The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-25
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY, OCTOBER %. 1858.

apnV
49, occonnt of the visit of Mr. SWAMI to the several
poIice Stations on Friday night, together with a
1,orsis If the t'address" which he delivered upon
49, aocosion. Inasmuch as Mr.. SWAMI has con-
oInded TO assume the functions of an office, to
,,bicb il is admitted on all hands-by friend and
f,otbat he was not legally elected, 1t is but just
20 him that his movements in the direction OF re-
form should have the same publicity with our
strictures upon his administration. We confess,
that in giving his speech to our readers, we have
the further and equally legitimate object OF holding
him to the confessions Of past delinquency, on the
mart of his Police, whichit so unequivocaly makes
in the face of former denials equally unequivo-
cal-and also of fixing upon him the responsibility
which his present promises and avowed resolutions
invoke
We have Mr.. SwANy's own authority for saying
AS he himself expressed it in his recent speech,
on acceptnp his re-nominaton-tha experience
"aone can fix the standard Of reliability IN private
nand official character" Adopting that "stan-
dard" of Judgment in the present instance, and
acting upon it. without reference to the particular
plans and promises to which it is to be applied we
certainly should be setting at naught the lessons
of an sseyper;ence which has been shameful
and sad enough not to be forgotten-were we to
see, in the present scheme, or in the ''official
character which is TO direct it, any genuine
"reliabilitv' whatever. Mr.. SWAMI has ''addreSs-
edn the Police, over and over again, heretofore,
No longer ago than the last election-day, he did
So more than once-with what results, the melan-
choy record of that days denominations Will dis
close Over and over he has laid down rules for
them, and promised to enforce these rules, and
failed TO do So and has then denied or excused
their deIinGuencies, and has charged upon those
who pointed them out and denounced them the
worst motives, and the most malignant PARTISAN
shin. What reason then have we-upon Mr..
SWANS own principles-to discard such repeated
and protracted Experience" and to believe that
the same soffical character" which had no ''relIa
bility" then is entitled upon the same professions
to be relied upon now?
But the dstrust which we arc compelled to
avow, in regard to Mr.. SWAMI and the effective
ness of his present police arrangements, is not
merely general deduction from his conduct in
the past 1t is founded upon his own explicit
declaration as to the impracticabiliy of the precise
movement itself which he is now making. The
only feature which distinguishes the police admin
istraton, inaugurated by Mr.. SWANS late circu-
lar, from the system which it supersedes is-as
that gentleman states in his speech of Friday last
"that he shall hold every man accountable to him
s'self personally"-that he twill exercise q super
"vision over his entire beat-that he will 'see at
ga glance the entire position of each man in the SER
vice" In other words--insead of the old plan,
which was based as Mr.. SWAMI stated in his
speech at Temperance Temple, 'upon the direct
accountability, 10 the Mayor, of the Chief of the
Department. new system introduces and es-
tablishes the direct accountability TO the Mayor,
personally" of 'every man. in the service
chief as well as subaltern-private as well as Off
Ger. Now, in the same speech at Temperance Tenn
pie, Mr.. SWAMI himself emphatically asserted, in
terms, the impracticability of any such system.
'U aras impossible" he said, 'yor tie Mayor to
thrOo himself IN daily contact aedh the members Of
the Police" And he gave this as reason for
having groun died. upon the opposite principle,
"the reorganization of the Police" If then the
system of direct responsibility on the part of the
individual policeman, to the Mayor, was ''impos-
sible' OF the Dist of September when Mr.. SWAMI
made the speech at the Temple, how had it become
possible on the 22d of October, when he made the
other speech at the Station houses? How is it
possible now? If after an experience of two years,
Mr.. SWAMI had not found out the possibility
of what he now asks the public to rely on
as 17ytain to meet It's expectations" what ra-
Gonal conn'N-~- l. -1acad in Ills 40 -
or b1s auguries He was as positive in regard to
actual efficiency of the old system, he is de-
cided in regard TO the prospective benefits of the
new one. He denounced all those who differed
with him as to the one, quite as vigorously as his
advocates now denounce those who see small
hopes in the other. We confess that we cannot
avoid one Of the two alternatives which this state
of things presents. Either he did not know what
he was talking about, at Temperance Temple, or he
does not know what he proposes now. In neither
case is there much encouragement to hope for
efficient relief from any system which is under his
direction
So much for our own doubts and the grounds of
them. At the same time that we express them,
decidedly, we sincerely hope that they may not
turn out to be well founded. If Mr.. SWAMI, by
any system, shall bring about faithful discharge
of the duties which he has so long permitted to be
trifed with, to the disgrace and decentralization
of this community, he shall have our hum
bic appreciation, as promptly as he has ever
had our censure, and far more heartily
We cannot, nevertheless, avoid repeating our
earnest belief, that what the Police system
requires, for the fulflment of its
responsibilities not so much change in its
organization, as change in its material, and in
the influences which control it and the MAYORS
office. If Mr.. SWAMI will inexorably dismiss bad
men, and commence the work, at once, by dis
banding at least two thirds of the present force
upon the faith of their misconduct on the last
electlon-day, he will make an appeal to public
confidence which we are sure will be answered.
IT he Will have it understood that he means to do
his own duty, and will make no terms with de-
Inquency on the part Of others-the perpetual
presence of that understanding and conviction
will be far more efficient Supervision" over his
men, than any he can, by possibility, personally
give The MAYOR of this city was not meant to
be High Constable. lie cannot practically per-
form the functions of such an official. nor need he
attempt to do so. He has other duties to perform,
1890 'hN PSoPlc eApeCl HOlnlng OF Tie sort from
him. If he will select good subordinates, and
none but those who are good-if he will make
them feel that integrity and fidelity to duty are
MS exclusive tests of official fitness and that when
any man falls in these, he goes out, beyond per-
and integrity will certainly be
Forthcoming, without the necessity of his going
ABOUT on horseback. In other words-the MAYORS
true power, and influence, and efficiency will ever
consist, not in his physical labors, but in the
moral atmosphere which lie dilfuses about himself
and his Office. All men are understood when
they are really in earnest, and if Mr.. SWAMI will
satisfy his subordinates-as he has never vet done
that he means what he says he will find his
path to success a perfectly sure one. Until he
succeeds in SO satisfying them, he may address
them till the weary echoes cease to report his
speeches, and the result in the future will be what
it has been in the past.
The Gar ALEXANDER H. has resolutely address
ed himself to the task of extinguishinr serfdom
in Russia, wholly and forever; but the measure
49, i,