Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-15

some 1880 Of that number will fail TO
pass and be "wcctcd out"
In that $500 there may he 1.4OO he
roes. men of good character and so.
briefly, who have given excellent ser.
vice. men who. relying upon the stab!l.
ity Of their position, which promised
them constant employment 80 long rs
their character was good. have mar
ried. undertaken to purchase and to
own their own little homes, and have
gathered families about them. Are
these men and their humble families
to be sacrificed In order to afford an on
portunity to a number of excellent AMI
public.spirited gentlemen to put into
operation a theory? Are hundreds of
families to be rendered without means
of support in the middle of what prom.
Uses to he hard winter. for no cause
or through no fault of theirs? II such
Is the intention. the voice of the people
Of Chicago will be heard in protest
The Mayor is actuated by the very
highest motives. his intention Is to &C.
complish n needed reform. but we do
not believe 1t Is or ever was his inten-
ton to allow 1t to be inaugurated and
built upon hundreds Of desolate
hearths. We believe 1t Is not and
never was his intention that reform
should take the place Of sudden and
sharprevOlution. The latter often brings
with 1t misery and suffering such IA
perhaps the good accomplished can
never repay.
The Council, too. It Is said, will have a
voice in this natter, for there the sub.
ject will undoubtedly be discussed. The
daily press Of this city, always on the
side Of justice and fair play, will no
doubt refuse its sanction to such pro.
ceeding. Our excellent contemporary,
the Evening Post, has already uttered
its disapproval. We heartily concur In
the following expression Of opinion by
that journal regarding this matter:
"Scholai ship is desirable but not an
essential quality in a policeman. Some
Of the most competent men now on the
force would be stumped to parse sen.
tence, while such wholly incompetent
men as Shippy would glibly rattle OF
verbs and nouns and adjectives to the
content of a school teacher. 1t Is doubt.
full whether Inspector Hunt or Captain
Dollard, each of whom has given ample
evidence In the last few days Of his Gu
pability in the direction Of keen. alert
and quick witted performance of detec.
tive duty. could stand n rc.examina.
| ton.
1.-THE natural policeman should he
taken into account. A record Of five
or ten years of faithful service should
be q far heavier weight In the scale
than accurate knowledge Of the
branches Further, the commission
should be slow to adopt a course That
would Interfere with the present very
noticeable development of the police
department along desirable lines.
"There Is no reason why, II the com.
mission be cautious and discriminat.
Ing. and the present Mayor and his sue
cessors continue It in office, the police
department should not be made almos,
as effective as the fire department has
been for years."
While We have no disposition to be
little the commission or its proposed
work, or to deny the public spirit of the
men who compose 1t, we do say tina,
time alone will be the test Of the wis
dom Of having ever appointed It. II
has started out by making general
proposition, the value Of which !,
ruined, having embodied In 1t a sug
gcstion for the preparation OF an out
ragc,