South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-30
APRIL 30. 1920.
"AS HE WIND LLsTETH."

u Mr. Dan PyIe's address before the Lincoln Moth
ers club scratching the surface OF local vice condi
lions: the moral pressure given renewed impetus b.
Evangelist Bob Jones further being boosted alonl
now by the local pastors has fallen heavily on
upon the city hall. but has pressed down through
the administration over there-as evidenced by tn
more or less effective order to the brothes gambn
joints blind tigers to close during the evange
lists presence,-and Is making itself felt by the ad
organ over on Main ST. Finally after 81
many weeks with the agitation running high for
moral cleanup Of the city at which until now on
has seemed inclined to sheer W
gather this from its Wednesday issue:
Mayor Carson. YOU we're very foolish not to
fOresta these attacks your administration
by suppressing vice last year. You had an ex-
cellent opportunity. Your administration
Young; and IN spite OF its deficiencies a great
many prominent South Bend citizens had con-
hdence in It, The Chamber of Commerce had
you speak 10 il upon the interesting subject of
your administration and permitted YOU TO tell
how your friends had abused you long after
your shortcomings as mayor had been
posed. Some astute business men thought that
the budget YOU sponsored last fall was all right
the requirements OF the state law nOtwithstand-
ing
You see. you had an excellent chance to re-
deem yourself n YOU had just closed that
brothel that operates so close to the city hall
that a policeman could toss his mace into the
window provided ne could throw around
ner. YOU would have made a good start Some Of
South Bend doctors say that they have
traced cases Of venereal diseases there and at
least young fellow has almost lost his mind
since ne diseased after contact with in
mate TO whom he had 20 deliver laundry. You
see YOU might nave closed that place. Il
It pretty cOmpetently defended. But YOU
didn't
You could have helped the manufacturers.
among which YOU have some good friends by
dispossessing prostitutes and gamblers and thus
relieving the shelter shortage appreciably But
YOU didn't. You let that opportunity lass. The
most YOU did 10 tell your friends how un-
kind your critics were.
Now the church forces stimulated by
courageous evangelist charging YOU with
responsibility for vice in South Bend. They are
right about IT, aren't they. Mayor Carson You
are responsible for the vice in South Bend. Are
YOU going 10 do anything about il? why
start all over again. call off the supervisors of
vice and close all the places!
Which is all very good true. 10 the point and de
served but for that one element, of the pot call
ing the kettle black" is true that our oontempor
airy has on a couple of occasions during the pas
IS months. had spasms Of virtue once in January
1919. and again along in August but they wer
only spssrns and in both cases under O. pressure O
public opinion. perhaps not as accumulated as a
resent but pressure. There is no question about
but that the recent quetude Of the aforesaid crit,
little it. was the result of partisan understandin
that the socaued liberal vote should not be an
tagonized by cleaning up the town here on the ev
OF a primary. or in The yea- Of an election. on
contemporary has been playing the same game tina
the city administration has and is playing it still
its challenges to Mayor Carson being to save its fac
in the midst OF a rising public indignation and max
OF the mayor the goat" for things of its own en-
enlargement by countenaucing
The administration organ became the administra
ton organ by virtue Of its support Of the city ad
rninistration when It was in the embryo. It kner
that two-faced campaign was being made: tina
through its influence the decent law abiding citizen
ship was belng hoodwinked on the one hand O
else the vice forces were being hoodwinked on tn
other hand. The administration was ushered in wit
the first DAYS OF January. 1915 and within a fort
night Il was plain enough where the hoodwinkin
fail but never word from its journalist
mouth Liece not for q year then not again ia
eight months and now again after nearly eigt
months more Ii has chosen. quite throughout.
oountenance If not encourage. keeping the cam
paign promises made 20 the vice forces rather tina
those made 90 the church people: that IS IL
have so chosen save when public opinion, an
then. has become too oppressive for it, and it ha
felt Obliged 20 succumb.
such repentauees sound too much like death be
rer enhances for righteous consumption That IS on
only criticism of the editorial which we quote
ought not require an evangelist to stir either IN
administration. the ohuro hes. or the admnistrauo
organ to defiance Of the vice forces at work in ou
city. Il is no less Of a credit that such should
necessary TO awaken the churches, or the admin
istration organ than &c is the city administration
The stain Of moral inertia IS upon them au.