Saturday, 6th December 1913: Lid On To Stay, Says Beavers, The Atlanta Georgian

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CITY CLEAN NOW, SAYS CHIEF

"The Law and Noble Policemen My Weapons in Fight," He Writes in Magazine.

"All the good people of any city have to do is to stand together and the gates of hell will not prevail against them the good people of Atlanta would never tolerate a return to old conditions under any circumstances."

This declaration as to the moral status of Atlanta is made by Police Chief James L. Beavers in a special signed article in The Detective, of Chicago, which has devoted an entire section of its December number to a history of the Atlanta police department.

As to the importance of activity on the part of the good people in crushing vice, the chief says:

"Our cities of to-day are going through a cleaning and renovating that has long been needed, and the officers whose duty it is to do this work are going at this in some way in most every city in the country.

But some of them are more backward about it than others, and I think the cause of this is largely due to the attitude of the citizens in the community toward these reforms.

Two Kinds of Cowards.

"There are very few officers but who will do their duty if they know that the people and the officers over them will back them up in these reforms.

But where there is doubt in the officer's mind about this, he naturally will hesitate, especially when he thinks that his job is at stake.

It is hard for him to do a thing that would deprive him of his position but when we fail to do what we know to be our duty on this account, we are nothing less than cowards.

"There are two kinds of cowards: the moral and the physical coward.

Everybody would say that a coward was not fit for a police officer.

The physical coward runs when he sees that he is in danger of being shot.

The moral coward joins in with and consents to things that his conscience tells him are wrong when he sees an opportunity to get money and position thereby.

"The only trouble with our cities is that the criminal class and their sympathizers are always awake to their interests. They try to make politicians believe that they can not be elected without they get their support, and with decent people indifferent and taking no interest in their community's welfare, it is about Continued on PAGE 5, COLUMN 1.

PAGE 2, COLUMN 1

LAW AND NOBLE MEN MY WEAPONS IN VICE FIGHT CHIEF BEAVERS WRITES Continued From Page 1.

that way.

But I believe that there more decent people than indecent people.

All they have to do is to wake up to their duty."

Law and Men Weapons.

The Chief refers to conditions in this way:

"We closed all the houses of ill fame in the city of Atlanta about one year ago, and we have kept them closed.

The law and the noble men of the police department were my weapons to fight the battle with.

But I want to say that there went before us a flame of fire that burned away the deadened consciences of the police department and the public, and blazed the way, and the good people of our city stood by us for a clean city.

And all the good people of any city have got to do is to stand together, and the gates of hell will not prevail against them.

"I made up my mind that I would do what my conscience told me was right regardless of what the result might be.

So I gave the order, and I have never seen the moment that I regretted it, nor would the good people of the city return to the old condition under any circumstances, and all we have got to do is just to continue to enforce the law against such places as we do other laws.

"We have not had as many assignation houses in the city of Atlanta since the closing of the houses as we had before, and crime and disorder have decreased also.

"Men may and will violate the law, bat it Is not necessary that they should do so.

That the time has come when the man, whether he be official or citizen, who attempts to bring back the old conditions in the cities where recognized houses of prostitution have been closed will be contemptible before the people.

I do not expect any city to attain perfection, but I do say that we have bettered conditions in Atlanta, and men all over our land are organizing to push this movement for the uplift and betterment of mankind.

I hope that the work will go on until every city In the United States will take this question up and break the bonds that bind the cities and the vice promoters together, and release the unfortunate slaves from a life of eternal ruin."

Like Napoleon and Cromwell.

In a strong character study of Chief Beavers, Al H. Dunlap, manager of the municipal section of The Detective, compares the chief to Napoleon and Cromwell.

He says:

"Without going into a discussion of this Important subject itself, we wish to state that after observing at close range the work and personality of Chief James L. Beavers we are in position to conclude that he is not exactly a saint, as he Is painted by the extremists on one side, nor is he the Satan or the visionary reformer that he is pictured by those who are opposed to the vice crusade.

Instead, he Is a normal human being with rich red blood in his veins, possessing a powerful personal character, the strong will of a Napoleon, the conscience of a Cromwell, and the unlimited courage of his convictions.

"It is a mistaken notion that Chief Beavers was ever dictated to by any set of reformers or preachers; nor do the records show that he ever permitted himself to be bullied, or domineered by political bosses or gangsters.

When he was considering the question of wiping out the so-called red light district, he took no one into his confidence.

When he reached the decision to do so, he proceeded individually to act promptly, firmly and effectively."

Recorder Nash Broyles also has a strong article in The Detective on "The Police Officer and Police Judge."

Old Station Rapped.

The Detective praises numerous good features of the police department, and at the same time roasts what it terms its defects.

The police station itself Is rapped as antiquated, dilapidated and inadequate.

The city of Macon is given credit for having a far better station.

The lack of a ladies' reception room in the station, and the huddling together of whites and blacks in the prisoners' rooms, while awaiting trial in Police Court, also is roundly condemned.

On recommendation of Chief Beavers, the Police Commission already has asked the City Council to remedy these two glaring defects.

This special Atlanta number of The Detective is regarded by Secretary W. T. Morris, of the Police Relief Association, who supervised It, as a great advertisement for Atlanta.

The numerous pages are adorned with individual and group photographs, and in all it Is an attractive issue.