Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-03
THERE'S NOTHING TO IT,
SAYS SCOTT OF CHARGE
WARES CONTROL COPS
Congressman Denies There Is
Any Political Connection With
Vice in the Four
teenth Ward
PEOPLE LAW ABIDING"

Congressman John r. X. Scott, Ware
leader of the 14th Ward, in which dis.
| orderly resorts had been running full blast
until charges were made against the police
being in connivance with the Wares, has
broken silence today to defend himself
and his ward organization
| When questioned in Washington in ref
erence to the nferences that the Wares
are allowing the 14th Ward to run wide
| open as a result of noninterferenCe by the
police, Congressman Scott said there is
absolutely nothing to it," He admitted,
however, that illegal resorts did exist in
his ward.
Scott denied any connection between
| his political organization and the police
| he said his organization based its strength
| upon straightforward voters; he said his
! subordnates have co-operated with the
| Committee of Seventy in eliminating
phantom voters Incidentally, he praised
the Blankenburg administration for keep
ing the police out of politics. but neglected
to give Director Wilson any credit what
ever along this particular line.
SOME SMILES FOLLOW.
The Congressman's statement was the
cause for much comment. Scotts asser-
ton that his ward organization had aided
in the fight for clean registry lists was re-
ceived with smiles here.
John r. X. Scott has never aided the
Committee of Seventy" said one promi- |
nent member of the committee, who re- |
fused to be quoted. '"rhere is no use in |
answering a thing like that" said an
other
one development today contradlcted the |
Congressman's assertion that 14th Ward |
voters were honest" and mot from IL
legal resorts" This fact. so he said,
could be proved by an investigation This
fact was not proved by an investigation.
On the contrary, there are on file with
the registration commissioners 66 petitions
to remove names of 18th Ward voters
from the voting lists. Every one of these
petitions was filed by the Committee of
Seventy. Not one was filed through the
efforts of Congressman Scott or any of
his political subordnates.
One of these petitions is filed against
one Milton May at 604 North 10th street
This man voted last fall, although man
by the same name was sentenced one year
ago TO the Federal penitentiary for viola
ton of the Harrison Antidrug Law.
Congressman Scott also claimed that
the 14th Ward is composed in a great
majority of "law-abiding, honest people"
Certainly there is" said one of the pollt-
icians of the 14th Ward this afternoon. |
"OnIy Scott made mistake, when he
said that there was a majority he should
have changed the phraseology to minor
ity' How can the great majority with
an ironic emphasis on the 'greatO law
abiding citizens when there Is or was,
a week ago. fully so places of vice run
ming in the l4th Ward. Fully 80, prob
ably twice that many"
DEFENSE OF WARD.
Scott defended his ward in these words:
I'VE have no interest in the exercise of
any police authority over any illegal
places We have absolutely no political
vHrffb
Republican organization bases its strength
entirely upon straightforward honest
voters II such conditions as mentioned
exist II is without our knowledge. We
have no connection with the police in poll
tics, never have had any and don't want
any. II has always been my thought that
police are no benefit to political organ
ization.
Fraud depended upon for political
strength is mistake, and instead or be-
ing source of strength II is a source
of weakness. The thought of myself and
friends who are identified in politics has
been TO base our strength on honest po-
litical efforts and to discourage any false
Temporary strength that is based on |
fraud. Fraud in politics is cource of |
weakness, and the police are no benefit
to a political organization,
Those of us in political life could well
commend at least one of the accomplish
ments of the Blankenburg administration
and that is that police had no strength
no matter how much they attempted TO
use For years the political organization
OF the l4th Ward has not only advocated
the cleaning OF the registry lists but has
co-operated with the Committee of Seventy
in keeping the registry lists clean.
"Our purpose in doing this was to re-
move the possibility of fraud and 10 en-
honest political activity among
our workers.
illegal resorts in our neighborhood un-
do exist. but they do not exist
from any encouragement from the po-
litical organization. An investigation will
show that the voters registered in our
section are honest. law-abiding citizens and
are not from illegal resorts. No such a |
as your paper states exists. Our
section Is not wide open, We are in a |
great majority law-abiding. honest people.
IL Is our desire To encourage such people
to reside among US. The police depart
ment under Director Wilson Is effectively
eurtailing and rapidly eradicating all char
acter of crime in our neighborhood. and
that is the desire Of all OF u.s.
sTINGER GETS BUSY.
In the meantime. the quips directed
against Lieutenant StingeF, OF the 10th
and ButtonwoOd streets station, which dis
triet embraces both the Ware 14th Ward
and the MeNiehoI 18th Ward. to the effect
that he had aided the Wares in their flght
has stung him to action.
Stinger said emphatlcally today that a
certain notorious house had been closed,
house aginast which complaints were
registered. He said the same thing yes
terday. although the house was running
last night under cover"