New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-15

to see how anybody can have doubts on THIS
point at least Underground wires have been
successfully used in Paris for long time.
The Brush Company in its defence lays
much stress apparently on the permission
from the Common Council to string its wires on
poles in this city. That argument may answer
in the present proceedings; but the question:
must finally be settled on its merits.
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SHALL HE HAVE HONEST JCS1ICES'
A heavy burden of responsibility for crime
and misery rests upon our Police Justices. Some
of them are little better than allies and CO.
workers with the criminal classes. The excise
laws NAV lee very far from the best attalnablc
system of regulating the liquor traffic, but II
these laws Just as they stand, were enforced
with any approach to thorougmcsS, our prisons
penitcntiaries, almshouscs and hospitals would
be much less crowded than they are. New
York would be a wholly different city if licenses
were granted ouly after thorough inquiry into
the characters and anteccdcntS of the april
cants if every bar were shut during all the
hours of Sunday; if doors were closed and
lights turned out at one o'clock in the morning :;
if liquor were refused TO men already drunken :;
if no children were allowed to drink at the bar
orto buy liquor to take home to bcsotted par
cnts; if the resorts of the disordcIly and the
violent were prevented from selling spirits.
Now our excise laws require all of these things
What are the agencies that defeat them An
Excise Board made up of such sorry stuff that it
no longer retains the respect Of a decent citizen !;
a disiointed, ndiscplincd, partly corrupt and
largely inefficient Police Department; Board
of Police Justices, many of whose members owe
their places to the action and support OF the
lowest and most dangerous elements in city
life; and hating, feeble DiStrict-Attorucy'
Office without one strong man i'll it.
When the people try to fix the responsibility
for the confusion, the disorder, the degradation
into which the whole system has sunk, these
four try to toss about the blame as four boys at
play toss about a ball The Excise Board
whines about the Police Department and the
Police Justices the Police Department puts
the fault on the Excise Board and the justices;
the Justices complain of the District Attorney
Office; and the District Attorneys Office blamcS
them ALL The worst of it is that every one is
right in coa,lcmning the others. Every one of
them is stained with the shame and dark with
the guilt. But the Police Justices most of all.
Police captains and patrolmcn have again and
again brought before the men who disgrace the
bench OF Our lower criminal courts the most
invetcratc offenders against our excise. gam
bling and other laws. Again and again have
these pcrvcTtcIs of justice shown that their
sympathics were with the trInsgrcssOrS.
Whenever they can possibly 10 so they release
the prisoners of.hand. When that cannot be
DONE owing to the nature of the offence, they
take pains TO sec that the guilty suffer as little
annoyance and inconS cnicncc as possible. They
block the way Of the police; they rcprovc their
zeal in cases where zeal is shown. Instead of
Judges they alchc advocates of the guilty, and
"shystcr advocates at that.
These structures are not intended 10 apply 20
all our Police Justices. Some of them are up
| right wcll-mcaning men. The black sheep arc
wcll-knOwn. Any one can turn TO the list and
recognize at glance the names of those who
never stick at anything to clear q gambler OF
dramscller or any other rascal behind whom
stands the "hcclcr of political clique.
| There are few positions in the gift of the
| Mayor where az honest man can do more good
and bad man can do more evil than in Il Police
Justiccship. We pay enough To get The best
service. The salary is $1,000 a ycar-twice
that of judicial positions in the Federal service
which demand high legal attachments aud
great ability. And the term is ten years. Thus
for the labOrs Of every Justice of Il Police Court
the taxpaycraspcnd $50, 900. A Around price for
| the kind OF work they get.
Mayor Edison owes il 10 his fellow citizens and
himself to send to the Board OF Aldermen to-
day for the vacant positions the names Of two cit
| liens of untaintcd character and of at least aver
| age ability If Tammamy Hall and the County
| Democracy have selected candidates whose cdu-
| cation is so limited and whose natural cndow-
ments are 50 scanty that the Revised Statutes
would be to them IN iInpcuetiablc mystery and
the Penal Code staggering puzzle, can the
Mayor afford to appoint thcmG If these two
candidates are 50 ignorant that the signing of
| their own names is laborouS task, and the
composition of an ordinary business letter an
undertaking far beyond their powers, how can
he hesitate to reject such selections with con-
tcmptP
We will not review the records of the candi-
dates. 1t is not necessary. Every man in Tam
many Hall, or out Of it, in the County DcmOc-
racy or anywhere else, knows that neither of
them is fitted for Police Court clerk. much
less Police Court Justice Their nomination
and confirmation would bring cause for bitter
regret to all citizens who respect the laws and
believe in enforcing them.
| SATISFYING PUBLIC OPINION
! Lieutenant darlington in the course of his