The New York herald., 1922-05-20

pure New York. and that persons> who
so far forget themselves are bad citi-
zens and defamers of the city. 1t is
easy TO recognize the mental operations
OF the same old Tammany,
Faces an Angry Prosecutor.
Anyway. I went to bat not very
we'll prepared. must confess. and the
inevitable result was an extremely
angry District Attorney. Delaney
Nicoll. and a subpoena for my appear
ance before the Grand Jury. The at
mosphere of the Grand Jury room was
frigid. They didn't care for me and
were at no pains to conceal the fact.
l could not swear to anything much
OF my own knowledge-that the police
were blackmailers, police justices cor
rupt and municipal officials vicious.
| couldn't do 1t any more than affirm
that Tammany Hall was a disguised
wing of the Prohibition party. So they
worsted me completely. l left the Grand
Jury room whipped but cheerful, and
l recorded a solemn vow that never
again would I be caught in the pres
ence of the enemy without powder and
shot in my gun barrel.
What did / do them" Dr. Parkhurst
went on. "well, went right out TO
get ammunition. My dander was UP
was mad. il you like.
Il knew I hadn't even scratched the
surface. despite my inability to prove
what l said. and therefore started
out to get the evidence. I went with
private detectives, trusted men, and
saw about every kind of vice of which
New York could boast in those times.
and there was scarcely wickeder city
In the world than the New York Of
three decades ago.
For a month walked that foul
road. Then l preached another sermon
and gave 2Si instances OF poAce pro-
tected vice or vice of which the police
at least were cognizant. Then the city
woke up. The Grand jury issued a
presentment against the Police Depart
nent, q mass meeting of The people fol-
lowed. Devery and Byrnes were de-
nounced, the committee of seventy was
organized and finally the Lexow COM
mittee came down from Albany and
went to the bottom of the sink hole.
That's enough of ancient history, in
teresting as 1t may be-
THE point is. independence and ag-
gressiveness are as necessary now on
the part Of pulpit and press as they
were In the days of Bill Devery and
Tom Byrnes, for If the city is to be
kept decent reasonably we'll governed
and proper example for the other
cities of the country land they do ac-
tually look to New York, much as some
of them hate to confess IT.. then the
preachers and the editors have got to
be up on their, toes and have got to
keep a kind of courage that won't be
biuffed by the gestures OF Tammany
and Tammany's creatures"
DIR. Parkhurst was asked IL New York,
in his opinion, is a cleaner city morally
than 1t was in his fighting days.
Yes and no." he replied. I'm some
ways vastly better. Open manifesto
tions of commcrcialized vice have gone,
and for good. / dare say. Open gam.
bling has disappeared. Certain distress.
ing figures of the street have gone from
the picture. The rank and file of the
Police Department is improved. The
men are younger. more intelligent and.
as rule, with a more intelligent grasp
of Citizenship and their responsibility as
guardians OF the peace.
"On the other hand. there is no bet
terment at the top-in Tammany Hail.
from whence municipal government and
the character Of 1t ordinarily derive in
this city. There is no betterment at the
bottom-in the ranks of the very poor
and miserable. UnquestionabIy the drug
habit has grown enormously, bringing
with 1t murder and degradation unspeak-
able; and am beginning to believe that
there is more drinking of a fatal and
violence producing character than ever
before.
Prohibition? I have very definite
views. I believe that drastic law was
necessary to begin with /: necessary to
wipe out the whole structure of the
liquor business: but the time will come,
and soon, when an amelioration of the
law will be desirable. The saloon Is
dead. The distiIlery as a producer of
beverages Is dead. 1t may be that it
would be a. wise thing to have beer and
perhaps the lighter wines. That will be
demonstrated soon. fancy. The pres
ent prohibition law Is distinctly un-
American and the system of enforce
ment Is corrupt and tyrannous. do
not believe the people will tolerate 1t
great while longer"