The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-10-09

ment Qf we have any Christian senti- ment in New Haven) make itself felt, make itself felt nightly and not spas medically. make itself felt upon those who are your servants In enforcing the laws of the state.
 It Is very serious thing to ignore a fact. You can ignore fancy or a the ory or threat and probably no harm will come. But is is very different thing ignoring a fact. We have had open gambling houses in New Haven and the citizens ignored them and as a consequence some of the brightest youth of this city have been lost for two worlds. No fascination like that of gambling they tell us. No temptation more seductive. No snare more subtle or more fatal. And so of the brothel. and then of the saloon, though to be sure the saloon exists according to law. But the saloon makes no pre- ence of observing even the little mea- gre restrictions imposed by the law. And so there is in this community q large class whose business 1t is to vio- late law.
 Now then, if society makes laws for Its protection and if in society are found certain classes banded together for the purpose of violating those laws. they are the enemies of society and ought 10 be cas out. Are we doing anything to- wards casting them out? That Is the question for this city to-day.
 Are the officers who hold office for the avowed purpose of securing the ob- servance of law doing what they can to secure that end? We in New Haven face rather a singular situation just at this time. We have a police depart ment which Is large enough and strong enough and shrewd enough to meet all the reasonable demands of the citizens (And nobody will demand unreasona- ble things.) Yet we find that in certain directions the enforcement of law is left to be secured by the citizens them- selves. That is something of burden to put upon the citizens after they have entrusted the authority to the hands of the police department. But there are few public spirited citizens in this town who have been willing to give time and thought and energy and money if they could thereby secure higher standard
 
 womanhood, youth and childhood of New Haven. It is burden which ought not to be imposed upon them, but a burden which they have been willing to bear. Patriotism and civic pride, and most of all Christian principle inn pelled them. Knowing that for years dens of iniquity had been wide open in New Haven and had been permitted to live undisturbed, they have called the attention of the police of New Haven to these places and have been told that it was very difficult to secure evidence That of itself is a humiliating confess But admitting 1t all, some of these citi- zens have gone on and secured evidence and thrust it into the hands of the po- lice department; and have offered evil dence more abundant if this should be insufficient The earlier communica- tions to the department were not very seriously treated. The police commits soners made light of it and went their ways.
 The summer has come and gone and the Law and Order league have waited to see what would be done. Finally, weary again with waiting, they have called the attention of the police com mission to certain fragrant violations of law and have offered to submit large body of evidence. On the testimony of reputable citizens they had list of ninety-seven saloons where the Sunday liquor law was habitually violated, and offered this list with street and number in every instance to the police commits sion if they cared to investigate. So far as the public knows this list has never been called for.
 But this was not all. It was fitting that little special honor be paid to those saloons which were owned by city officials. On the board of aldermen the number of saloon-keepers is not large as compared with some cities. But it is considerable. Detectives of the Law and Order league visited the saloon of one of New Haven's board of aldermen and secured evidence of deliberate vio- lation of law on several different Sum- days. Complaints had been made against this same man as long ago as the 18th of June at police headquar- ters, but to no purpose.
 The offer that was made to the police commission on the 18th of September to submit evidence was not accepted. The commission made light of it and went their ways, and the violation of law went right on. The communica- tion was placed on file where other sim liar communications had been placed months before; the decent citizens of New. Haven were ihsulted again; and the law breakers were encouraged again in their lawlessness.
 Do you know what policemen are for? will tell you: Section 270 of the city ordinances reads thus in part: It shall be the duty of every member of said force to use his best endeavors at all times to prevent crime, preserve the peace, maintain good order and enforce the ordinances of said city, secure the detection, arrest and conviction of of fenders," etc., etc. Now then, think of the saloons by the score which are open in this city at this very hour and where the violation of law goes right straight on; and where the policeman goes right straight on-past the door.
 But the fault Is not chiefly with the officer on his beat. Most of the men are faithful and want to do their duty. But why should an officer be expected to do his duty when the police com mission which is the supreme power in that deparment, and which makes and unmakes officers as 1t will, refuses to receive the testimony which reputable oitizans are eager to give it concerning