Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-12-24
MORAL COWARD
CONTINUED from PAGE One)

on the correspondence, but earlier in
the day issued an appeal to the people
to support him in enforcing the law.
General Butler as a parting shot to-
day said he wanted the Ritz-Carleton
Hotel padlocked for liquor law viola
tons and the dance licenses of the
Bellevue-Stratford and the Walton re-
voked for attractions of the prohibit
tion law. but the mayor refused to give
his consent.
Two rooms in the Ritz-Carleton,
where private party was being CIV
en-, were recently raided by Police
Magistrate Edward P. Carney, who
has been insisting that the big fell
lows" be made to obey the laws as
well as the little fellows"
A quantity of alleged intoxicating
liquor was seized and other evidence
obtained of such character that Gen.
eral Butler decided to proceed against
the hotel. Edwin NJ. Abbott, counsel
for the department, prepared paddock
ing papers and they were presented to
the mayor.
General Buffers memorandum states
that he, Abbott and Assistant Director
Elliott called on the mayor on Deem
Der in reference to padlocking the
Ritz-Carleton. The memorandum fur
Their says:
"The mayor stated he did not feel
like proceeding against the Ritz, that
it was big hotel, that he needed room
space for the sesqui-centennial. that
Joe Widener had threatened to close
the hotel, anyway; that it was not nee
essary to paddock 1T; that there was a
big difference between the treatment
of a place like the Madrid Ca local
cafe), where they could go off the
street and have party, and big ho-
tel like the Ritz where people give
private parties. All three of us stat
ed that he could not see any difference
between little places and the biggest
one"
The result Of the interview was that
action was to be delayed until after
the police magistrates hearing against
the manager of the hotel, who had
been arrested.
On December 81, the memorandum
states, General Butler again pressed
for action without result.
In another memorandum General
Butler stated:
THE mayor, in the presence of
City Solicitor Gaffney, said to be in
a sneering way: Have You got any
news of those bandits who robbed
that bank?' and I said: No, SIR
and explained the conditions to him.
Then he said: If you stopped going
after those big investments and have
the police on the streets, there would
be fewer robberies.'
THE mayor added: You have got
to lay off these big places. There is
difference between a $1,000, 900 in
vestment and cheap place which
blackmafls people,
Other papers made public by Gen.
eral Butler indicated there had been
friction between the mayor and the
director for some time, the mayor
frankly stating to Butler that he did
not like the way he was conducting
his department and did not approve
of some of the appointments he had
made.
The hostilities of the day opened
with a letter from the mayor dis
missing General Butler, effective at
noon.
While am not required by law
to give a reason for dismissal o. q
director" said the mayor, I'm order
to comply with your request, I may
say that you have not a proper ap-
probation of the obligation which
you hold to the mayor as /your su-
perior officer.
1.-THE confidence and harmonious
relationship which should exist be-
tween us as mayor and director of
public safety has by. your actions
been completely destroyed"
General Butler, in his reply, said
in part:
"You call It disloyalty because !
press you to be man and carry out
your oath of Office, your publicly de-
ciared pledge to the people Of Phila-
delphia who elected you, and your
oft-repeated promise to me.
I'm order that the people Of Phila-
delphia. who are your superiors, may
know that the failure to take action
on my part is due to your lack of
moral courage. and through no fault
of the police department, and in or
der that they may know that your
reason is simply camoufiage, 1 am
submitting to them the correspond
ence in these cases for their judg-
ment"