New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-17
THE pOLICE md THE LEGISLATURE.

i
The bill restoring 10 the Police Board OF ms
CITY the non partisan, or bipartisan. CHARACTER
If any one prefers the latter term Whlch II pos
scsscd for many years prior To Mayor "rah'
surrender 70 Tammanys demands in violation
of his pledges has been favorably reported 10
the Senate 1t ought to be passed without hest
tation and sent 10 the Governor. The campaign
against this measure has been conducted win
considerably more zeal than logic. Nhen
Mavor Grant turned the Police Board over to
Tammany his act denounced by every
body who was not bound body and soul to that
organization. Republicans. honest Democrats
and Mugwumps united for once in declaring
that tbc strongest safeguard of honest elections
had been destroyed No language seemed TOO
vigorous 10 cXpresS the general sense or lndlg
nation at this first obvious step in Il conpre-
bensivc movement to give Tammany absolute
control of the polls. The subsequent passage OF
the FarCuhar bill, giving Tammany two ou OF
three election inspectors in every New-lork
CITY district only confirmed this estimate OF
the corrupt device which was thus supplement-
ed and from then until after the election Oh
1893 a reestabishment of former conditions
was demanded and expected at the earliest OPP
portuniy
The opportunity was provided by the election
Of Il Republican Legislature last November, ana
for weeks thereafter nobody apparently ever
thought of suggesting that it either should not
or would not be accepted. During the lhterVai
before the assembling Of the Legislature Inc
Tribune repeatedly urged the prompt passage
of bills providing for an equal division between
the parties Of Police Commissioners in TINS cry
and of election inspectors throughout the state
and we bad the satisfaction Of being cordially
sustained in this demand by reputable news
papers Of both parties and opposed by nobody
Such WAS the situation when the session
opened But before there had been time to &C
compliSh anything the suggestion began to he
heard that investigation of the Police Dcparr
mcnt ought to preccdc legislation. 1t was ac-
ccpted in good faith. As able and fair com
mittcc as could be made up in the Senate was
appointed and ordered 10 get to work promptly
in this city. And then suddenly began. not me
eagerly demanded investigation. but pro
tracted negotiation. which wasted about nvc
weeks Of valuable time, embarrassed ana De
logged the committee, and came near defeating
the object for which ii was expressly created.
Such was the effect of the offers of cooperation
which came from various sources, and such now
appears TO have been their purpose.
At last however, the committee, recovering
two sessions received great amount Of I'M
impeachable testimony confirming the wcngh
universal belief that the Police Department
has Systematically defraudcd the voters Of
New York in the interest Of Tammany Hall
Nevertheless, in pursuance of their strange
purpose TO maintain the police machinery which
they denouncc as utterly bad in possession Of
all It's powers for another year, with full con
tbnre Io he, president
Society for the Prevention Of Crime and the
president Of the Chamber Of Commerce APP
pearcd in the Senate Chamber on Thursday and
strcnuously opposed the nOn-partisan police bill
For two years" said DR.. Parkhur>t. Il have
been fighting Il mcrcenary criminal and con
sciencelesS Police Department." Owe believe
said Mr. Smith, that the Police Department Is
absolutely rotten" And therefore. said they
both inasmuch as there Is not time 10 com
plcte the work Of investigation. demolition ana
reconstruction before the end Of the session. we
pray the Legislature TO do nothing whatsoever.
but suffer this mercenaTy. criminal conscience
less and absolutely rotten Police Department 10
continue It's damnablc operations for at least
twelve months longer. There never was and
there never can be more grotcsque non
sequitur than that.
About the scheme for a onc-hcadcd Police De
partment for this present year. there Is Just
one thing 10 be said: 1t is Il proposition 10 do
up in n silver box complete authority for one
unknown man over the police and over the cleo
lions OF this city, 10 carry the box on silver
sayer 70 this same Tammany we have all been
denouncing and say: "Will you be kind enough
to accept this uurcStrained power and select
your man to exercise itT' Under other circum-
stances we should gladly see one man respon-
sbe for our police management. Under exist
Ing circumstances, with Tammany what 1t now
is and in the position where 1t IS now in
trenched with Tammany's Mayor in the City
Hall and with the Governor created by Tam
many and David b. Hill in the Executive Chair,
the Republican Legislature that should do such
a thing would amply deserve popular eXccra-
ton and surely get II. If, on the other hand,
the Legislature. needing the demand which has
found continual expression for years, which
was emphatically proclaimed at the last cleo
tion and has already been reinforced by the In
vestigation now in progress, shall create new
and nOn-partsan Board Of Police, charging II
practicable the powers Of the Superintendent,
It will do the one thing which It can wisely
and certainly do at the present time in fur
thcrance Of the comprehensive reform which
may be completed hereafter