New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-29
70 NELTRIL GROFND.

The remark of Mr. James IT, Brcslin. 10 which
alltlsion has already been made. that lie had no
Use for sduealerS" t. significant ~ 4 condition
of things in the "'rond-rloin" precinct - which
the citizens ~ This town who have 4 personal
interest In the enforcement ~ law without far
or favor upon all classes Of offenders. should
give serious consideration. II WAS cold reveal
ton ~ the somewhat Startling TACT that Their"
il outside the police force n elias, II business
men who without being directly concerned In
the corruption and crime with which The Who'll"
department rocks ar" on such terms with TIA"
men "at the top who hay" been incIimln1icd
that they chccrfully lend hand to any 81 them
who manifest u disposition to prriur" them
selves in defence Of the system. but VIII" switlN
turn upon aud drnOuucc any poor drNil '"'l-Hl
in the Tolls who 20 save, himself or his family
snts ont 10 tell truths which dlsco'" The rotten
ness Of the force 1t reveals th" fact That "a"
men who have perfected the machinery of organ
lZed crime through which. under the name 81
the Police Department. they have pursued '"i
years a career Of cXtortion MIchmhilIhI' rod
berry and bullying brayadp have Son'ho" man
aged 10 obtain such hold upun cilZrh> "i Al
parrntlv good standing AMI r'>p"iahilliv 'h't
the latter are willing to appear ~ ihrlr dri'h-
er~ and champions in The face Of ih" most con
yincing proofs Of ra>callty. ana M spite al the
overwhelming tide Of hostile public sentiment.
This readiness 10 spring to The defence "f
system already dscrcdiicd and officials already
disrraced j. not without II motive. And some
other motive too. than mere personal friendship
We have reached point in these shocking dis
closures where the intelligence Of the Who'll" com
muuity. 10 say nothing Of lis moral sense. re-
f,r
that any defender of The hdcous system or the
r,scallv officials i artuated solely 10y motives
Of personal friendship. We but give expression
to the almost universal public sentiment when
We say that whoever to-day directly or maj
rectly undertakes 10 defeat the purpose Of the
Senate investigation or bclilic its work must
4, If from motives that will not bear scrutiny.
Ii will not do for he intmair- Of blacknlHilins
| notice. captainS and inspectors &" pretend inii%
nation at "sqicncrs' or express holy horror
of "iuformcrs" or to sncrr at ia" impractical
billty Of attempting cXtrpair vice 10y ia" en-
! octment or enforcement of laws. That does not
answer now For the present question. ~ al
men know. IS much larger than that Of inhlvid-
nal dcr,lctions: larger indeed. than that Of
changing the system II l. simply II question
whether the citizens Of this town will submit 10
! IL
by open and unbushing perjury. The whole
community has risen mp in revolt against II. ana
| when anv man or set Of men attempts 10 dccry
the movement or snccr NJ The willing or unwill
| ing witnesses who are lis instruments ~
"souealers" and ''informcrs." the first question
that arises in the mind of any honest citizen is.
what is your special interest in This system
and these mem:
That favortism has been shown 10 certain
classes Of lawbrcakers- bunco-st"crcrs. gam
bcrs. keepers Of dis0r1ery resorts. violalors of
Excise laws and other panders 10 vice Is of
record. clearly proven. and Of The widest noto
ricty This favoritism has been in the naiur"
Of bargain and sale. and a source Of revenue
10 the police l. II possible that favOriiSm Of
another sort has been shown: favoritsm 10y
which the high police officials have made them
selves solid with business men from whom
they derived no material revcnuc hut upon
whose aid they believed they could count in such
nm emergency ~ the present: i ii not POS
siblg-indeed j. II not reasonable 10 suppose
that some business mcntin The "Tend"rloin" and
other precincts have cultivated an intimacy with
high police officials with an underlying notion
| that il gave them a pull which, if not habiiull-
" worked. might at some time prove useful !!
| What more natural for the incrlminatod officials
| who had permitted the pull" than 10 presume
| that the business men would in emergency
| reciprocate? TO be good terms with the
police Is, as everybody knows, reckoned con-
siderable advantage by "men about town." And