National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-30
The Peoples Masters.

The Magnificent Persons who have been
expense to rule over the District of Columbia
care as little for the wishes and opinions of the
people they have been employed to govern MS
they do about the inhabitants of Patagonia.
They hold conferences behind closed and
locked doors, and decide questions ofvital inn
portanco to tho people, without consulting
their subjects or caring what they may think,
or what they foolishly imagine they think, is
needed. o OCCASIONALLY scrap of news is
gracously permitted to escape from tho
sacred precincts of the commissioners star
chamber, and the newspapers of the district
cxperien &C an ecstasy of thankfulness when
they arc allowed to disseminate stray NOR
ters.
A CALLING aud contemptuous indifference to
public opinion permeates the entire district
government. The thickest. headed subordi-
mates know that they are responsible only to
a power that acknowledges no responsibility
to the people, aud, in tho very nature of
things, they become careless, indifferent, rude
and, finally, insuferably insolent,
The police are especially open to criticism.
They appear to imagine that they are hired,
not to suppress and punish crime, but to sup
press facts in regard to the commission of
crime and to protect criminals from exposure
in ihe public prints.
Last Sunday evening an atrocious crime was
committed in northeast Washington, the full
particulars of which were in the possession of
the police very soon thereafter. On the
theory that the suppression of the facts
might aid them in the detection and arrest
of the criminal, the police withheld the story
fro m reporters of the press, and the public
was kept in ignorance of the terrible affair
until the following day. The idea that the
suppression Of facts concerning crime can
be an aid to the officers of the law in the de-
lection of the perpetrators of the crime is
the very quintessence Of absurdity. The only
secrecy which can aid the cause Of justice is
that which should cover the clews to crimes
or cri minals thought to have been found and
which are in process of being worked out.
A person who burns a house, robs safe
kills fellow man, or outrages woman
knows that he has committed the crime, and,
if he is gifted with the sense of dog, he
knows that the police know that'the crime
has been committed, and that they are on
+ he lookout for the guilty party. The publ
cat ion of full particulars will not acquaint
him with any Of the details he did not al
in the slightest degree in GLIDING justice. On
the other hand, publication of all the cir
cumstances might direct the finger of sus-
picion in his direction, and lead to his detec-
ton and punishment. Publicity is an aid, not
detriment to the police in the detection of
crime. The wider the publicity the greater
the assistance. and tho sooner the public is
made acquainted with details the better.
The other day man was arrested for the
theft of q quantity of iewelry. Inquiry at
the police headquarters for bill of particu.
lars drew from the great man in charge at that
moment the courteous reply, ut is none o
your business"
A few days ago the police aided in the sup
preston of the facts relative to the suicide Of
man in Georgetown medical college. OF
course an affair of that kind could not be kept
secret. The first news, however, came from
an outside source and the police finally re-
luctantly advanced few meager particular:
when it was found that the press was deter
mined to get at the bottom of the matter
Suicide or murder, the principle is the anne
The police should be taught that they are the
servants of the people and not their masters
If the commissioners will not discipline uh,
police congress should bring them up stand,
ing and teach them their duty. The peopl,
are getting tired of wearing tho collar. The!
should be emancipated from petty tyrann.
and endowed with the rights of freemeu.