The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-04-21
POLICE CORRUPTION.
REV. THOMAS DIXON, JR'
ARRGAINs THE MINfONS
OF THE LAW.
The Findings OF the New York
Grand Jury Furnishes Pun
Text for "a Discourse on
Municipal Corruption.
~ hat H. the Bible?

New YoGE. April l7.-Before the reg
ular sermon in Association hall this
morning, Mr.. Dixon reviewed the sub
ject of the corruption Of the police
forces of our great cities. He said:
The recent terrific Indictment of the
whole police force of the city Of New
York by the grand jury is an event in
the history Of modern municipal govern
ment. 1t is 10 be hope,i that it will
mark the beginning of a new era in
civic life Of America.
Mr.. Henry II. Tabor, foreman Of this
remarkable grand jury, said in an inter
view after its sessions that from evi-
dence presented the jury was thor
oughly convinced that there is at least
| 100000 collected annually from the
keepers of gambling dens. saloons, con-
cert halls and houses Of Ill repute. ana
distributed among the members of the
police department. | say at least
! $7,G03,G90, for calculation shows that
the amount Is probably nearer $lO,-
600 Geo"
He declares that this accusation in
wolves the integrity Of the entire police
/ force, from the superintendent down to
! the patrolman.
This Is ii grave charge. Ii cannot be
/ laughed down by the men accused. 1t
cannot be answered by the assertion
that the March grand jury was an az
! gregation o. i5Datics. In fact, while cx-
( clamation points may lie inevitable. they
are not satisfactory just now to the in
! quirins public.
There IS ia this official document much
Of startling suggestion to every great
| city in America.
Is the police pawer of the state in or
centers of life thus honcvcombed with
rottenlcss? If so, the future life Of your
civilization is threatened. And no man
who loves his neighbor and his country
can afford to be Indifferent 10 such a
! situation.
THE TEMPTED POLICEMAN.
How to keep pure police force is Ger.
tainiy a serious problem.
And the Christian public is somewhat
to blame for this fact. The temptations
in the way Of policeman to do wrong
are well nigh resistless TO The ordinary
man.
In the first place they are cut of
from the association and sympathy OF
! the good. They get few sympathetic
| hand grasps from their neighbors They
cannot go to church often. AS a class
Of men they are utterly neglected by
those who seek to help and save theil
! fellowmen. There are no friendly linus
! built for their comfort, though they live
life Of danger and exposure. We try
to save the wretch in the ditch, bui
have no sympathy or help for the heart
! of the bluccOat who tramps his beat and
secs sin and crime and misery until hi
eyes and ears and very heart at last be
come saturated with 1t. Familiarity
with vice makes it well nigh inevitable
| that the officer himself viii at last sue
cumb 20 some form Of it. The saloon is
is always open; and here the policeman
finds his friends and finds fellowship
The way downward is made easy fo!
him. Tie way Of virtue and honesty
and Christian manhood is well nigh i'm.
possible.
In my soul Of souls | sympathize with
| these men. l thank God | am not called
to tramp p0liceman's beat and touch
crime and vice and sin and temptation
| at every corner. We need not he sur
priseI if now and then a policeman i.
guilty of brutality and OF assault upon
innocence. Such things are inevitable
in the very nature Of such a situation
Eut when the whole force and the whole
system is h0neycombed with scheme
of wholesale bIackmail aud bribery tht
time has come for action by the whole
community.
WITNESSES AFRAID.
The foreman Of the grand jury furthel
declares that Witnesses are afraid to tel
the truth. They fear for their lives i
they testify against the police and thes'
chronic criminals. He said that wit
nesses who could give satisfactory evi
dence against the keepers Of disoraerl.
resorts were deferred from doing SO h
fear Of calling down the vengeance o
the parties exposed-a vengeance in th'
/ execution Of which the police woull If
ford every opportunity and assure abso
Iute protection. How utterly helples
is the public when guarded by euch ;
force!
Il was discovered the other day that a
ex-police captain-now retired on nal
pay-was a st'slleet writer in a ganlip,
he'll. Retiring from active police drty
he seems naturally 20 have srayitated q
this den Of gamblers whose business
daily 10 violate and defy law. What ]
the remedy for such condition?
R.zIEDII.5.
First-It seems to me that the Chris
tan community should set closer pcl
sonalIy to the police force. We shoul-
know them better Reading rooms an
libraries should be established for thei
benefit while OF duty, where they co'll
find decent friendship and companion
ship. These men need more C-lristia-
sympathy and help than any Class in Ia
community and they get les. The con
sequence is that many Of them beccI
infdels and slIeptics.
Second-The dirty politicians back c
the system must be robbed Of thci
power. The policeman pfeys On To
criminal, and the political catchroa
preys on both the policeman and tn
criminal, and drives theIa t-ndes1 10 b
triumphal cart.
Third-In the present corrupt cond
ton Of things It is necessary, IS q rcvt
luton is sometimes necessary, to organ
ize l1w and or1ar societies CT such II
vincible stTe.igt.l tat {. eo.aplete polio
system can. at 1eest y awhile, be nlaiZ
II tainel Dr.. Pat.1iI,iE.st ; s5esclesg Tor tE
J Prevention OF Crime and sii such orgaI
lzations should be SO strengthened 3