New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-10
FORD TO TIE POLICE.

There is no country IN the world III WHICH
every form of authority is so fully respected
and SO cheerfully obeyed as in this land of
largest liberty. This is generally true of the
courts and their DEGREES of the militia when 1t is
necessary to call out the citizen soldleryj and
even of the servants of great corporations
whose uniforms are their only badges of author
ity; and it is particularly true of the police
forces of the principal cities, the most offensive
show of power displayed under any form of
civil government known to us. They command
quick acquiescence in any regulations which
thew ale called upon to enforce; cheerful
obedience when required to make arrests even
among the worst classes; and even when some
times brutal in doing their duty they escape the
violence at the hands of lookers-on which Is
often visited on the heads Of those in the same
Office in much older cities CT older nations. The
brutality not infrequently shown to prisoners
in our streets would bring down mob on the
head of like offending London police officer.
The explanation of this is simple enough. In
this country the authority. we obey is respected
| by the people as emanating from themselves.
| The courts whose DEGREES. the soldiers whose
| commap lis, the policemen whose order to
| amoye on" we silently acquiesco in, are
authorities of our own creation, and do not, as in
| other countries, represent power derived from
| other and antagonisiic sources We obey from
a sense of self-rule. We may feel that the
| court is wrong, but ws resist by appeal oaly.
We may know that the soldiers are needlessly
called out, but we disperse in peace. We may
| see that the policeman is unnecessarily brutal,
| but we only protest against, we do not resist,
| the power we have created because it is misused.
| We are patient, submissive and peaceful, for ii
| is our own created power which We obey and
maintain.
This being the case it is incumbent that all
| those having authority over these forces should
see that they are formed of the best material
obtainable. The highest and purest power, the
people demand to be well represented. The
| police forces of the large cities are the most
defective of all the several organizations for the
enforcement of order and preservation of peace
which We have and in no large city have we a
more defective force than in New ork This
is trite proposition, perhaps, but it is one OF
which several instances have served to illustrate
the truth, and they make it worthy OF en-
pbatic repetition. We desire to call the at
tention of The Police Commissioners to two
representative cases.
In the Court of Sessions the other day boy
was on trial for larceny. An important witness
for the prosecution was missing. A Juror rising
in his place informed the Court that the police
man who made tie arrest and charge had in bis
hearing induced the witness to leave court be-
cause her evidence would be in favor of the
prisoner. He was released; SO was the false ac-
cuser. The false arrest may have been merely
blander; the deliberate suppression of thu
evidence favorable to the lad WAS grievoui
crime which, unfortunately, the. Commissioner
have no power adequately to punish. But doe
not the good of the service demand the insan
and dishonorable dismissal of such an offender
We unhesitatingly say it does.
In police court on the same day anothe
policeman was shown to have repeatedly perse
cuted with infamous proposals a respectable
and defenceless working woman. Resentini
his public insult she struck him in the face ant
very truthfully designated him as coward
He arrested her for disorderly conduct, do
tanned her over night in cell, and testified tina
she was disreputable woman. The contrar,
was shown by several witnesses, three of then
, lawyers who knew the girl aud who happened
to be in court professionally at the time of he
J arraignment. She was discharged. The brut