The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-07
THE LATE MURDERS.

LET us no longer talk of the lawlessness of
frontier life, or the superior precautions taken
by cultivated city for the protection of
society. On Saturday Richard d. Carter was
shot down in cold blood because he had done
what he conceived to be his duty to the pub
lie in insisting that piece of work should
be performed properly and on Monday Mr.
Brooks, Detective Internal Revenue Officer,
was attacked by two men who are believed to
have been hired assassins, and so cruelty in
iured that his life is despaired of, because he
had endeavored to serve the Govern
ment faithfully and conscient-
ously! Two such incidents, following close
upon the heels of each other, may well agitate
the community to its profoundest depths, and
make men ask whether we are not shooting
Niagara" in real earnest.
That murders should be committed for any
cause or provocation is bad enough, but men
could not thus fall victims to the boldest and
most unblushing ruf6anism on account of
their devotion to the public interests if there
was not something fearfuly rotten in the
whole state of society, and radical defect in
our entire municipal system
No circumstance was wanting to add to the
enormity of the assault on Detective Brooks.
AS Venice had her hired braves, ready to sell
their daggers to any envenomed desperate
who was wicked enough to plan a murder
without being sufficiently courageous to execute
it, it seems that members of the whisky ring
in this city are also ready to dole out blood
money to assassins as well as bribes to faith
less officials, and with a conjoined baseness
and audacity which have rarely been equalled,
the detective was stricken down while busily
engaged in pursuing the routine of his daily
labors.
1t is becoming question of vital moment
in Philadelphia whether law-and- -order-loving
citizens or murderous villains are to be in
the ascendancy. Beneath this issue all others
pale into insignifcance. We have already
had repeated illustrations of the damnable
fact that active and energetic officers can be
well-nigh killed with impunity in this city, as
q punishment for the unfinching discharge
of their duty. But yesterday city Alderman
threatened before his fellow officials that a
riot would be raised, club law established,
and the streets redeemed with blood if the
election officers of the Fourth ward were not
arranged to suit his wishes And one master
workman in the employ of the city,
and one of the agents of the
National Government, are murdered because
they attempt to discharge their duties con-
scientiously. At this rate, faithful service
to the public, which is now rare enough, will
soon become entirely obsolete, and men in
the pay of the municipal and National Govern
ments will be compelled, on peril of their
lives, to become the apologists and accom-
plices of negligent workmen and robbers
of the public revenues.
Another probable cause of the growth of
crime in Philadelphia is the inferior character
of the detective police force as now consti-
tuted by Mayor Fox. The few men it con-
tains who understand the artifices of the dan
gerous criminals of the day occupy subordi-
nate positions, and though their assistance
redeems the department from absolute imbe-
cility, they are powerless to direct Rascals
of all grades can count confidently on gaining
time for escape through the ignorance or
blunders of men who have been entrusted
with duties which they are unable to dis
charge If the Mayor will stop to think for
one moment, he will see how utterly impos-
sible it is for some of the raw officials he has
called to his aid to properly protect the COM
munity.
1t is all very well to reform the Detective
Department in the particulars where reform
is necessary, but surely he does not need the
Judgment of a Daniel to teach him that the
city should not be left to the guardianship of
mere novices in the complicated art Of
battling against astute modern vilainy
We want not only one but dozens of exam
pies to prove that law and order must prevail,
and that no amount of political influence and
legal chicanery can save desperadoes from the
prison or the gallows. Every man who as
saults public official because he attempts to
do his duty should be punished with tenfold
severity, instead of being suffered to escape
A considerable portion of the present police
force could be greatly improved by substi
tuting better men, but above all, Mayol
Fox! don't postpone for another day the reor
ganization of your Detective Department oil
common sense principles, 80 that there ma
be fair prospect hereafter that adroit an
dangerous rascals will not all be suffered t
escape
NATIONAL TEMPERANCE PARTY
M, oonvantion which recentlV met at CHI