The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-10-04

The Newark Daily Advertiser is coming
around to the TATTLER's way of thinking,
upon the subject of the practical value of
the tenure of Office bill. tIt does not
afford opportunity for such an improve.
ment of the service" it says, 'sas many
who have known the police department in
former years would desire, and there are
loopholes which would permit the iDterfer-.
eDce Of politicians to almost the same
degree as in the past" That is precisely
what the TATTLER said would be its
practical operation, before the system had
been adopted. No force 10 the State had
been selected, because of the fitness of its
members for life tenure; and it's only
effect, in this city, has been to tighten the
grip OF lot of worthless scalawags upon
their places. We do not mean to say that
all the men on the force are unworthy
men; but too many of them are. Most of
them could have been eliminated from the
department 'for cause" and if the bounce
clause OF the act were as vigorously en-
forced by the Police Board, as tue hold on
clause IS chung to by the men, we would
have had long series of changes in the
department But political or personal
reasons have in every instance avaled to
save the offenders from well-merited dis
missal, and the force is as full of bad
timber as ever. Each of the men has
political friend in the Board whom he can
serve at the primaries or at the polls; and
when charges are made against him he is
sent forth UNPUBLISHED, because of the
services be can render to sshis Commits
sionet" as political heller and worker.
The civil service clause in the act counts for
nothing. The act has proven of no public
benefit whatever. Certain men in the de-
partment wanted to stay in. and they bad
the act pushed through to keep themselves
in. 1t has done that with elegant GER
tainty. But it no more helps TO take the
department out Of politics than the heat
OF the moon helps to ripen tomatoes-nor
as much. The department is as much
now as ever, refuge for political heelers
and vagabonds who couldn't earn dollar
a day II thrown upon their own resources.
When the police and fire life tenure bill
was pending last winter we urged that,
before whole departments we're legislated
into office by it, the departments should
be reconstructed with view to perpetual
service The act became law, and depart
ments full of incompetent and worthless
fellows were given life tenure. There was
still hope that a process of judicious
wedding as often as charges were made,
would relieve The departments of the bad
material in them, but for political reasons
the Managing Boards have not dared to
deal with their subordinates as they de-
served, and both are as rotten as they were
ct the commencement The Newark peo-
pie have found possible relief in the pro-
posed adoption Of the non partisan police
and fire commission act. and at the
special election to be held there within
lew days, the people will vote upon the
acceptance or rejection Of that act We
sake tne liberty Of suggesting to the Board
OF Alderman that it might be good
scheme to submit the question 10 the peo-
pie Of this city also al the approaching
November election. The act provides in
brief. that The Mayor shall nominate 10 the
Aldermen, four commissioners 10 each
Board. Two Of these shall be Republic