The New York herald., 1922-05-20
PARKHURST spurs
PREACHERS TO Fight
Full of Fire, He Tells How
He Forced LexOw Probe
30 Years Ago.
TAMMANY STILL SAME
Crime Wave Is Up to- Lower
Police Morale Caused by
Mayor and Chief.
PASTORS LAZY AND TIMID
People Won't Tolerate Vol
stead Law-City Partly Bet
ter Than 1t Used to Be.

why aren't the preachers of the
present day better fighters?" de-
manded the Rev. DR.. Charles H. Park
hurst. shaking his gray name like an
as anything else that its pulpiteers
lower their fixed gaze from celestial
glories to TIE plight and problems Of
their plain fellowmen. A preacher in
these days. as in the days when we
were fighting to a decision with the
Tiger (same old Tiger we have with
us today, must pack punch, as the
boys in tie Bowery say.
THE might OF the Holy Ghost Is a
wondrous thing" continued the veteran
reformer. now turned into his ninth
decennium. but every step in the his
tory of ameliorated civilization has cost
just so much personal push. II we have
brain, or heart, or purse. and sit
still and let things take their course.
making no sign. uttering no protest,
flips.as ourselves into no endeavor. the
~times will eventually sit in judgment
spun 10 anu NHcy VIZ 0dihh oS.
"Christianity is here for an object. IL
your Christianity Is not vigorous enough
to save this city 1t is not vigorous
enough to save you. Reality Is not
worn out. The truth is not knockkneed.
The incisive edge Of bare bladed right
cousness will cut. Only 1t has got to be
righteousness that is not afraid to stand
Up, move into the midst of iniquity and
shake itself. There Is nothing the mat
ter with Christianity here except that
some of the incarnations of 1t are lazy
and timid and sometimes think more OF
their personal comfort than they do of
municipal decency."
still Fighter at so.
Parkhurst, fighter still at so years
OF age sat back in a big, comfortable
chair in his apartment at the Ansonia,
thinking aloud. The fulminator of his
reflections was the present police situa-
tion--certain evidences OF let down
in the morale of the Police Depart
ment and very patent evidences of ex-
tensive crimnality outside Of the de-
partment. The old minister. as vigorous
mentally and almost as lively physically
as when he was tearing the striped hide
or Dick Croker's Tiger thirty years ago,
had been discussing this situation, say
ing fatty, as he says most things. that
the police are not doing their work ana
that the reason they are not doing their
work Is that the Mayor and the Police
Commissioner don't want the work done
as II should be-up to the hilt.
There's not the slightest use for me.
as one individual. to denounce the pres
ent administration OF New York city"
he resumed.
Intelligent. honest men know that
la ho< AL al
IN the last few years. and they know
why. They know that Tammany Is at the
bottom OF municipal iniquity. There's
nothing mysterious about IL. Tammany
Is in business for Tammany. 1t Is a
dollars and cents business. extremely
valuable to thousands of hangers on.
important or obscure. and gold mine
TO a few. Murders have been done to
perpetuate this good thing. And II Is
still doing business at the old stand
with complaisant Mayor and SUBJ
scrvient Police Commissioner There's
the answer to your so called crime wave.
There are young men in the pulpits
who might take their eyes off Heaven
for time tHeaven has a way of taking
care of itself) and discuss what is 60
ing on In this city. They might take a
little time to finding out exactly
what is going on. II is perfectly ap-
$ parent to seasoned observer. Nor do
they need to start with a whole bag full
of copper riveted facts. They can speak
their minds and II they are on the right
track public opinion and the press will
do the rest
Crusade of Thirty Years Ago.
did you ever hear how the fight
started that hurt Tammany so badly
thirty years ago? The fight that led to
the Lexow investigation and the disclo-
sure OF unbelievable corruption? As my
gambler friends used to say. II started
on a 'shoestring.' I let fly at the old
Tiger without knowing precisely whether
could prove what I said.
"As pastor of the Madison Avenue
Presbyterian Church, then in old Madison
Square. of course had CLEANED many dis
tressing facts about the life many young
men were leading in the New York of
that day, the New York OF red light
districts and OF gambling houses bloom
ing az thickly as roses in Sharon. and
II was merely upon the basis OF things
that ! had heard in my pastoral work
that i preached a sermon in February
1892, denouncing the city authorities, the
District Attorney and the police an re-
sponsible for vice and criminal condi-
tions. and alluding to the governing au-
thorities as a lying. perjured, rum
soaked and libidinous lot
Naturally there was fearful row
next day and was denounced savaEely.
But one paper said this. which In as
true to-day as then, a swapping com.
ment
'Tammany Hall stlll keeps up IL.
pretense Of being inexpressibly shocked
mt the Sad degradation" OF the pulpit
by the Rev. DR.. Parkhurst. II would
suit Tammany IL the pulpit were IN
keep its artillery trained on the wicked.
ness OF man before the Flood or try 10
reduce and capture the Tower OF Babel
or TO blow daylight through the perse.
cutting Emperor Nero. Indeed. Tam.
many does not care IL II comes dow
to as modern theme as the skepticsI
chestnuts OF the eighteenth century.
But when IL begins up to date crime
corruption and public robbery. Tam.
srsnys delicate moral sense. Tammany's
exquisite religious tact. Tammany's fer
vor for the gospel OF medieval theology
Is aroused, and the Rev. DR.. Parkhurst
Is unanimously pronounced by Tammany
a shameless dcbsser and abuser OF the
pulpit
"There you are" continued Or. Park.
hurst "In the same vein we have heard
quite recently official expressions that
n Is horrible 10 speak % the existence
OF crime wave in New York. in orderly,