Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-02
Amid the colossal exposures Of corruption

Amid the colossal exposures Of corruption
fraud and wrong doing Of all sorts at the
hands Of municipal officers Of the different
cities OF the country, that are being made with
such startling frequency, il tells well both for
the form OF our District government, and for
the officials appointed under II. that the only
cause Of complaint against our Commissioners
Just now Is that they are rather over vigiant in
regard TO the condition OF things In the health
and police departments. Despite the inter-
es.ed clamor that has been raised il is to the
credit OF the Commissioners that they have
persevered in their inquiries into the workings
Of these two important departments.
As regards the health Office 10 is to the in
ferest Of every man. woman and child In the
community that II should be kept up TO the
highest standard Of efficiency. and the Com
rnissioners would have been utterly derelict to
their duties IL they had failed to make inquiry
into the loud and growing volume Of complaint
against the management OF that department
And IL Is insuiferable that when change should
lie proposed in that Office. the air should be in
stantly fllcd with threats OF the terrible things
that will be done to the Commissioners by Con-
gress and Congressmen. political bosses, state
associations army organizations, and all sorts
@! outsiders from one end of the country to the
other, IL thew dare to mcdde with the health
officer. The health department concerns the
people Of washngto alone. and ii is great I'M
yertinence for these outsiders whoIlaye no in
ierest whatever in The matter to undertake to
dictate how il shall be managed
So. TOO, in regard to the police department..
Ia our opinion Col. Moore is exceptionally well
qualified for the position of superintendent OF
.rI he nf
material, to which under the Law. the
recruiting for the force has been re-
stricted, its efficiency under his manage
ment has been something remarkable. But
he is not the head of the department.
The Commissioners. who appoint all the OIL
GERS and privates from the superintendent
down. are responsible for the general manage
Iuent u the department. and it is imperative
upon them to exercise a close supervision over
all branches of the police service. The great
scandals in the department that brought pre-
yious police administration into such disrepute,
should serve as a warning against any further
hxity Of supervision 1t is possible that the
Commissioners in their present inquiry may be
somewhat fussy in their line Of investigation
and may go of sometimes upon false scent,
but all the same it is their duty to supervise
The papsl decision against the objects Of the
Cshensly memorial net unexpected. To
have set aside the wishes Of the American
Catholic hierarchy and Of q large majority Of
the Catholics in the United States and to have
disregarded the manifest policy Of the Roman
church on this continent would have been a
fatuous course inconsistent with the modern
ststesmanship of the Vatican and certain to
calse loss to the church in the near future. As
il Is the Americanization of the church has
strengthened It, Any movement looking to the
setting up over here Of a national hierarchy for
each nationality of foreigners coming to these
shores, with Its accompaniment Of the
predetermined perpetua.ion here Of the
differences in language and race feeling
that exist among the immigrants, is necessarily
unfriendly to the republic. A people who like
well enough to emigrate from a distant
land and settle here should consult our interests
- far with their own as to omit to do anything
that viii prevent their conference with the mass
OF citizens already in the country. The Con-
stitution guarantees freedom of religious wor-
chip. not with the view Of the public injury
certainly. but for the purpose Of preserving to
the individual all possible liberty compatible
with the general safety and interests. He can
not abuse the guarantee. so the pope tells him.
by any arrangement with the Church Of
Rome by which that church shall be party to
setting up here stumbling blocks in the way of
progress. This is what the Cahensly move
ment means and it therefore has the opposition
of al who sincerely wish well to the institu-
tions Of this country.