Year: 1879

GOOD governm ,nt to know when Mayor
Almond intends to make the reforms
which we're so profussly and positively
promised by his organs before his slec-
tion q little more than a year ago. 1t
was freely admitted at that time that
there was great need of reform and even
the 'Gazetts," the leading organ Of
the Democracy, took occasion more than
once to refer deprecatingly to the loose
state Of morals that then pervaded the
police department. All these short
comings however were to Be swept away
At ona tell swoop by the election Of Mr..
Almond as Mayor, who the "Gazette'
from day to day dsnominated as high
toned christian gentleman in whose
hands the morals Of the people would
be safe, aud by whom immortality was
TO he severely punished. There is no
doubt quite large number Of our citi-
Gems who recollect all these promises,
and they recollsct also the distust that
We expressed in those promises when
they were made. To speak frankly We
never expected to see reform under
Democratic rule, whether Mr.. Almond
had been elected or not, but least Of all
did We expect it II he was elected. II
WAS thought almost disgracsful at that
time 70 oppose his election, or to pre-
tend that he would not bring the mile
MUM with him in paper parcel whom
he entered the Mayors Office.


A year has now passed away since
his election-full long enough to judge
of the character Of his administration
and what do we see We see the city
government in almost indsscribabls
confusion, and the credit Of the city
threatened in the near future, though
We will be candid enough to say that
Mr.. Almond is not responsible for its
financial condition. There never has
been d year in which there was more
law breaking and crime committed than
during this first year Of Mr.. Almond =
administration, and it is but just and
reasonable to suppose that the other
two years upon which he is now enter
ing will not be any improvement upon
the first. 1t is true that so far as q
strict enforcement Of some Of the city
ordinances are concerned they have
been more rigidly enforced than undel
several preceding Mayors. The doi
ordinance especially has been enforced
with conscientious fidelity, and small
traders with their trundling wheel bar
rows have been practically driven from
tho sidewalks. This conscientious dis
charge Of duty is commendable even
though there were money and costs il
the first, and the latter conficted with
the trade Of larger dealers. The city il
kept scrupulously clear of peddleri
without license, for they are generally
able to pay the fines imposed, one hall
Of which goes to the policeman making
the arrest. Beyond these how is it
The city is full of unlicensed rum-mills
which breed immortality resulting in all
grades OF crime including several mur
ders. Perry Dsmby's "blood goes una,
venged, though the forms of law have
been gone through with in such man
uer that justice weeping turned
aside her eyes from the ghastly sight


After the murder was committed the
two unlicensed saloons responsible fol
the murder were closed. Do they re.
main closed


A city councilman is fiendishly mur.
dered in an unlicensed gin saloon over
Eleventh Street bridge, and though il
was a general resort for policemen and
other Democratic officials, and known
to be unlicensed, it was never closed
until after poor Rowe was murdered.
1t was really closed then. Is it closed
now? 1t is not. Of The two hundred
and odd unlicensed saloons in the city
from which immortality spreads like a
pestilence, and where all grades Of
crime are perpetrated, it is only occa-
sionally that one Of them is proceeded
against, and then only when quarrel
springs up and the aggrieved party
Seeks revenge by lodging information
before the Mayor which leads to an ar
rest. These unlicensed saloons must
not be interferred with; they are need
ed in election campaigns for tho manu-
facture Of repeaters and such voters as
kept in power the Democratic party at
last Tuesdays election. We might re.
fer to many other eutrages and crimes
that have been committed during the
year past, b1t there is another phase
Of the question which We wish to
examine before we close this article,
and in the first place We would ask why
IL such a state Of affairs prevalent in
this city once famous for morality, good
order and good government' We think
We are sta:Ing the truth when we say
tha. it Ia On accom-, of the gross inmor-
ality and in.hci-ncy Of Mayor ALL
x,f,nHb. y.pl1,.z f,,n. t,ut IL, w. Lir, a..