The daily gazette., 1878-11-26
The Police Ferce.
To the Editor of the GAZETTE.

l have been waiting for you to speak
out more plainly than you have about the
proposed increase of our city police force.
Probably you have so much to attend to
that it has slipped your memory; and
knowing so well that you are an econo-
mist in all our political affairs, both city
and State, ask for space in your COL
umns to give my views on the proposed
| increase. First, the city of Wilmington
at this time, and indeed always has been,
one of the most quiet and orderly places
there is to be found anywhere. / chal-
lenge a successful contradiction to this
assertion, and for one l am very much
opposed to have her held up in wrong
light. just think of tan increase of
one-third more police. Why, what on
earth would they have to do? We have
more now than we can find employment
for. And again, we will have, by the
time our next Legislature meets, $780,
900 of floating debt to take care of in
some way, and with a certainty of a
higher tax next year than this, the way it
looks now, especially if they lay it high
enough to meet our current expenses,
which of late years seldom is done. Be-
fore our city election this was on every
body's tongue, "The taxes must be re-
duced." Political economy was the
watch-word, and our Mayor-elect took up
the cry with the rest, 'Something must
be done to stop extravaganza" and be-
fore he is installed in office three months
proposes this increase of police at an eX-
lpense of seven to eight thousand dollars
a year-nothing suffering and no one
apparently wanting them at that time ;
but afterwards he or some one else gets
up petition for an increase of police
Come, Mayor, let's be candid about it.
This looks like putting up job. Would
it not have been better for you to
have waited until the people asked for it ?
And further, have been told that the
member from the First Ward, who intro
duced the ordinance for said increase oi
our now very efficient police, is applicant
for Chief of Police himself. Well, there
is no harm in this, l will admit but il
looks too much like job work. And there
is another point that is worthy of men.
tioning. Our former Mayor asked fol
it in this light Suppose he had got the
increase at $1,000 year, three years
would be $21, 900 out of pocket, and moi
twenty-one cents worth of good done fol
the city at large. But maybe you wan
to strengthen the party by creating more
officers. You had better be very careful
right here. My advice here is to the
!, Council. The Democrats were elected
on purpose to economist and reduce the
taxes, and the people, think, expect yoI
to do this if you want to keep the city il
the hands of the Democracy. Tha
word means something more than party
t 1t means economy, honesty and frugalit.
. in making the proper appropriations, ant
living below them. This the peopl,
want more than parties. Recollect tn,
election before the last one, when tn,
party was hurled out of power. 1t wa
} not for their well-doing. You ma,
: think you are strong; but take heed, les
you fall. Again, the principle that mel
are employed on is, we have something
for them to do--not imagining merely
that we may want them; but something
: real, so they may render some services il
return. For my own part l can see
nothing in this increase of police but {
waste of money. Our safety depends moi
on our police but ON our civil law and it:
due enforcement. All good citizens keeI
the law and ought to aid the police and
all the ministers of justice in the proper
enforcement of it. The people through.
out the country live in peace and safety
and yet have no police, and why should
/, it be more needful in the city, where
every good citizen should be policeman
in affect, frowning upon all disorderly
conduct and encouraging virtue and gooC
behavior among all classes. The mora
law is binding upon all men, and yet it i:
not enforced by civil pains and penalties
True many disregard and violate it, but
it nevertheless eXerts much influence
upon all men. 1t requires no officers tC
enforce it, but most men believe that il
. will be enforced in due time. And now
Mr.. Editor, as you and were very mucl
opposed to a standing army in time ot
peace, l hope we will be found battling
against this enormous increase of polio,
! when they are not wanted in our quie
city. Come, my old friend, grid on you
amor. Economy was the watchwort
before the election, and if you want t.
hold the city this must be rigidly ad
heIed to. Y.