The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-21
POLICE BLAOKMAIL.
It's Cornerstone in New York Was Laid in
Peter Stuyvesant's Day.

In Stuyvesant's time many abuses of
power and assessment were grated upon
the eternal customs of the town Shortly
after his arrival be observed that Zone full
fourth part of the city of New Amsterdam
had become bawdy houses for the sale of
ardent spirits, of tobacco and BEER; on
some of the business streets this proper
ton still holds good. He inaugurated
Sunday closing, with the result, perpetu-
ated to our time, of side-door opening.
Fines were established for this, that, and
the other infraction of regulations which
afforded the constables a legal basis for
making reprisals. In 1868 eight men were
constituted the rattle-watch, and were au-
thorized to take lookup money" and fees,
which sums were to be brought into the
house of the captain of the watch and held
for the benefit af the members, a "diyvy,"
as it is now calleo, occurring four times a
year.
Thus eXtortion was put, as it were, upon
a basis of police discretion and right; but
there was rule against setting up a social
club on the proceeds. So the habit ofpoice
collections, contracted as q pleasurabe
duty, has been handed down as vast and
secret ''perquisite" of the guardians of the
public peace; and it must not be over
looked that from those days to these the
police of the city have been in the per-
sonnet continuing body. TWAS as neces-
sary then as now to admonish the police
not TO use violence upon peaceful burghers.
"Burgher right" after the Dutch CUSTOM
was granted by Stuyvesant to please the
citizens, and prevailed as a trading and
electoral qualification of ''freemen' into
our own century. Stuyvesant fixed the fee
OF great burghers, from whom municipal
officers We're chosen, at 80 forms; and of
"smau burghers" qualified to pursue a
trade or to keep shop, at % forms. Partly
from this acorn has grown the Tammany
oak of assessments and reprisals on
mercantS.
Followers of steady callings in the early
days were the spoil of the autocratic
authorities, just as they have been to- day
of equally irresponsible blackmailers.
Some of the earliest settlers were free
hooters from the Spanish main. Snug
Cling was as common as Indian cheating
and Stuyvesant and othern Governors,
English as well as Dutch, were openly
charged with sharing in the profits of IL
liclt trade. Subsequent to the Dutch Gov
errors piracy found in Manhattan its chief
emporium. Even reputable merchants de-
vised moral and legal bubbles for engag
ing IN sea-poaching usually under the
OF so-called privateering. The great Will
liam Kidd was peculiarly Manhattan
product.
Governor Fletcher in 1896 admitted that
he had exchanged presents with the no.
torious pirate Thomas Tew, but explained
that his chief desire in seeking his Janus
ing conversation" was ''to reclaim him
from a vile habit of swearing'-which
parallels the Tammany theory that a
proper way to reclaim indicators is to APP
point them to public Office. In 1893 the
Earl Of Bellomont who had succeeded
Fletcher as Governor, complained to the
English Lords of Trade that he had en-
deavored to place four merchantmen, about
to clear for Madagascar, under bonds not
to supply pirates at that notorious tryst-
ing-place with supplies and bring their
booty to Manhattan; "but the Council,
some of them being concerned in these
ships" he writes, unanimously opposed
| this method, as not prescribed by law and
because it was never practiced here before,
so l was forced to discharge said ships. >
Century Magazine.