The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-08-06
THE WAGES OF SIN.
How the Criminal Population OF
Gotham Fee the Police officials,

Since the overthrow of the Tweed ring
New York City has had comparatively
honest government. The one blot upon it
as administered is the collision of the
police with certain classes of what may
be called the criminal population. 1t is
an undisputed fact that in this great city
certain forms of vice or breaking
GO undisturbed year in and year out be-
cause a moneyed consideration is paid to
the police officials. The minute that the
payment of the money ceaess that minute
the place is closed This may seem to be
an unguarded or reckless assertion, but its
truth will be instantly recognized in
city. If the police alone profted by the
collection of this blackinail money the
levying of it would be stopped in a hurry,
but the bulk of the cash is passed along up
into the Golfers of the Political organiza-
tons, and there the whole business is pro-
tected. Why is it that the most notorious
police captain in New York City is always
set free, no matter what may be the charges
against him? Why is it that he now
snaps his fingers at the new accusations
made against him and says to reporters
who call on him that the Police Commits
sionerS cannot and will not put him ont
for not closing gambling houses i'll his pre-
cinct? Because he has Paid more than
800 n month for the last ten years into the
treasury of most influential political or
ganiZatiOn and the politicians are strong
enough to protect him. Not IA gambling
house or a house of questionable reputc
nor liquor saloon that keeps open after
! o'clock in the morning and ON Sundays
but pays its assessment with absolute
regularity and not one of these places but
expects to pay and is glad to pay rather
than be molested. 1t has come to be to them
in the nature of IA tax or license fee, and
they charge it into expenses as much as
they do gas or fuel. Not a young woman
who walks the streets as a matter of bust
ness but pays the policeman on the beat
for the privilege and not a policeman thus
paid but turns over 4 share of it to his
superior officer. 1t has come to be vast,
widely extended evil, and how to prevent
or lessen it is problem worthy the most
careful study. 1t is difficult to break up
the practice for the reason that the ar
rangement is satisfactory to those most
concerned. The gaming house or the
place of i'll repute has no forms of law to
observe 1t has simply to thrust roll of
greenbacks into the policeman'S hands,
and protection thereafter is insured.
There is no bother about that. If spasm
of virtue seizes the Police Board, and
shutting-up of all such places ordered, the,
folks who have paid their assessment get
ample notice, and are not caught. The
police put every imaginable obstacle in the
way of any other system, for the reason
that they are well satisfied with the
present system in which they so largely
participate. Many a brown stone front
between Fourteenth street and Forty
second pays a weekly assessment Of 800,
and well can it afford to do so when its
weekly income is a thousand dollars. Let
the house neglect for once to pay the assess
ment and you read about a raid upon it in
the next mornings newspapers. The
police of New York virtually blackmail
the gamblers, liquor sellers, and unfor-
Inmates into paying thousands of dollars
for the privilege of carrying on an unlaw
full business, and the business is known to
exist by every city officer from the Mayor
down, and is tacitly countenanced by one
and all. So bodily are the arrangements
carried out that an officer or detective
makes a weekly round of the places and
collect the cash The salary of a police
captain is comparatively small, yet the
most of police captains are rich men ere
they have held their places long They
not only retain proportion of the money
collected, but they receive and accept
pItScIltS HUH the SiLlc sOllCcS
whence comes the blackmail money
and they convert the presents into cash or
make good use of them. 1t is n bad and
corrupt condition of affairs when the Off
GERS of the law use their discretion as to
whether the law shall be Observed espe.
cially when that discretion is influenced
by the payment of money for the privilege
of violating law, and when those only who
pay are permitted to transgress.-
York Cor