Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-28
The Police Force.

The weak point in Mayor MacGoniSlc's
administration has been his police force.
Not long since the New Era called his at
tentiOn to the misconduct of an officer,
which resulted in his suspension, and ON
Friday it was our unpleasant duty to eX-
pose conduct in his chief which resulted III
his resignation. When Mayor MacGonigle
u idertook to serve his party he found it
hard task master. Individual "claims"
had to be satisfied, in return for party ser
vices, without regard to personal fitness.
1t is ever thus in adjusting political debts
in executive offices.-New E'0.
There are undoubtedly difficulties
which beset every executive officer elect
ed on party issues.in adjusting the rights
of the party to expect the favor of ap-
pointments with the rights of the public
to demand that in such appointments
due regard be had to the personal fitness
of the appointees for their place. So long
as mayor; are elected, and while good
men support a bad candidate or oppose
good one on simply partisan grounds,
so long it must be expected that partisan
considerations will enter into the dis
posal of the appointments, and and until
the good time comes when the
people shall regulate Municipal mat
tiers as they do other business affairs
so long there will be recognition and
payment of party debts.
None of Mayor MacGonigle's prede-
cessors ignored this rule, and none of
his successors are likely to, but we think
it will be admitted that no one who has
gone before him ever made more zeal
Gus effort to make personal and official
fitness ruling principle in his appoint.
ments, and no one has ever more strictly
enforced discipline in the police force
without fear, favor or affection. To his
credit be it said that derelictiOns brought
to his notice, as the Neu Era suggests OF
otherwise, have met with prompt notice
and punishment, and if suspensions and
designations have followed the exposure
of Irregularities it is greatly more to the
credit of Mayor MacGonigle's admins
tratiOn than that the most fragrant of
fenseS should be cOndOned and the offend
ers carried along on the force without
punishment and by persistent indiffer
ence to their personal unfitness and Offic
ial misbehavior.
In this respect the present administra
ton compares most favorably with an.
of it's predecessors and it is the g strOn!
spot " of Mayor MacGonigle's admins
tration that he has been ready to enforce
police discipline promptly and withou
personal orpolitical discrimination.
But even if his police had not been hell
to this strict accountability what woult
he the outlook for the enforcement of Law
and order under an administration b.
his opponent !? 1t has been shown b.
the Ner Era that one great obstacle il
the way of administering justice and en-
forcing order in this city is the fact tina
the prostitution of justice, by those who's
duty it is to vindicate it beyond the po
lice courts, makes the law powerles
against the " best Republican workers il
the ward - and it is distinctly recognized
that the influences which exemplifie(
this and those which have more recent,
been endeavoring to barter justice fo
corrupt political considerations are tn,
same influences which made Boring
candidate and which propose to contro
him if elected.