The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-07
MAYOR GAYNOR DEFENDS POLICE OF NEW YORK AS
 THE BEST IN THE WORLD

fore the murder of Rosenthal. He
 completely deceived the Commission
 CT. But did not condemn the Com
 missioner for it and throw him to the
 wolves, as the sensational press loudly
 demanded that I should do. On the
 contrary 1 stood by him because he
 had done no wrong.
 'Of the twelve who dipped the sop
 with Jesus one betrayed him. It was
 not at all astonishing that Becker be-
 trayed Waldo. could very easily
 have thrown Waldo to the wolves and
 rode off in safety myself while they
 were devouring him. But I made
 up my mind that I would instead
 jump out of my sleigh and let Waldo
 escape while the wolves were deyour-
 ing me if necessary. l would not go
 back on him, nor on any other off,
 all know that. They know that l
 stand by them so long they do
 right. It would not only be weak but
 contemptib1e in Mayor to sacrifice
 his heads of departments when some
 clamor arises, and make hero of
 himself. I do not wish to be the hero
 of degenerate newspapers. Let
 those who want that sort of hero
 worship have it.
 You ask me if I think Becker rep
 resents a type of police official? As
 I have told you, in the past there
 have been notorious grafters in ruler
 ship over the police. They went out
 mi1lionaires one after another for
 generation or more. But Becker was
 only a little lieutenant. l was ex-
 pecting that some of the old time
 inspectors who are reft would be caught. was looking. for it any day. It would not surprise if we were
 fo catch some of them yet, I cam not say that Becker is a type. If what was testified against him is in
 all respects true, he is one of the greatest criminals of the age. and not a type. He was known in the force as what they call good policeman. That is to say, he did things He got results, but if the evidence of. Rose and others must be taken as true in all respects, as it is given to me, he must have been without any moral sense whatever. But I do not wish to say anything to hurt him. He is now struggling for his life, and I doI not wish to say anything about him.
 There was a great outcry that Becker was associated with some of the big inspectors of the department, and others in the taking of graft. Of course every man that thought for moment, regarded that as very un- likely Never in the past have the big leaders of the police departnl ent allowed themselves to be led and managed in any graft enterprises by a little lieutenant of police. They have never stopped to anything like that That would be very unlikely indeed | was in the thing alone. He got in with a bad lot of criminals and gam b1ers, and betrayed his chief.
 You ask me the best way to re- move temptation to graft? I have already told you how we reduced the contact of the force with the sources of graft. In place of allowing all the inspectors and captains to be in contact with it, we reduced it down i to one point of contact, nam ely, to the i Commissioner himself. with this spe- ciaI squad of 150 men under him, i and subject to the orders of no one else.
 You ask me to give my best idea of how to alleviate or cure the evil of female prostitution. That subject is as old as the world. It existed as far back as we know, even at that border line where fable scarcely ceas- l es and history hardly begins. It has continued ever since. It will continue until the passions of men have be- come softened and lessened. These | unfortunate women are what men have made them. Very few of them 1 entered into such a life as a matter of choice So long the passions | of men are so strong will women be ] the victims of men. And when men l come to deal with these their victims, l they should do it charitably and | gently. Some people seem to think | that the Mayor ought to lock them | all up, or club them out of town, or | get rid of them in some indefinite !, way. There is no law for any such | thing. We have to do the best we 1 can. The most fortunate thing is to 
 ity, or in few localities. That reduces 1 the evil to a minimum.
 Some years ago here in the city of 1 New fork sensational clergyman l was instr rumental in having them 1 driven out of the localities in which | they had congregated, and scattered 1 all over the city. In place of being i in a few hundred houses they were i scattered into thousands of flats and | houses all over the city. The result l was scandal to our wives and chill l dren, and many women and girls led 1 astray by contact with these women. | Every one now knows the terrible in 1 jury which this clergyman did. He | is now hired out.to a newspaper, and | has 6 column more or less every day. 1 He prints his picture at the head of l the column. He evidently thinks he i is very handsome fellow, and 1 wants people to look at his pictures. If Jesus were here do you think he would print his picture at the head of | B column and then write untruthful i and unkind and uncharitable and 1 dippant things about others?
 The subject of prostitution has been studied by many in ancient and also in Christian times. You can readily recall much ancient literature On the subject. But let us not go 1 into that. It is enough for any just man to look over the Christian literature on the subject. Let him first read what St. Augustine says about it in his De Ordine.' I 1 said this to some one not long ago and he went out and said that I quot ed the Confessions Of St. Augustine,' so little did he know the subject.