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The So

probably never been encountered by a similar organization. ciety, however, has lived through it all. Our efforts have been greatly crippled and the far-reaching effect of our work has not been as great as was desired, principally because the good citizen withheld his support in our time of need, because he gave heed to the clamor of our opponents, and cultivated a doubt designedly raised in his mind by this clamor, as to our sincerity, ability, or the desirability of carrying out our purposes.

Our methods of work are simple. Complaints come in, we investigate them. First, as to the facts; then as to the law. We then go with the complaint to the official having charge of this particular branch of the government. A stir is invariably created in official circles. The official knows our complaints are not without foundation, although he makes an effort to make it appear so in many instances. He must, for his reputation, make an effort to perform his duty, and in most instances this is effectively done. The evil is suppressed, and care is taken that complaints of a similar kind do not reach him through the same source. The official knows that, unlike the ordinary citizen, the Society is not easily discouraged, that we have the facilities for following up our cases. He does not covet the exposure which failure to do his duty is bound to bring. He makes a virtue of necessity, does his duty by enforcing the law, thus suppressing the evil complained of. As this is the ordinary routine work of the Society, thousands of such cases have been thus attended to of which the public is not informed. The good results, however, are apparent in the better government of Brooklyn since our Society was established. No flagrant breach of the law can occur without our Society becoming aware of it. By communicating with the proper official, he is also made aware of it. With many an official now to know is to do.

Simply stated, the theory upon which the Society operates for better government, is to put the machinery already in hand into practical effective operation for enforcing the laws as they already exist. First, here is the law; second, here is a violation; third, here is an official paid to enforce this law in this case. Bring these three things together in the proper manner and you have the desired result-better government.

T. DE QUINCY TULLY.

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