The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-28
THURSDAY, JANUARY 2S, 1869.
The metropolitan Police Business.


YESTERDAY afternoon the Philadelphia mem
hers Of the State Legislature protesting ale
glance to the Republican party held caucus
at Harrisburg, and agreed upon drais Oh
Metropolitan Police bill for this city, the prln-
oinal features of which are the appointment Oh
,ba Commissioners OF Police by the City Coun-
o;Is aud the including of the Mayor ec-oUcio
among them. This action of the Philadelphia
delegation, we presume, was in accordance
with the doctrine recently laid down 10y Mr.
strsng, that the delegations from particular
localities should be permitted to control the
LEGISLATION affecting such localities-a doc
trine which has no foundation in reason.
Respectful consideration should, OF course,
be given to the views of the members
from section requiring special legt5lation'
but the same respectful consideration is like
wise due the members from all other
localities. So long as we are to be burdened
with State Legislature and with State legis-
lation, no member should yield one iot OF his
voice and vote when question OF right or ex-
pediency is involved, merely because the
members from certain locality pronounce in
favor of o certain scheme. We make these
remarks because we do not desire to see the
bill agreed upon yesterday afternoon by the
Philadelphia delegation enacted into law,
and because we desire to see bold and indie.
pendent stand for justice and expediency
taken by every member of the State Legis-
lature not only upon the affairs of the State
at large, but upon those of our own city
which demand legislative interposition.
Questionable as have been all the proposed
bills heretofore introduced in some respects
the bill agreed upon by the city delegation is
certainly equal to any of them in obnoxious
provisions. 1t contains one redeeming feature
the including of the Mayor of the city
among the Police Commissioners by virtue of
his Office. This is simple justice, and the
action of the caucus in recognizing the fact at
last is deserving Of commendation. Bat the
selection of the remaining members of the
Board should be lodged with almost
any authority other than that
of the City Councils. II the Legislature de-
sire to continue the partisan character of the
rolioe force, they colud not adopt any plan
that would more certainly secure their object.
The elective system is less Objectionable in
this respect for, even under the provisions of
the bill by which the city was to be gerryman-
dered into five districts, at least one Democrat,
and in all probability two would effect an en-
trance into the Board. That Councils, as at
present constituted, and in their present tenn
per, would appoint solitary Democrat as
Commissioner, no reasonable person will for
moment imagine.
We still think, as we have maintained from
the outset, that the Mayor Of the city and the
Presidents of the two branches of Councils
should be er-o6icio members of the Police
Board, the remaining members, three in num-
ber at least, to be appointed either by the
Governor of the State or the judges of the
courts. There is a serious objection to the
latter alternative, the great danger of involv-
ing the judges in partisan politics. This may
possibly outweigh all the considerations which
can be advanced in its favor. But no such
objection applies to the proposition to lodge
the appointing power in the hands OF the Gov
ernor, subject to the confirmation of the State
Senate. The Governor is not a creature OF local
politics, he is removed far above their infu-
ence he cannot be dragged down to their level
and made subservient to their unworthy
leaders. Such, at least, is the ideal Governor
of great Commonwealth like Pennsylvania,
and, happily for the people of the State, the
real and the ideal Governor frequently come
together in the same person. From every
point of view it would, therefore, appear ex-
pedient to lodge the power which is OF such
vital consequence to the people of this city in
his hands. These considerations should have
their full weight with the members OF the
State Legislature in deciding the Metropolitan
Police question.
The Example of "CItizen MunOz."
4 IL. LIZ II This