The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-24

the most indispensable requisites OF GOOD
government Without we'll conducted, eff
Gent police force there can be no safety for
/ life and property, no protection for the pubhc
health and morals. II the men whose special
duty it is to see that the laws are not violated
and that peace and order are preserved are
themselves ruiflans, violators of law and asso-
ciates of thieves. the very authority with
which they are clothed becomes an extreme
public danger. Ii would be unreasonable to
suppose that a body composed Of over two
thousand men, working at an unenviable busi-
ness for a small compensation, could be wholly
tree from Objectionable characters. No citi-
zen OF common understanding would expect
to find saint buttoned up in every patrol
mans uniform. But the fact that, in a large
and poorly paid police, we are certain to find
many rough and dangerous spirits, renders 1T
absolutely necessary that such force should
be under the control of heads capable OF ruling
and curbing these elements Of superiors
\ who can command respect and enforce their
authority as much by their moral strength as
by their efficiency and frmness as officers.
1t will scarcely be claimed that the police
force Of this city Is now under such manage
ment and it is about time that the people
should look into the actual condition Of the
department, for the purpose OF discovering
the underlying causes Of the present democrat
ization Of the force.
We have recently had some alarming EVIL
dence that the armed patrolmen and detec-
tives, who are supposed to be the protectors
OF peaceable citizens, are as much to be
dreaded as the ruffians who infest the streets
with the object Of violating the laws. Only
few months ago Woodworking, honest man
was shot dead in the presence Of his wife and
children by detective who was breaking into
their bedchamber in the middle Of the night,
/ under the mistaken belief that he should find
an escaped murderer there About the same
time two policemen astonished the citizens
\ by engaging in a clubbing match in the pub
lie streets and beating each other unmerci-
i fully. A few days since an officer en-
tered his station house and made
murderous assault upon a companion, cutting
his head in four places. Now we have
the case Of citizen who was assaulted by
rufian in the streets. and while defending
himself was dubbed to death by patrolman
who desired TO preserve the peace and took
this decisive method Of doing 50. Numerous
other instances Of the brutal use Of this favor
lite weapon, the clab, have been brought to
light within the past year and conveniently
hushed up, either in the police courts or be-
fore the Commissioners. We cannot believe
that wanton cruelty prompts all these
assaults, or even the larger portion Of them.
We are rather disposed to attribute them to
the bad lessons instilled into ignorant minds
by brutalized officers and to the contempt
felt by the force generally for the authority Of
the heads OF the department When Hugh
Gardner was q Police Commissioner he did
not scruple to publicly express the opinion
that gentlemen" we're not wanted on the
force, and, in effect, that ruffians who would
not hesitate TO use the club and had sufficient
muscle to use it effectively were the sort OF
material out Of which to make good
policemen. The present Board is only
continuation Of the Gardner and
Charlick regime, with less capacity. Captain
Williams, on the occasion Of charges made
against some Of bis men for brutal clubbing,
avowed before the present Commissioners his
belief in the free use Of the club, and boasted
that be had given his men instructions not to
/ spare the locust on the heads Of their prison.
ers When commissioners and captains ex-
press such sentiments, and when the Police
Board fails to remove an officer who upholds
the free use Of the club and glories in his
\ brutality, il is natural that the frightened de-
tective should lodge bis bullet in the brain Of
his victim on the first appearance Of resist
ance, and that the ignorant patrolman, find
ing citizen defending himself from the as
sault OF q r9wdy in the streets, should fell
! him to the sidewalk with death blow by way
Of preserving the peace
4 The city Of London is more than three times
as large a. New York. The English rough is
notorious desperate, and English crowds
generally are full Of pugnacity. There is q
Y great deal Of drunkenness and dissipation in
the English metropolis and far more license
at night than is allowed in New York. The
police preserve order admirably in the
streets life and property are safer
there than here; yet case Of clubbing
on tie part Of o policeman Is exceedingly
rare When disturbance Of the peace occurs
patrolman quells it without resorting to
violence, and, il unable to do 80, he calls for
assistance. lie never uses his club excep. ia
actual self-dofence; and when he is compelled
To resort 70 that weapon lie IS held to strict
accountability for the act But the London
police il not run as a political machine. At
its head are men Of established reputation, Of
intelligence and integrity. II Is . force for
the protection Of tho public, not for the con-
venience q politicians It, discipline Is per-
feet, and while the AVERAGE London policeman
may not be any more intelligent than the
average New York policeman, BIZ position On
the force is obtained by bis qualifications and