New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-18

pOIVCEutN NOT POLITICIANS.
TIE Police Commissioners have long had RUE
indeed. We believe il has existed ever since tue
Comui..ion Was established forbddlpg the men,
hers Of the T, lice to be also members Of political
club. OF other electioneeriDg organizations LUIS
rule has remsined practical nnlity until the re-
cent accession to the Commission OF Messrs
Bailey and Ulshoeffer, when the public were
informed that the rule would be enforced.
Some members Of tie corps have accordingly
resigned positions they have held in various po-
litical clubs or committees but enc Of them,
Dr. Ives asurgsop hos refused TO obey the rule, and
insists on being at once member OF the Police and
of the Republican Centra! Committee. For THE
DR.. Ives is now on his trial before the Commission;
and should TIE fact be established, he must of
courre be punished. In boty like the Police, it
is unnecessary TO ssy that rigid discipline and aoso
lutte Oh, dience TO orders must be preserved; and
tie public appreciation and support will certainly
b. given TO the efforts Of those Commissioners who
persist in sterny enforcing that utter divorce De-
tween party politics and the Police corps which 1t
is the purpose Of the present law to establish
The Metropolitan Police law was enacted to
remedy the gross abuses which had grown out OF
the previous system. Under that system the
Police of the city had been perverted into mere
political mschine; and We are sorry to perceive
that some of our Republican friends, and especi'
ally some of those who have been charged with
the execution of the law have lived in the belief
that the Metropolitan Police might also be verted
into political machine, though for the benefit OF
Republican instead Of Democratic ohceseekers
We rejoice that this false and pernl-
cious view is now not to be tolerated, and that
policemen are no longer allowed TO be partisans
1t is quite time that the total separation OF the
Police from politics, which, as we have said,
is the purpose snd the theory of the law, were
made q living reality. 1t is nonsense to say that
this is depriviDg the policemen OF the rights OF
citizens it is simply carrying out the contract
which they make in becoming policemen. by that
contract they are soldiers in the service of the
city, and not of party; enlisted to preserve order
and prevent crime, and bound to devote their
whole time and all their energies to that service
They still preserve the right and duty of voting ac
cordng 10 their consciepces but they cannot prop.
erly become electioneerng agents, or active part'
sans. In word, the whole part which they msy
take in politics 50 long as they remain policemen,
is to vote; and We congratulate the Commissioners
on taking measures to restrict them accordingly.
1t is said that the rule in question establishes an
urust distinction between Republicans and Demo
Gratis for the reason that in the former party the
primary elections are conducted exclusively by the
l. - tba War1c luh haino fha only
evidence that one is Republican, and the only
justification for voting in those elections; while IN
the Democratic party no such system exists, and
all persons claiming to be- Democrats are freely
allowed to vote for delegates to nominating
conventions, &c. The rule thus excludes
Republican policemen from voting at the primary
elections Of their party. while Democratic police
men are subject TO no such disability. Now this
may be very good reason for some modification
of the rule, and We dare say the Commissioners
will candidly and carefully entertain any sugges-
ton that may be made to them upon that subject.
But that has nothing to do with the case of DR..
Ives or of any other member Of the corps, who
enlisted under the rule. Upon all such persons the
rule must be unvaryingly enforced; and after
obedience has been perfectly established, it will
then be time TO inquire what notifications, if any
may properly be introduced. But should any
changes in this direction be found advisable, we
trust they may extend no further than to confer
the simple right of voting at primary elections; and
that no member of the corps, from Commissioner
to patroman, will be allowed to be an officer or
orator in any political meeting, delegate to any
political convention, or in any way to engage 10 the
active service of any political party whatever.
While this excellent reform is going forward
We trust the Commissioners will resolutely pro-
coed to extirpate from among their subordinates
another abuse which is none the less indecent
because all political parties have, more or less,
found it convenient for their purposes. We
refer to the custom of levyng taxes on Office
holders toward the election expenses of the psrty
with which they may happen to be connected We
are credibly informed that, in times past political
subscription papers have been' circulated among
the Poce-every man being required to put down
sum in proportion to his salary. We hope the
Commissioners will take such measures that moth
ing Of this sort can ever happen again.
Mn...n