The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-03
The Metropolitan Police Bill.

i
buried where the legislative resurrectionists
cannot enter in and steal, when 10 it leaps
to the front again, only the more hideous
for its temporary disappearance. The last
state Of this bill is worse than its first.
AS now introduced by Mr.. Bowen, the bill
appoints three Police Commissioners for the
City and County OF Charleston, who shall
organize police and detective force, at
cost of seventy zone thousand dollars, the
powers OF which police shall extend over all
parts OF the State. The unanswerable OBJ
lection to this bill, as to all bills OF the kind,
| is that it takes from the persons most inter-
ested-the people OF the City OF Charleston
the regulation OF the Municipal Police,
and places them, and their lives and prop.
erty, at the mercy Of any board OF; commits
siohefs whom the Legislature may appoint,
or the black majority outside OF tbs city may
! choose to elect. AS we have repeatedly
shown, the present manner of appointing
and governing the City Police is satisfactory
to all the citizens, save two or three dis
reputable offce-seekers. The City Council
is composed OF whites and blacks; SO is the
police force. The City Council iS partly
Conservative and partly Republican; 80 is
the police force. No single complaint has
been made against Council or against The
force. No charge OF partiality or injustice
is brought against either officers or men.
Not one word is said against the present
system, and yet it IS proposed to rob the
citizens of Charleston OF one Of their most
valued rights-that OF regulating, through
their representatives in the Council, the
force OF police which is responsible for the
maintenance Of good order in the city.
Under the proposed law, the cost OF the
police force would be nearly doubled. The
burden of debt and taxation is already hard
to bear, and il is determined to make it still
more oppressive. We must pay seventy.
five thousand dollars for police, in order
that the friends Of this and that aspiring
politician may be in position to put in the
right man when the day OF election comes.
Besides this, the Bowen bill leaves the citi-
zens Of Charleston no more control over the
election of the commissioners, who are to
rule the Metropolitan Police, than it gives
to the people Of Ashantee The immense
negro majority outside Of the city will oil.
ways swamp the Conservative vote within
the city limits. In plain English, the negroes
on the islands and in the parishes are to
elect the Police Commissioners for the City
ana County OF Charleston. What manner
OF men they will elect the bill itself indicates.
Artson, Aaron Logan and Minott are to be
the commissioners until the General Elec-
tions in October. The three are colored
men. or Minott and Artson. we know little,
good or bad. But Logan, who is men,
Der of the Legislature, from Charleston
County, is one OF the most insolent and ig-
norant negroes in the State. His judicial
pranks in Christ Church Parish cannot be
forgotten. Under cover OF his authority as
trial justice, he dragged respectable 'citi-
zens from their homes on frivolous charges,
and paraded them over the country under
the guard of negro constables. 1t was he
who attempted to send planter to Jail for
not removing his hat with sufficient speed
when he crossed the threshold of the sbanty
which served Logan as an office. This
black Dogberry was the plague and pest OF
the nelghborhood. And, upon two .occa-
sions, he was only saved from trial and
conviction by his influence in the coun-
ty, which influence the State authorities
were not willing to see exerted in opposition
to their plans. These three men are tor
have control of the police until the General
Elections, achen they aciR be reelected.
They can so distribute their favors during
the six months preceding the election as to
make their own nomination and reelection
absolutely certain.
We say, then, that the new Police Bill
is nonstrous wrong-false in principle,
and hurtrul in detail. 1t is false in principle;
because, without provocation, it gives the
regulation OF the affairs of Charleston City
to the custody OF the colored voters OF
Charleston County, who know nothing of
our condition and care nothing for our we'll
being. It is hurtful in detail; because it in
creases the cost Of the police, because it
enables the police to be used as an elec-
tioneering committee all over the State, and
because it gives the direction OF the police
to. three men who represent neither the
property nor the intelligence, nor the good
faith of the County or the City Of Charleston.
NJ. THEIRS Is almost too wary a politician
to have made 30 dangerous declaration as
that imputed to him in our London tele-
grams. IT, the statement be true, we may
expect lively times in France, for the "Reds"
will not give up the Republic without
struggle.
A Hint for q New Tax.