第30章

Itisdifficultformenwhohavenotbeenbroughtintocontactwiththatsideofpoliticallifewhichdealswiththeunderworldtounderstandthebrazenopennesswithwhichthisblackmailingoflawbreakerswascarriedout。Afurtherverydarkfactwasthatmanyofthemenresponsibleforputtingthelawonthestatute-booksinordertopleaseoneelementoftheirconstituents，alsoconnivedatorevenprofitedbythecorruptandpartialnon-enforcementofthelawinordertopleaseanothersetoftheirconstituents，ortosecureprofitforthemselves。Theorganoftheliquor-sellersatthattimewastheWineandSpiritGazette。TheeditorofthispaperbelievedinsellingliquoronSunday，andfeltthatitwasanoutragetoforbidit。Buthealsofeltthatcorruptionandblackmailmadetoobigapricetopayforthepartialnon-enforcementofthelaw。Hemadeinhispaperastatement，thecorrectnessofwhichwasneverquestioned，whichoffersastartlingcommentaryonNewYorkpoliticsofthatperiod。Inthisstatementherecitedthefactthatthesystemofblackmailhadbeenbroughttosuchastateofperfection，andhadbecomesooppressivetotheliquordealersthemselves，thattheycommunicatedatlengthonthesubjectwithGovernorHill(theStateDemocraticboss)andthenwithMr。Croker(thecityDemocraticboss)。FinallythematterwasformallytakenupbyacommitteeoftheCentralAssociationofLiquorDealersinaninterviewtheyheldwithMr。Martin，myTammanypredecessorasPresidentofthepoliceforce。Inmatter-of-coursewaytheeditor’sstatementcontinues：“AnagreementwasmadebetweentheleadersofTammanyHallandtheliquordealersaccordingtowhichthemonthlyblackmailpaidtotheforceshouldbediscontinuedinreturnforpoliticalsupport。”Notonlydidthebigbosses，Stateandlocal，treatthisagreement，andthecorruptiontowhichitwasdue，asnormalandproper，buttheynevereventookthetroubletodenywhathadbeendonewhenitwasmadepublic。Tammanyandthepolice，however，didnotfullyliveuptotheagreement；andmuchdiscriminationofaverycorruptkind，andofaveryexasperatingkindtoliquor-sellerswhowishedtobehonest，continuedinconnectionwiththeenforcingofthelaw。

Inshort，theagreementwaskeptonlywiththosewhohad“pull。”Thesemenwith“pull“werebenefitedwhentheirrivalswerebulliedandblackmailedbythepolice。Thepolice，meanwhile，whohadboughtappointmentorpromotion，andthepoliticiansbackofthem，extendedtheblackmailingtoincludeabouteverythingfromthepushcartpeddlerandthebigorsmallmerchantwhowishedtousethesidewalkillegallyforhisgoods，uptothekeepersofthebrothel，thegambling-house，andthepolicy-shop。Thetotalblackmailranintomillionsofdollars。

NewYorkwasawide-opentown。Thebigbossesrolledinwealth，andthecorruptpolicemenwhorantheforcelostallsenseofdecencyandjustice。Nevertheless，Iwishtoinsistonthefactthatthehonestmenonthepatrolposts，“themenwiththenight-sticks。”remaineddesiroustoseehonestyobtain，althoughtheywerelosingcourageandhope。

ThiswasthesituationthatconfrontedmewhenIcametoMulberryStreet。Thesaloonwasthechiefsourceofmischief。ItwaswiththesaloonthatIhadtodeal，andtherewasonlyonewaytodealwithit。

Thatwastoenforcethelaw。Thehowlthatrosewasdeafening。Theprofessionalpoliticiansraved。Theyellowpresssurpassedthemselvesinclamorandmendacity。AfavoriteassertionwasthatIwasenforcinga“blue“law，anobsoletelawthathadneverbeforebeenenforced。Asamatteroffact，Iwasonlyenforcinghonestlyalawthathadhithertobeenenforceddishonestly。TherewasverylittleincreaseinthenumberofarrestsmadeforviolatingtheSundaylaw。Indeed，therewereweekswhenthenumberofarrestswentdown。Theonlydifferencewasthattherewasnoprotectedclass。Everybodywasarrestedalike，andItookespecialpainstoseethattherewasnodiscrimination，andthatthebigmenandthemenwithpoliticalinfluenceweretreatedlikeeveryoneelse。Theimmediateeffectwaswhollygood。IhadbeentoldthatitwasnotpossibletoclosethesaloonsonSundayandthatIcouldnotsucceed。However，Ididsucceed。ThewardenofBellevueHospitalreported，twoorthreeweeksafterwehadbegun，thatforthefirsttimeinitsexistencetherehadnotbeenacaseduetoadrunkenbrawlinthehospitalallMonday。Thepolicecourtsgavethesametestimony，whilesavingsbanksrecordedincreaseddepositsandpawnshopshardtimes。Themosttouchin