National Republican., 1888-03-12
APPOINTMENT OF POLICEMEN.
The Soldier and Sailor Clause should
be Abolished.


The Soldier and Sailor Clause Should
be Abolished.
The subcommittee Of the committee on
code of laws OF the citizens representative
committee have for some time past been
considering the army and navy clause OF
the act OF Congress approved March Q, 1867,
in respect to the appointment OF policemen
and watohmen only from those who have
"served In the army and navy Of the United
States and received an honorable discharge"
and prepared the following report, which
will be submitted at the next meeting
Of the general committee:
On page 12 OF the report OF the "majpr
aud superintendent" "as to the operations
Of the Metropolitan police department Of
the District OF Columbia for the fiscal year
1857, the following remarks are made In
respect to this act OF Congress: "lt was
mariiestly intended to apply to men VINO
patriotically served duriog the late civil
war, which terminated more than twenty
two years ago. Those who participated In
that great struggle are now too old In years
fer activity aud exposure incident to a
policeman's life. As a consequence ap
pointments are limited to men who have
enlisted and eerved In time OF peace, aud
have little II any experience In civil affairs,
ard no familiarity with the p cuiiar aud
complex laws which govern the District of
Columbia.r
Col. VIM. G. Moore from whose report
we have just quoted, being native OF tnis
District and known to most OF us for his
sterling character as private citizen, high
qualifications as a military aud civil officer.
and capability Of determining what is
proper In matter OF this kind. is, 10 the
judgment Of this committee, entitled 70 the
support OF the Citizens Representative
Con mittee OF One Hundred in his Ell ,ris
to improve the police department as well as
their coo operation In the Recommendation
he has made 10 Congress that the Aforesaid
restrictions upon appointments upon the
police force should be removed.
The reasons urged by the major and
superintendent in support OF his recon-
mendation are:
dence here as citizens have acquired some
knowledge Of our laws, and of their appli;A.
tion to community composed OF people rep.
perenae shows lvs % Se dcuty ~ S1 Of obtsuns
code OF laws for the District, and until this
can be done d higher degree of Intelligence
then that possessed bv the average policeman
! elsewhere should be required fsr position on
our local force.
| Neither the major and superintendent nor
this committee In this connection can be re-
! eaided as exhibiting lack Of patriotism n
or appreciation OF the great debt OF graft
tude which is due the soldier, sailor, or
marine who fought bravely through the
late war and obtained an honorable dis
/ charge; for while 1t was highly proper for
Congress to have recognized aud rewarded
by special legislation, as It did, this debt to
the soldier, sailor, and marine, all must zee
that no further benefit csn result to him by
continuing the act Of Congress mentioned
longer in force, as under the rules and regu
latiors governing the appointment OF police
men, no person can be placed on the force
who Is not OF good physical health and
vigor, and Of unquestoned energy, and be
t,reea the ages Of t,ventyt,co and thirty eigh
years.
The entire eligibility requirement is this
He must be able to read and write the
English language; be citizen of the United
States; have been resident OF the Distric; fol
never have been indicted and convicted o
| crime; be at least five feet eight inches a
height between 22 and SS years Of age; Of ply
steal health and 'vigor; Of good moral char
Octer of unduestioned energy aud courteous
manners, and must have been honorably dis
charged from the army or navy.
1t is apparent that II a soltier OF the late
war was 81 years Of age when the unhappy
conflict terminated, he would now be ovel
43 years of age, and therefore ineligible fol
appointment on account OF over age. Thit
fact ought, In the opinion of this commit
tee, 10 determine the mat er, and conyiuct
Congress- that the act should be repealed.
Aside from this, the act Is seriously OBJ
jectionable because 1t precludes the ap
pointment Of policemen from among the
many suitable citizens In the civil walks o
life who are most interested aud best quail
ifitd to act as public guardians by reasor
Of long residence in our city, friendly asso
citation with the inhabitants, aud OWNERSHIP
OF real estate, or at least permanency O
habitation; the act is also obnoxious nDS
to our best interest because It makes dis
tinction In favor Of the discharged soldier
eailor, and marine who enlisted In time o
peace, neither OF whom has, in one instanc,
out CT thousand, any personal interest a
stake as a taxpaying or permanent citizen
and very often has been In the country ooly
few years.
1t is well known and universally ac
knowledge ed that the heterogeneous collec.
tion OF roaming Americans and recently
naturalized foreigners, who make up th,
bulk OF enlisted soldiers, sailors, or marines
In time Of peace, is not such as constitute
the best school for developing qualities foi
good citizenship. or guardianship of civil
ians' rights.
We would recommend the passage OF thu
following resolutions:
ReSolred, by "Citizens'. Representative Com
mittee of one Hundred" That the recon
mendation on page II OF the report of th
major and superintendent of the Metropolitan
police department of the District of Columbi,
ir ior the fiscal year 1857, IN respect tq the repea
March 2, 1867, meets our hearty approval, auC
we hereby respectfully request Congress I,
iayorably consider said recommendation,