The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-16
SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1869.


bs considered with great cireumspection, and
the effects Of any change It may make be
wall weighed. II must be remembered that
va ont loose from the old anchorage, and have
"a aaa where we will drift, before taking that
step, We believe, and have believed for years,
tina. the existing system OF police appoint
meuts in Philadelphia was radically defective.
The policeman held Office on tenure 80
sIIsbt that the best qualified class OF men were
10th 10 accept an appointment. IL they did
thev Lost their present means Of livelihood
and adopted another which might at any
change of party politics be Withdrawn
from them. This is the great error in the
present system, which all reforms should tend
to remedy. Any bill which would succeed the
present one should, above all else, make the
ofioe OF policeman stable and dependent on
merit. The numerous advantages which grow
out Of such q change are at once apparent.
Better officers are secured, personal merit and
not political service have more to do with the
ohoioe, the men take pride in their places
and perform faithfully their labors, they avoid
all oollusion with the rufhans whom 1t is
their duty to repress, for they know that, as
they hold only during good behavior, no
partisan favoritism eau protect them
from removal for cause. Other ad-
vsntages would also flow from the change
which need not be repeated by us. But to do
this the change must be a change of tenure OF
office, not q change Of the power Of appoint
ment. We must look higher than the pre-
sent, and seek to raise the morals of the off
Gers, not to alter their politics. The reason
why we support Metropolitan Police Com
mission biN is not because Mayor Fox will
be deprived of his appointments, but because
the present is good time to effect reform
which is needed whether Mayor Fox or Mayor
Tyndals should reign AT Fifth and Chestnut
streets.
In this light let us look at the bill as intro
duoed into the Senate, and see if it is such a
one as will cure the present defects. 1t pro-
vidss that five Republican gentlemen-all men
OF good standing and unquestioned worth
shall constitute commission from now until
next October, and that at that time the people
of five districts, named in the bill, shall elect
five commissioners TO succeed the gentle.
stablef Does it do away with any OF
its political aspects We answer with,
out hesitation, no. 1t would, if any
thing, make the policemen more of politicians
than ever before, after next October. We do
not doubt that the five gentlemen named
would make good appointments, but their
officers are but for nine months; after that the
sc
play, and cause degeneracy instead of an
elevation In the policemen. Men through
a little personal favoritism would be
nominated in each district, and the friends of
reform would be compelled either to support
the nominations or else put Democrats into
power, and run the risk of having the Fourth
ward gang for guardians of the public
peace; for DO 1t remembered that it would not
be the most respectable of the Democracy that
would court tho ofsce Of Commissioner. Such
men as Mr.. Fox or Colonel Page would give
way to Aldermen Riddle or MoMullin. The
result would be that seven devils would re-
turn to the house which he had attempted to
sweep and garnish. We therefore think that
the proposed bill Is worse than the present
5thto VI dau 10 III hV toop0Sb SuSh q Vuo
as we need in Philadelphia
In q judioious law the eschewing OF politics
In the selection of the Commissioners, or, more
correctly, the exclusion of politicians, should
be the aim. It should be combination Of
elected and appointed officers, which would
both represent and restrain popular senti-
msnt This would be accomplished by
making the Board consist Of the Mayor of the
city for President-this is a compliment due
the Executive, and right due the people who
elected him--the judges of eur Court of Com
mon Pleas, and either the Presidents of Coun-
oils or two gentlemen elected by Councils
for this special purpose. By this means We
would, to a great extent, get free from
many tolls of politics, and tend to cure the
evils under which we here labor. We hope a
substitute for the present bill will be offered
by some Senator, and by SO doing he will de-
serve the shanks of our people. We feel sure
that Senator Henszey, who moved the present
bill, will join as heartily as any one else in
the correction of the errors it contains. He Ia
the father of the idea, but it needs certain
notifications which he will not oppose