Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-05

know that their votes on September 10
were of vital significance 70 Philadelphia,
they ought to know II by this time. For
an open attack on the Penrose machne---
outwardly u violent attack, no matter
what the underground alliances Of the
two factiors may be--was made by the
Ware candidate in beginning his campaign
last week.
~ am opposed" said Mr.. Magee un.
equiyocally, TO that alliance of selfish
interests which Is called Penrosoism
which controls the Republican party In
the State and which, through such CON
troll, ia dominating Pittsburgh"
On the same day on which Mr.. Mayee
made that speech, l talked with L. ".
Babcock. the Ponrose candidate. There
isn't doubt about IT," said he leaning
forward to me confidentially. "the Ma.
gee crowd will have IA lot of money {.
spend for this election Aren't they
gettin' help and succor from the East?
You bet your llfe.'
Now these are the straight.from.the.
shoulder interchanges which establish the
Importance of Pittsburgh's mayoralty
The Vice Question
But what of the local fight? Is there
one in reality?
It's oasy enough for would-be reformers
TO set up a cry that there is vice" in
any great city. The vice may exist, but
to get legal evidence of vice Is Some
thing else again" The wholesale arrest
Of alleged offenders in this city year
ago, the ponderous examination con
Quoted by the Grand Jury, and the result.
Ing tiasco, when none of the persons
caught in the raid could be held because
of the lack Of proper evidence, Is still.
fresh in Philadephia's memory. Has
Pittsburgh any real underworld" OF
alarming proportions, or are the rumors
of such "a vicious body merely rumors?
Listen to the remarks mado by Judge J.
McF. Carpenter, Republican, of the
Quarter Sessions Court, in Pittsburgh last
week. lie is talking to the Grand Jury.
which convenes this month, before the
primaries:
II is currently reported that there
are a number of social clubs in Pitts.
burRh iotherS than Judge Carpenter
estimated the number of these clubs
to be no fewer than l000) conducted
under their charters for the financial
gain of one man or a small number OF
mon. When any club is so conducted
1t becomes menace. a public nuisance,
sink of inquity and breeder of crime.
You will, at the proper time, investigate
these reports carefully with the assist.
ance of those who have made com
- a md
sons acting under his authority and
direction, including the chief of the
county detectives, and also the con-
stables of the various districts in which
these clubs are said to exist.
And then, after this vigorous charge to
the Grand Jury. there follows a sentence
whose second word provokes a recollec.
ton of the humorists of "Wits'.burgh."
You may be able to ascertain the truth
or falsity of the rumors so persistently
circulated" said Judge Carpenter.
What Assistance" can the Grand Jury
count upon to establish acceptable ev.
dence? That Of the District Attorney?
Two days after Judge Carpenters in
structions of last week that officer was
peremptorily summoned before the Judge
and informed that the Judge meant what
he said. Abandoning hope Of assistance
in that quarter the Judge personally in
structed deputy sheriff to close one no.
torious club of the type which brought
out the Courts denunciation.
Big Revenues From Clubs
Nor is the assistance" of the chief of
county detectives and his force anything
but doubtful Repeated instances of the
arrest OF county detectives by the city
police when the county detectives were
attempting to obtain evidence have been
published. One Pittsburgh business man
said to me last week that II he were
to undertake private investigation OF
not less than 100000 to obtain incon.
trovertible evidence, Although wealthy,
he didn't have that much money to spend
Operating under charter as social
clubs" which can sell liquor to their
members" only when their charter con
tains such express permission from the
Attorney General it is alleged that a
license clause has been written into the
charter OF thousand clubs with official
conniVance. Inc charge has been
brought before the offense committee Of
the Allegheny County Bar Association
that the business of rewriting these char.
ters has been dispensed TO friendly attor.
neys, the privilege OF selling distilled
liquors to the clubs dispensed 10 one
liquor house, the privilege of selling beer
to bottling concern, and the privilege
Of installed slot machines for gambling TO
another syndicate The revenue collected
from the ''one-man clubs" by the leaders
OF the underworld, In return for protec
tion from the city administration, is esti
mated at a half million dollars annually.
1t might worry some of those interested
in the continued collection of these rev.
enues, some of those who smile at the
idea Of any accomplishment by the Grand
Jury, to know that the Grand Jury is not
the only body to whom evidence agains,
the "one-man clubs" has been or will be
presented. In a certain guarded Office
which entered In Pittsburgh last week
there are reposing three little blankbooks.
bn,,nd In hlaclx oilclatb ubich r .o....