New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-01
JAMES J. MARTIN A WITNESS.
POLITICS IS WHAT TELLS.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE POLICE DE-
PARTMENT DESCRIBES ITS METHODS
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE LEXow COMMITTEE
HE RECoLLECTs TWO CASES OUT OF 300
IN WHICH PROMOTION DEPENDED
SOLELY ON MERIT-"THERE
WAS NO PLACE ELSE
TO GO,


The Senate Committee on the Police De-
partment tried yesterday to get at the root
OF the trouble which it is investigating by
calling James ]. Martin. president of the board,
as witness. His answers threw a food Of light
the subject of police interference with cleo
tons. although his admissions gave no informa-
ton with which the well-nformed public was not
already acquainted Still it is something to have
the president of the Police Department on record
describing the all-impOrtant part which poll
tics plays in that important branch of the mu-
nicpal government.
The evidence at previous sessions Of the Lexow
Committee made it entirely clear that the police
had been illegally active in the last two elections
IN the interest Of Tammany Hall. What Presi-
dent Martin said and what he didn't say showed
that this was entirely natural, If not inevitable,
under the present system. a policeman's entire
career deals with politics He is appointed on
the recommendation Of politicians; as Mr. Martin
expressed II:
"Other things being equal we accept the rec
concentrations of political friends" The cases in
which other things" are not equal are probably
as scarce as angels visits.
POLITICS AND PROMOTION.
In the next place. promotion rests in measure
on political backing There are cv-service rules.
comes TO the rescue Of the commissioners. Mr..
Martin expressed this IN terms which might well
be taken from a Gilbert and Sullivan opera. w.
A. Sutherland. counsel for the committee, asked
him how many men he had recommended for ap-
pointment and promotion in the five years Of his
service on the board He replied: Three hun
dred"
Have you ever recommended the appointment.
promotion transfer of policeman solely on the
question Of merit" the lawyer asked.
Yes. the Commissioner had. One instance was
that Of A patrolman who was made a roundsman
three years ago. Another was that or the
patrolman who in the Columbian parade OF
1892 stopped a team Of runaway horses. There
were other cases but Mr. Martin could not re-
member them. In other words in nearly ninety
nine cases out of a hundred political consdera-
tons entered De Lancey Nicoll later sug-
gested that merit was thought of in every in
stance and Mr.. Martin. of course said yes, but
insisted that politics came next.
Mr. Martin is not like the who had never
made mistake but would like to for variety's
sake" AS Tammany district leader he APP
pointed about ten policemen Complaints had
been made against "a few" Of them Either
the Commissioners judgment was bad. or the
pressure brought on him 10 appoint such men
was considerable.
Morris Tekusky uttered a phrase which de-
serves to live. when he said testifyng before the
LexOw Committee about calling on Richard
Croker. mat there no other place To 60
Mr.. Martin brought out the same idea yesterday.
He and Superintendent Byrnes had agreed that It
bad thing for policemen TO belong TO polit-
teal clubs. What did the Commissioner do?
Bring the subject up at a meeting OF the
board? Not much. He went to the Executive
Committee of Tammany Hall and said the lead
ers ought to get rid OF policemen In their clubs.
Was there other place TO go?" asked Mr..
Sutherland significantly. There not. at
least no place. which would serve well.
DISTRICT LEADER AND COMMISSIONER.
Mr.. Martin also explained his duties Tam
many leader Of the XXIst Assembly District.
One could not help asking; "If the president OF
the board so intimately associates politics and
his public duties. is ii TO be wondered at that
his subordinates do kewise?'
The only other witness testified to the device
of policeman in the With Assembly District.
which was described by two others or Friday. As
the voter handed his ballots to the inspector the
policeman tapped him the shoulder and asked
him II he had not left pencil in the booth.
OF course he ha not. but while his attention
was thus distracted the inspector no doubt
dropped the ballot in the wrong box. At any
rate only a dOzer votes for Bartlett were
counted in the election district. although one
witness. A cergymen, knew Of twenty or thirty
men who voted for him there. supposed
they did.