathis, was made
chief Of police. The vote of Mathis, Ash
and Schramm elected him, but it was
forced over the protest of the councilman
GIamery) having charge of the Police De-
partment-in clear violation of the proprIe-
ties of the new system, in which the read
of department should certainly have chief
voice in organizing it.
IAN appointment of this kind over the
police department was the old and accepted
custom under the former system But no
sooner was it made under the new than
there was a violent protest. Councilman
Hamery first cried aloud; then the press
and the population generally. There was
an immediate demand for a recall, not
curiously enough, against Mathis and Ash
but against Charles Schramm alone-on the
ground that better things should have been
expected Of him. For about week the
agitation for recall was angry and excited
Finally 1t died. with the understanding that
Hume should be put upon his good be-
havior and tried A few months later he
was retired. But the new Council had re-
ceived its lesson. I felt said Schramm, in
describing his sensations during the recall
agitation, as If had been indicted by the
grand jury From this time on the heads
Of departments were allowed to organize
them as they saw fit, and they organized
them very well Whatever politicians may
not be. they are quick to recognize what
the public wants OF them.
Contrary to all natural expectations the
first reform accomplished was a moral one
For fifty years the city had kept It's
frontier-town quarter OF brothels, and &C
cepted the easy doctrine that a segregated
district is a necessity of city life. In
theory this district was supposed to keep
vice from the rest of the city; in practice
two-fifths of the vicious women were con-
fined to the district and the rest scattered
across the town. But now the good women
of the city saw their opportunity and held
a mass meeting. They invited Councilman
Hamery before them. and read him the
laws of Iowa on vice.
Are you, or are you rot, going TO en-
force the law?' they asked.
THE newspapers asked each OF the other
councllmen the same question. They
Ask Hamery: he's head of the police.
they said.
"Hamery stood alone. E,verybody's at
tention was focused upon him. Fer week
he refused entirely to discuss the question;
he was busy he could not decide; he
doubted whether it could be done.
Then ar last he gave in. I couldn't be
the one man that stood between those peo-
pIe and tha lau-' ne said
'And so. after three generations, the red
light district of Des Moines was closed
Sheer force Of public opinion had COM
PEELED q revolution in the morals of the
town-simply because under the new sys
tenn OF government. it found at once the
man who was responsible, and forced him
to act.
Once started. Councilman Hamery
plunged into the work OF clearing up Des
Mones with thoroughness The segregated
district was closed the day appointed.
September IL. 1908. Women left the city
by the carload, and ever since they have
been constantly and persistently hunted
yrpY3 ba