New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
IanmanyDeaf
To Swami Call
ToWar onVice
Leaders Fail to Respond to
Request to Emulate
"Florrie" Sullivan

In spite of the inspiring whoop that
came from District Attorney Swami on
Friday, Tammany braves were reluctant
yesterday to take the war path the late
"Florrie" Sullivan blazed through the
old "red light district" with his fists.
Even Charley Culkin, leader in Mr..
Swann's own district, didn't think that
was just the way to proceed in his
bailiwick, and Jimmy Hines. Harlem's s
Honest Blacksmith" was as certain
as was DR.. Solomon Goldenkranz. of the
9Th, that he who ruleth his spirit is
greater thanrKe who taketh city.
Times have changed since the days
of "Florrie" Sullivan, as Tammany
sages pointed out to the District At
torney in the course of numerous in
terviews yesterday. Each one was sure
that even granting the propriety Of
donnybrooking vice out of the city,
there was none to assail in his own
district.
"Greenwich Village, or that part of
it in my district, is almost 100 rer
cent residential" said Mr.. Culkin. 1--WE
haven't got anything that bad over
there. We wouldn't allow it for a
minute, because there is more advan-
to the other element
Says Swan "Passes Buck"
"I'm in favor of this clean up. 1t
looks as though Mr.. Swami, in a
sense, had passed the buck to the
leaders. Pm in favor of it, and if I
see anything which he wants hit, nj
be glad to report it. But we haven't
even got the problem of the vicious
saloon back room in our dctrict. The
Liquor Dealers Association has helped
to clear that out"
Jimmy Hines sent word from Harlem
that his district was 99.44 per cent
pure since the raids conducted Dy the
good thing if district captains would
be vigilant to maintain that percentage.
DR.. Goldenkranz was sure no district
surpassed his own in purity. He was
somewhat disturbed by report that a
member of the Women's Democratic
Club of the 8th District had written to
Charles F. Murphy that Democratic
office holder was running gambling
house in the district. He declared he
had hunted high and low and hadn't
been able to discover who had written
that letter. He added that he couldn't
imagine to whom she referred either.
but if he heard anything he'd let Mr..
Swami know.
See Reflection on Leaders
That was as close as the District
Attorney came to enlisting strong
arm squad from among the Tammany
leaders. Some Tammany men who are
frankly opposed to the scheme, de-
clared the very suggestion implied
that Tammany leaders and district
captains were familiar with vicious
and illegal conditions in their districts
and had done nothing to remedy them.
One leader read from the statement
or District Attorney Swami: "a dis
trict leader has greater facilities for
ilndlng out where vice dcns are located
IN his district. He has only to send
out word to his captains to report
where disorderly resorts arc. Every
district captain who knows his business
knows the people Of his district and
what they are doing. He knows where
the places of disrepute are. For him
to report them to his leader is simple
matter.
"The situation to-day is not like that
prevailing in the red light district
when tFlorrie' Sullivan made his raids.
At that time Tammany was blamed for
the situation that existed. The Police
Department was rotten with corruption
and graft, and everything the system
did was laid at the door of Tammany
Hall, on the theory that the SYSTEM
could not exist without Tammany con-
nivancau