Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-15
THAT "CivIL SERVICE REFORM
POLICE REPORT.

We have no hesitation in saying that
while In the main the propositions sub.
mitted by the Special Civil Service
Police Commission contain many
cellent features, and are. perhaps, cal.
culated In time to accomplish much In
the way Of improving the character Of
the police force as whole, there are
some Of Its suggestions which, II car
ried into effect, will be nothing short
Of an outrage, and will accomplish
more mischief In week than can be
repaired In ten years.
The proposition which we desire to
brand as particularly outrageous Is
that which undertakes to make the
work Of this commission retroactive,
and put fully twO-thirds Of the pres.
ent force through the hardship of
being re-eXamincd. Under this rule
all men who have not served ten years
upon the police force will, II 1t IL
adopted, be put through rigid exam
ination. the standard of which IL nj.
ready determined by the active and
scholarly brains of the HOnOrables
John Hamllne, John X. Ella, and Har-
~ Rubens. II n police officer does not
pass by n certain percentum Of answer
ing the mental examination proposed
by these gentlemen, he II to be dis.
charged, and his place given to some
body else. Three, five, seven, or ten
years Of faithful service and exem-
plary conduct on the force will count
for nothing. 4 man may have bee. a
stalwart guardian Of the peace for q
decade, In the course Of which he may
have saved half dozen lives, stopped
runaway horses, captured scores Of
thieves and cutthrOats, exposed his life
to innumerable dangers In the dis
charge of his duty, and yet be COM
PEELED to undergo the humiliation, hard
ship. and injustice Of n re-eXamina-
ton. 1t may be there are men not ten
years on the force who may have
faced the deadly bombs of the anarch-
lists In Haymarket Square on that
memorable May night In 1885, when
the bra why breasts and gallants hearts
OF Chicago's blue coats stood between
the city Of Chicago and the red ruin
OF anarchy. and when the world rang
with applause for the bravery Of the
men who made up the rank and file Of
Chicago's splendid police force.
The Hon. Carter Harrison, then
Mayor of Chicago, at that time was
wont to glory In the gallantry Of his
''boys In blue" 1t may be that among
the brave and sturdy six Of Captain
ONeill's command, who held In check
mob of ten thousand rioters
Infatuated to madness by the murder
Gus precipitancy Of decamping mill
tia regiment, last sr.1mer, until
O'Neil's re-cnforccments arrived and
crushed the incipient rebellion, there
are some who will come within the ten
year limit. 1t IL not impossible that
among the men who for the last seven
or eight years have won the Lambert
Tree Medal for bravery there may be
more than one not ten years in the serv.
Ice. :"
Are such men to be dragged from
their duties, arraigned before half
dozen examining clerks, and perhaps
found guilty OF being unable to work
out a proposition In cube root, and ig-
ANONYMOUSLY expelled from their posi-
lions?
u Ia calculated that at least about
$500 Of the force will come under the
ten,ycar limit. and II II rumored the
A0purab.e commission estimates thar