The Washington critic., 1886-11-26
THE POLICE REPORT.

THE POLICE REPORT.
In sitting the evidence given at the re-
cent investigation and arriving at o con
clusion based thereon. the District Com
missloners had most delicate and dii-
ficult duty to discharge. That they
would render decision entirely salts
factory to the public, considering the
scandalous lengths to which gossip had
gone ia this matter aud the bitterly
fac,ious clements which u involved,
was scar cly TO Ne expected.
1t is certainly an extraordinary case.
however, in which the testimony is OF
such Il nature as TO demand the conyic-
,ion of plaintiffs defendants and wit
nesses alike. The cou,, could hardly
have surprised the community more If
it had gone step further and found
itself guilty.
It's an extraordinary case, anyhow,
because Of the exaggerated importance
To which it grew ont Of really trivial
causes. and II /, much 10 be- regretted
for the sake OF the District ant all
concerned In this unfortunate afhr
that tie investigation wa, ever ordered.
The only compensation which Nc cpu
conceive of a. possible 10 accrue from
il is q reorganization of the Police De.
partmcnt upon stronger aad more har-
monious foundations
The intrinsic nature Of the oIense
charged against Lieutenant Arnold ani
unexpectedly made to react upon
Major Walker, was not so grave, con.
sidered independently and Of itself, as
TO warrant the publicity Of au inyesli'
gation-much less the iniliction Of
severe and disgraceful penalties 1t is
only in association with eXtraueous
circumstances, of which we have but
inklings without an explanation, that
the matter assumes q certain gravity,
suggesting upon the one hand errors of
Judgment in the Chief of Police, and,
upon the other, intimations Of system
attic conspiracy against himself and the
morale of his department.
Upon these points the report lacks
clearness and inteligibility. IT does
not convince us that Major Walker had
been guilty of such misfeasance in
Office as only to be atoned for by his
compulsory resignation. 1t does not
satisfy us that Lieutenant Arnold s
dereliction was so enormous as to JUS
tify his dismissal 1t fails to show u'
why Lieutenant Kelly's deroiction wa
SO much less heinous than Arnold
that while dismissal was deemed neces
sary in the one instance, three
months suspension was considered
sufficient in the other.
In short, the mystery surrounding
this remarkable business remains NJ
most as much mystery as ever, eX
cepting so far as Major Walkers lette
to the Commissioners discoses TIN
fact that he had enemies without ant
within who were bent upon maxim.
mischief with himself and the force.
The various illusions, unsupporte
by any identifying facts, that hav
been made to Members of Congress
also the reference to "a prominent
though unnamed official of the Govern
ment," as the victim of IAN inflm0u
and impossible accusation" only max
bad matter worse. These vagu
generalities serve simply TO rouse
morbid curiosity and virtually plac
the entire Congress under the nece
sity of vindication, and the District wi
be fortunate If Its vindication does N
take the form of niggardly and III
friendly legislation.
But for all that the result is so u;
satisfying we are not Of those wi
ascribe improper motives to the Con
missioners. They have proceed,
upon the theory that the good name
the Police Department was the thing
stake, rather than the interests Of al
particular individual and subordinate
all other considerations to this one
sue, have concluded, no doubt honestl
that the discipline and efficiency
the police force were best to be su
served by the changes which have be,
ordered. That they are in any sen
implicated themselves, or that th
have sought to save themselves fro
obnoxious criticism by the sacrifice
others, as more than limited at by soT
of the newspapers, we do not consid
worthy of being dlgniGed by CO
tradiction.