The New York herald., 1873-12-15

Police violcncc-Proicction to the Poor.
The position Of police officer is full of
difficulties and requires GOODNESS and pa
tience of character not often to be met with
in real life. An officer should do his duty
promptly and energetically, yet he should be
careful never to overstep the limit of author
ity conferred by the law. The man who
should on all occasions just do his duty and
nothing more would be model policeman.
Perfect specimens are, however, rare. Society
is generally ready enough to make allow
ance in the case of patrolman who has been
led by over zeal to overstep his authority when
dealing with hardened criminals 1t is felt
with reason that the dangerous classes must
be dealt with in an energetic manner. We do
not, therefore, stop to examine whether the
patrolman has been somewhat too liberal in
the use of his club when dealing with
hardened roughs.
Unfortunately many members of the police
imagine that the tacit permission to act ener-
getically with the habitual criminals and dam
gerous roughs who infest our city justifies
them in using unnecessary violence with all
citizens; SO that the readiness Of the patrol
man to use his club on the slightest provoca-
ton or without any has become a subject Of
general complaint Many Of the force seem
to forget that they are paid to protect the
citizens, not to club them. As there exists
some cloudiness on this point it might be
well for the Commissioners to take steps to
have the men thoroughly instructed in the
conduct they ought to pursue, and to impress
on their minds that locust clubs are given to
them as a means of protection, not as weapons
of offence. Very loose ideas are entertained
by large numbers of the force as to their right
to use their clubs Too frequently examples
of this present themselves in the abuse Of
drunken men who attempt to resist capture.
Even when enough police are present to over
power the man, temporarily deprived of reason,
it is not at all unusual for the officers to have
recourse to clubbing as means of reducing
to quietness an unfortunate being whose posi-
ton ought to cause commisseration rather
than anger.
We call attention in another column to
case of violence which appears to be desti-
tute of all justification. 1t is had enough
that foolish men who have made them
selves amenable in some degree to the law
should be exposed to il-treatment, but the
public will not consent to such an abuse of
authority as is alleged in the case Of young
Mccormick. His story is told simply, and
with an air of truthfulness that commands
attention. 1t does not rely on his
own unsupported testimony. Two OF
his youthful companions poor, but indus
trious children, give similar accounts of the
transaction, and we are inclined to believe
that their testimony is worthy of credence.
Even had the boy Mccormick been in fault,
and his captor fully justified in making the
arrest, the fact would still remain that un-
necessary violence had been used by the police
officer. 1t is a disgrace to the police force
that any member of it should be guilty Of
striking poor, wretched child with heavy
club, under any provocation that might be
offered. It is one of the saddest illustrations
we have met with of the poets thought,
"Man's inhumanity to man makes countless
thousands mourn We hope the Police
Commissioners will at once order an investi-
cation into this charge made by young
Mccormick. No police officer would have
dared to so i'll use the child of n rich man,
and we shall see to it that the persons Of the
poor shall be equally free from outrage.
.Inssaa G,rinuGeld