New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-20

DAILY TRIBUNE, Fl
to preyent dissolution Of Parliament. They
voted for the Crimes bill and cannot complain
Of it's rigorous enforcement nor is there any
thing in the contemplated local government
scheme to which they can reasonably object.
While we would like to believe that Mr.. Par
nells premonitions of Tory dissensions arc well
founded there arc the strongest reasons for
expecting the continuance of the Unionlst
alliance. Incidents like Wilfrid Blunts
imprisonment, Mr. -Lefevrc's challenge,
the triumphal return of Father Ryan from Jail,
and the justification of the Plan OF Campaign
Inv the Land Courts sweeping reduction OF
rents. ought to convince the Government OF
the necessity for a radical change oil policy.
But a Tory Government with docile majority
behind it does not learn anything easily. 1t
stands and waits and persevercs in wrongdolng.
MAYOR HEWITT ON HE POLICE BOARD
On the whole as we have already taken great
pleasure in saying Mayor Hewitts last mes
sage is an excellent document, forcible in its
arguments. accurate and direct in its aim,
generally true in its conclusions, and full from
START 10 DlllSn Vi iuC Spllb' NNhSiHN'"p'S
space in the message is devoted to discussion
of the Board of Police Commissioners, its con-
stitution and the effect of its administration.
The Mayor believes that politics enters largely
into the acts of the Commissioners. lie asserts
that the Board was organized as a non-partlsan
machine, but that in practical operation its
patronage dis divided between the Commits
sioners.n and that "a large part of their busl-
ness is to satisfy the claims of the two political
parties whom they represent" He thinks that
the remedy, and the only remedy. for this state
of things sis to place the management OF the
police in the hands of single Commissioner
TO be appointed by the Mayor and to hold office
during his pleasure"
This is certainly the weakest part of Mayor
Uevitts message That there still exist de-
fects in the police management Is not to be
denied but that it is now exceedingly efficient.
that it has secured to the city long era OF
order and quiet that it has been successful In
detecting crime and has driven the most dan
ccrous criminals away from the city, are facts
that the Mayor does not dispute. Indeed, as
TO the present Commissioners, he comedies
that they are "intelligent. diligcnt, Jealous
and at all times willing to act'' upon his sug-
eestions. and he shows conclusively that the
most serious trouble encountered by the law
is met, not in the department which has The
duty of discovering and arresting its vlolators,
but in the civil and criminal district courts
which persistently and scandalously nulliy
the work of the police. This is the Mayors
own testimony, and it is true. There is small
announcement for the police to arrest violators
of the excise laws, keepers and inmates Of
vicious resorts and offenders against municipal
ordinances. when the district court magistrates,
upon the wink of the ward political plug-uglIes,
turn them all loose again. Here Is where
politics does its disrcputable work, not IN The
councils of the Police Board.
We doubt if any one supposed, when the law
was passed composing the Board OF four COM
missioncrs, that it would be bipartisan TO The
extent of making appointments with entire
disregard of party affiliations. That would be
to expect what is neither natural, reasonable
nor especially desirable. The problem OF city
government must be worked out in view OF
social conditions as they actually exist, not as
they should exist in Elysian perfection IL
was expected that the system would operate
to prevent the use Of the police force as
great machine in aid of one or the other OF tho
two parties and that as neither party would
be able to gam any material advantage both
would have equal reasons for desiring TO make
the force strong efficient and well disciplined
These expectations have been gatilicd. Inc
MAYOR fails to furnish any assurance that his
scheme of single Commissioner would work
hotter or even as we'll How it worked would
depend on two persons the Mayor, with Tho
power both of appointment and removal. ana
the Commissioner Were both these men all
they should be, the plan would operate well.
Were either deficient in character or moral
force. the Police Department would soon be
demoralized mob, a power for nothing but
harm.
Experience has shown that we sometimes
have in the Mayors Office men of more personal
ambition than public spirit, and men of lament
able weakness, also, who quail in the pres
cnce of the faction bosses. In fact, first
class Mayor is a blessing which fortune rarely
turns out of the lottery of Democratic politics.
Under the present law there is no inducemcnt
to the city executive to appoint any but the
best kind of Commissioners. Under such q
law as Mayor Hewitt suggests, the temptation
to appoint political tool would come with
irresistible force to the average Mayor. 1t Is
best TO let well enough alone.
FREE Trade TO THE FRONT
Mr.. Scott OF Pennsylvania. takes President
Cleveland under his wing. Just when most
Dcmocratio leaders had begun to consider that