The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-23
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1859.
Tne MetropoIitan Police Bin.

ing spirit he has displayed up to this time,
occasionally holds levees, which are re-
markably we'll attended, for the reception of
applications for police appointments. The
local reporters inform us that after the aspi-
rants for the honor of wearing the city uni
form are duly formed into long line by
Reserve, wearing white gloves, they each, in
turn. receive hearing before the Mayor. The
sweet words of affection and vows of fidelity
on the one hand, and the assurances of de-
sire to serve faithful henchmen on the other,
which are presumably uttered on these occa-
sions do not reach the ears of disbelievers in
the purity, patriotism, and wisdom of modern
Democracy, but it requires no great stretch
OF the imagination to suppose that the fol-
lowers of Seymour have net yet lost their faith
il the doctrine they always devoutly worship
after their party trinmphs that "to the vic
tors belong the spoils." OF the thousands of
applicants for police appointments, it is
questionable whether a single one among the
number ever thinks OF seriously basing his
claims for favor upon the pretext that he
would improve the efficiency of the force, or
that the public good really requires the
displacement of any special incumbent
for his accommodation. The range
of argument narrows down to the stereotyped
phrases of spoils- hunting partisanship; and
when Patrick, erst of county Cork but now
of the ward, appears, cap in hand he
deems it a work of supererogation to define
in detail his special qualifications SIS a con-
of Al, l.
than that he has served the party well at
delegate and general elections, and that he
has won the favor of this or that magnate of
the organization. AS the case now stands, l.
there is general complaint among the Demo-
cratic politicians that "the Mayor moves very
slowly" but if the Legislature adourns
without passing Metropolitan Police BILL
and 1 Mayor Fox, after such escape from pro-
posed restrictions upon his power should be
disposed to retain any considerable number of
Republican policemen, he would be subjected
to partisan pressure that few men could
Withstand. Every weapon in the Democratic
armOry would be employed to change his de-
termination, and he would in turn be i'm
pIored and denounced, praised and perse-
cuted, until he either guillotned the last of
the Republican policemen or openly quarrelled
with his original supporters, and gained niche
in the calendar Of traitors to the Democratic
party. No good citizen who calmly reflects
upon the subject can desire that anv suob
thorough change in the police force should bs
effected now or at any future time. The
gravest public interests imperatively demand
that the police force shall not be at the merov
OF every partisan revolution. 1t holds to tba
city relation very similar to that held to the
National Government by the regular army,
ana nobody was ever insane enough to pro-
pose that its commanding officers and SOL
diers should be subjected to the changes which
periodically occur in the civil service. Phil,-
delphia needs, for the common good of all
parties, for the ''outs" as we'll as for the
fins, and for the protection of her eight
hundred thousand men, women, and children.
and her hundreds of millions of dollars worth
of property, permanent police force, to bs
modified only by dismissals for cause, promo
tions for merit, and new appointments to fill
unavoidable vacancies. While we disapproye
Of the incorporation of unfair features
la - N"oHAOPoAAV"h OAloo VII, IL would be q
grave mistake for the Legislature to adjourn
without decisive action on this subject, and to
cave Philadelphia at the mercy of raw
corps of policemen, more familiar with the'art
Of carrying Democratic delegate elections than
he business of guarding life and property.
Now what kind of a bill is at once the most
ust and most practical In all its selections
he Legislature should be guided by the fact
hat it is not temporary party expedient
out permanent reform. We think that the
Board of Commissioners should certainly
lumber among its members the Mayor of
and it seems to us only Just that
10 should be its President. AS to the other
members, whils every mode of selecting them
3 open to objection, it seems to us that appoint
nent by the Governor, with confirmation by the
enate, is least liable to abuse. The selection
y the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas
as its advantages, but 1t also has great dan
sr. BY vesting SO great a power in their
ands, we make those positions, which should
Q utterly removed from all political bitter
ess, become at once the prize for which poll
clans would scramble. We endanger the
urity and dignity of the bench by placing ]
lch duty on its members. These Commits 5
Onsrs, it seems to us, ought to be paid for !
leir services and ought to be compelled to /
'vote to the duties of their position all their !
me. They should, in fact, be as much Com |
issioners as the Chief of Police is Chief. In +