The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-26
TIE POLICE-HOI W CAN TT BE PRO
PERLY CONSTITUTED? ?

II Is a matter OF vital importance to the peo-
pie of Philadelphia that the police force of
this city should be reorganized and purified
at the earliest possible moment. All that has
ever been said of the evils of injurious parti-
san changes, and of the necessity of placing
the police force above the reach of the ever
changing tides of political feeling, is now
practically demonstrated by incidents as dis
graceful as they are impressive. There is
no doubt that considerable portion of
the new appointees do infinitely more
harm than good, and that this un-
happy city is therefore doomed to support
standing army which, in no inconsiderable
portion of its ramifcations, wars against the
society it is sworn to defend. There can be
no malappropriation of the public money at
once more useless and more dangerous than
the payment of salaries to men who are the
serviceable allies of rowdes, scoundrels,
thieves and assassins, and who, while play
ing the part of spies and, traitors to the
cause of good order, evince superhuman zeal
and resolute daring in their efforts to battle
justice. Each day adds to the melancholy
array of proofs that the city has fallen into
the hands of the Philistines, and that the
guardians on whom we should be able to rely
confidently for protection constitute one
of the worst sources of danger.
We have passed beyond the era in
which these evils were made apparent by the
frequency of crime into the still more dan
gerous stage in which the completely and de-
| linquencies of a portion of the police force
are patent to every intelligent citizen. And
no hatt VIZ hat
from bad to worse is needed than the fact
that the few remaining monuments of Mayor
Fox s mercy-the men who had gained repu-
tation for efficiency and good conduct which
commanded the respect of all parties-are
discharged at the very moment that the neces
sity for leavening the mass of inexperienced
incompetent, and faithless officers is most
clearly and painfully apparent.
The remedy for these evils is indicated by
the example of all other leading cities. 1t is
the height of folly to expect a faithful and
efficient police force if all its members are
subject to dismissal by every new Mayor.
The law OF custom which permits this is the
most fatal defect IN our municipal system,
and it continually places order, property, and
life In unnecessary jeopardy. In the present
state of parties in Philadelphia no body of
policemen should be constituted wholly of
either Democrats or Republicans. An abun-
dance of men could be found in the ranks of
either OF the leading political organizations
whose fidelity, fitness, and capacity have been
demonstrated since consolidation; and with
force once fairly organized out of the
best material of all the old forces and
new applicants there should in future be no
dismissals, except for cause, and no new APP
pointments prompted by purely partisan
motives. The interests of all good citizens
would be promoted by such an arrangement,
and the day cannot be far distant when it will
become absolutely necessary for municipal
protection. The principle on which it is
based is sustained not only by the action OF
other large cities, but by the comparatively
new legislation of this Commonwealth to
avert the evil of the selection of partisan
- juIies The peculiar relation which police