New-York tribune., 1894-04-09
GOVERNMENT BY POLICE.
A BUREAUCRACY THAT HAS TRODDEN PoPU-
LAR RIGHTS UNDERFOoT-PEOPLE RULE
THEMSELVES BY PROXY

NN'N
THEMSELVES BY PROXY.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Cir. To an outsider II appears remarkable that
The people Of New-York with so many patent OBJECT
lessons before them. at Guttenburg. GraVeseho'
Brooklyn and In the city itself. should NOT fuly
realize that Of all base and venal forms OF gov
ernmcnt government by police is the worst In
point OF fact as matters presently stand, the cit-
zens OF New-York not. in respect OF pubic
morals living under law at all. but simply under
what may be termed police discretion That such
a force WILL under certain conditions and IN the
interests of certain persons, do It's pest 10 MAINTAIN
4 sernblance OF public order. put down robbery and
punish robocrs likely enough; but In respect OF
morals. it's intervention is simply pestientia!-coT-
r,lpng alike to the police themselves. to their SUI
fcring victims and to the community at large.
To obtain power and procure largess Is their chici
aim and they will, by all means. fair or foul' an
togontze any interference with this purpose. In
their own interests. real or supposed they promote
or permit riots arrest deport without form OF
lave tran mon into crime Invade domiciles, intimi-
date spv assault and even murder. Religion has
not vet been given over to the police In America
and politics only TO a limited extent. but as regards
public morals their authority is for the most part
unquestioned
The extraordinary anomaly Of placing the morals
of New York In the keeping of a police poard'
police justices and police force is. for the most
mart accented as a matter OF course. and the burn
ing question appears to be the trivial one OF
whether in respect of the board, king s storA is
or Is not to replace the present kings log. An
outraged citizen. perhaps. plucks up courage ana
complains to the police Of some gross ana scahuai
ous public nuisance which they are paid and sworn
TO abate II he docs not get hammered for MS
nresumpttous temerty their retOrts are various
"All a parcel OF lies" is commonly the first; Fur
nish us with adequate legal proofs ana we VIII see
about it,; I'VE know such criminallty eXlsts Du'
we leave IT alone in order to protect innocence
elsewhere. and to enable US trap other and more
dangerous criminals" Gambling drunkenness and
lust in criminal forms, have always existed ana
always will exist; "Authorize us to segregate ana
supervise each group and all VIII be wei we
have not men enough, nor money enough; s;o nor or
power enough 10 undertake the duty -, GNe ve US US
abundance OF power and money ana all VIII oe
better" - ,, -. a. 20 or
rest them for 'soicitatiOn,' and OF shooting uo"ii
fleeing suspects has been paralleel IN hondSm anu
both by the ordinary police ana by the doupiy ouuS
police des moeurs me mere ocGuIenccd =. h9d o enogn
but the supne Indifference manifested toWa.u
them by public opinion - simply appalling Sonie
eooi people think all be reformed. but ne
leopard cannot change his spots. nor can u '
(when they do not punish and even execute on tne
spoD apparently arrest at discretion inprson IN
Snaciys as prosecutors witnesses ana jallers.
and are Themselves amenable to "A police board IL
port,'r pI,I rom the ancent rule OF Magma Chara.
which enacted that no citizen should be conVlcted
on the evidence of the police alone
| recall reading in my youth of an Eastern couii-
try where the desirable residence sites, Tor the
rich who could afford tho luxury the frontages
on swift overlooking rivers. on such sites me
hOus.loIlcr was accustomed to erect on ms own
foresnoyc a prayer wdterwheel to make MS
dcvotions by proxy. Whether h. was asleep or
awake at work at play. AZ home Or abroad, by
night and by day his wheel reyoyed, his prayers
asccnded and mis- soul safe. So Is Il with me
modern citizen and his police. To my thinking. the
vital question for Ncw-York to consider IS how u
get rid of this enervatinG. vicious system ana re-
store the body polite healthy activity The con-
stant looking and trusting to police bureaucracy
reduces a community to a condition OF helpless sell
vtuJe fosters personal moral obliqulty. and is the
subversiOn Of personal moral responsibility. Tne
rrice of liberty is eternal vigilance That is pei
sonaL individual vigilance-nOt vigilance by proxy,
whe her by the purchase OF police force or OF
prayer wheel u a WATT.
Montreal. March 70, 1894.