The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-25
WHICH ARF THE PAPERS?

failure to respond To its urginEs for a snap re
per- 70 the Mayor winding up tn day or tive
an investigation That has covered many months,
and whose record, according to the Netes Leader
coycrs five aundred pages- Of source material
~ In an Interview yesterday with MIR Il H.
Melton. Of the Vice Commission. the Ners Le1dcr
learned that as Mr.. Melton sees 1t:
The impression Is being made by Some of
papers THAT the Vice Commission Il
withholding from oar Mayor Facts and find Fl
ings TO which he is entitled Such idea
Is absurd. Every fact in possession Of the
Vice Commission. all data of every destriP-
ton. has been at the Mayors disposal every
minute of fae tine since Its discovery.
Detecting this phrase Of Mr. Notions statement
in It's editorial consideration Of the statement,
and emitting any mention Of it In over col
umn's worth o. story following, the Nces Leader
nevertheless told the public in great headlines
and many words tie name Of one Of the news
papers referred to by Mr. Melton, Lbe other is
rot hard 70 ind, having once been a close re-a-
tire % the chief agitaicr. The commission in
charge Of this unpleasant task has performed
its work regardless OF the opposition of the
Meas Leader ard other papers OF Richmond to
she view it has taken 7hat ricc cannot be seq
what right is the Nc,es Leader qualified to di-
rect the deliberations OF the Vice Commission
or the actions OF the Mayor?
With some amusement We learn from the ed
lorial columns Of the Noes Leader that.
The News Leader IL not precipitate, We
do not desire te erubarrass any man or any
group OF men, But have very definite
conception Of the Mayors duty and very
positive conviction of his responsibility
We do not expect Mayor Ainsie to reform
the whole police force by the examination
OF 500 pages of atfidaYits. bat we do expect
him TO utilize to the limit the legal powers
he has In examining the acts of his subordi-
mates and in holding full immediate in
vestigation under oath.
This must be a typicaly Nclcs Leader con
ception of the Mayors duty" Was it the,
Mayor duty" to enforce the law against the
segregated district for all the years he was in
Office and the district allowed to its
, course unchecked? Is ii possible that the Netcs
Leader has different conception of the May
ors duty from that laid down in the city char
ter and In the laws Of the State of Virginia?
That duty is expressed by the Law 10 be the duty
Of enforcing the laws of the State of Virginia
In the city of Richmond, The State law fer
bids the existence Of the segregated and the
scattered abode OF vice Is 1t possible that the
Law of the State has made an egregious blunder
In this provision? Certainly there seems to be
a difference Of opinion between the conception
OF the Mayors duty as viewed by the law and by
the Nous Leader. for only last Thanksgiving
this paper declared that we do not know how
expedent ii would he to maxi the rule of
Thanksgiving the rule Of all the year" (The rule
yr~A.
law And yet the Noes Leader stated yester-
day: I'VE have very definite conception Of the
Mayors duty"
Still further the NcwS Leader states it has "a
very positive conviction of his responsibility"
Does that conviction extend 70 the Mayors re-
sponsibility for the nonenforcement of the law
for 80 many months PRIOR TO the report of the
Vice Commission?
The Nescs Leader does not expect Mayor
Ainsiie 10 reform tha whole police force bur
does expect him to utilize TO the limit the legal
powers he has 10 examining the acts of his sub
ardnates" Why could not the Netcs Leader de-
nland that the Mayor utilize to the full the legal
powers be had" Of enforcing the Law year ago
even II by so doing he might not have been able
to reform al the immoral men and women in
Richmond? We must conclude that the NctcS
Leoder is becoming less adroit than usual
No. the case Is as stated by Mr.. Melton "The
impression is being made by some of our papers
that the Vice Commission is Withholding from
our Mayor facts and findings TO which he is en-
titled" The chief Of those papers Is the Ne,cs
Leader. whica supported the segregated district
and never turned finger to have the law
enforced in this city. Any attempt by this pa
rer, or other papers, to disoredit by innuendo
direct attack tie members OF the Vice Commits,
eion should meet with the public condemnation
II deserves. The commission knows whereof 1t
speaks end will speak finally in due season.
\ We stand ready TO support it In its work
s TAFT STILL WILLING.
Every day we more convinced of two
3 things. First, Mr.. Taft is setting his cap for