The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-17
UNDERWORLD GRIP
. ON j. S. POLITICS
Barred IN INQUIRY
Thugs, Gunman, Bootleggers
Control Elections in
Big Cities.
BY n. ID. Cochran
Times staff Correspondent

IN the election Ol Culleu OIaIcS
Senators it would have shown up
as intimate a relation between ma
chine politics and crime as it did
show between machine politics and
pubic utilities.
Enough was shown, however, to
enable one to figure out something
of the part the underworld plays
in practical politics.
1t was shown that in certain wards
have political bosses who absolute
ly dominated the politics Of the
ward. Most of the wards have their
individual bosses, although their
power is not so great in residential
wards where there are few blind
tigers, cagarets, night clubs, gam
bling joints and disorderly resorts.
Need Protection
The wards where vice and crime
are most profitable, is where the
, ward boss has the most power. lie
. can tax bootleggers, gamblers and
keepers Of disreputable resorts and
collect liberal contributions to cam
paign funds. These businesses are
illegal, They cannot operate long
without protection.
1t can be set down as an absolute
fact that wherever pickpockets ply
their trade some officer of the law is
getting the money. The same is
true Of gamblers, bootleggers and
keepers of disorderly resorts.
Politics TO Blame
The police could put any Of them
out Of business if they wanted to or
were permitted to. Too often in
American cities the police force pro-
tects criminals. instead of protecting
the public upon whom the criminals
prey.
Let's suppose a case. Suppose
that in any big American city the
vote between Democrats and Repub.
licans is close. The criminals vote
counts as much as the law-abiding
citizens. But the criminal will reg
lister and vote, while many of the So
called respectable element won't.
Any gambler, boOtlegger, hi.
iacker or keeper of blind pig or
a shady resort can and does influ.
ence more votes than the average
respectable citizen. The average
respectable citizen is a dummy pO-
litically.
But the underworld denizen is an
Independent voter. He knows little
about political issues and cares less.
He uses such political influence as
he has, much as Sam insult of Chi
cago, and all over uses such in
fuence and money as he gets from
controlling nearly a billion dollars
worth of public utilities. That is, he
uses his political influence to pro-
tect his own selfish interests-to
feather his own nest.
Politicians Know 1t
Politicians know the police have
great influence in the underworld,
that the police can pull gambling
joints. pinch bootleggers and raid
disreputable resorts. Or they can re-
frain.
Suppose then that a political ma
chine in any city controls the mayor
the police department, the county
prosecutor or states attorney, the
sheriff, the board of assessors and
the tax board of review. Any ward
boss, working with the machine, is
then in position to have much in
fiuence with all branches of govern.
ment.
He can go to the prosecuting at.
tOrney and, except in fragrant
cases, protect underworld deniZens.
Often he can save criminals from
indictment and prosecution; or
help them to make a getaway by
fixing their bond.
Often he can get the police TO
lay off" of some of his pet law
breakers. and thus protect" them
in their violation of the law.
Collection Easy
And so long as he protects viola.
tors Of the law he can not only col.
lect money from them regularly,
but he can rely upon their support
at primaries and elections. Nor do
these protected denizens of the un-
derworld care whether their pro-
tector is Republican or a Demo.
Graf.
So long as this ward boss. In an
underworld ward, can deliver the
vote of his ward to the party or.
ganization in power he is in a posi-.
ton to demand and receive jobs and
favors for his followers and pro.
lection for such Of the underworld
characters as can deliver votes.
Elect as They Please
So it isn't strange that in some
wards in Chicago gunner, thugs, ex-
oonvicts and criminally generally can
be appointed judges and clerks of
election and stuff ballot boxes and
count ballots as they please.
Now take the so-called respectable
residential wards. If the political
machine in power controls the tax.
ing machinery, including, as in Chi.
cago, the board of assessors and the
board of review, every big property
holder Is al The mercy Of the DO.
Itical machine. That's what makes
towards Of business men who would
really like TO have good govern
ment, but who wouldn't mind dodg.
ing some taxes and who, certainly,
don't want to be overtaxed.
If You Kick
If a wealthy business man takes
a virtuous notion to try to clean out
the gang in the interest of clean
politics, he may be summoned be.
fore the taxing politicians and have
a hundred thousand or so added to