New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-08
TNCIJJL SERTICF.

\ot hy any means the least OF the offences "l
,ho Tommany rulers Of this town during their
l,nc lease Of mower was their imposition upon
,hc nuhlic service I'm subordinate places Of "A
class Of low-browcl bcctlchcaded and altogether
offensive pcrsons. who were about as fit for
official nositions rs 4 Bowcry barroom bounccr
,e +, be n church usher II WAS hardly possible
for quiet sclfrcspectng citizen To rcach
chief functonary In any municipal department
without running the gauntlet or rs frowSy am
saucv and foul monihe1 parcel of doorkerpers
messengers clerks and hangcrs-on rs ever
lounccd ut Il luncll-countcr or bent over DAT
Talk about Civil Service. There was nothing
civil about f. II was not even service OF any
kind II was incivllity. discourtesy and naked
imnudcnce irnnclad and impcnerable set m in
nuhrc placcs 10 offend proprlc,y. afGront dcccncy
and bully and browbeat the taxpayer who WAS
obliged both 70 pay for and endure 1t. As for
fine Police. no one expected anything but inso-
lcncc and brutality from any member Of the
force: from the bplizoncl Inspector. brilliant IN
hroSs buttons and gllttcrlng IN gold lace, down
,o ,hc swaggcring pairolmin who jccrI the
seeker for information with un"ouih language
and coarse tests or dubbed the inoficnSivc ciii-
zen with drunken profanity into Tie station
house. ne NH'P Ii'h'
brutality AMI bad manners
I-ulcr thc administration of tho new Boarh
e Police commissioners we have not only the
promise but the assurance q radlcal reform !"
This regard. The Commissioners have long
and laborious task before them. but they nave
taken It up In a way that leaves no DOUBT "i me
ultimate result The first step toward f'l"'l'nS
the morals Of the force is 10 reform It's manners
This appears TO be- the order in when the ''ih
missloncrs have laid ont their work. IL mas p''h
observed with great satisfaction by all Eood chr
CONS that President Roosevelt and his colleagues
in the instructions issued AMI The CONVERSATIONS
rcpor;ed lay much stress upon the du'y 'i '''e
policeman. whatever his rank or poslu"n' !"
treat everybody with clviliy. polii'ncss ana
courtesy The Acting Chief has also 'Sp''l'"'
onnhas sized II In his Informal talks - ms Supor
dinatcs The good effect Of this has air'ah! "''"
noted in the changed department OF the ponce
mon on post MS well as In a certain feeHhs "i
confidence on the part Of the average citizen. WHO
may now ask a patrolman. or even sergeant
=, ,hc s,a,ion-house desk. n civil question ana
bove , reasonable hope ~ civil answer. com
mon courtesy nav not always be indubi'aple
nroof Of common honesty: 1t may often happen
,bo, nolltcne.s Of manner covers corrupt conduct
and an evil purpose: all the same. the iac' r'
r,o,ns that rs n rule. manners and morals are
Intimately connected in short run on all fours
together At any rate, the illmanner1 man i
an unfit man for any public service.
II Is unfortunate that the reform IN progress
IN tho Police Department cannot he put III opera
tion In other departments OF the municipai gov
eminent. But slngularly enough IN some al
them the rules of the Civil Service seem to lie
having the effect ~ pcrpctuatng IN" unclvll ser
vice Several Of the departments swarm Win
creatures in the subordinate service WI" nave 10
more conception # common cvliy than ROCKY
Mountain mule has 81 the dlifcrcniial calculus.
Hu, they hold their places and draw ih"lr pay
and impose upon public patience continuously
h.causc under the Civil Service they cannot Ice
romovaI The new Criminal Courts Guiding.
Tor Instance appcars 10 be full Of them. There Is
hardly an attendant In the whole building VINO
seems TO have the slightest sense of what i du"
from him 10 the citizen who asks him n 'iFh
question Most Of them are impud'n'; AL "i
them are curt And for some reason C"inmls-
soncr Brookncld has been unable To picket MS
own office In Chambers ST with anything nut me
surlincss and churlish dscourieSy when char-
ac,erized and may possibly have been inherited
from the old regime. All reforms that come 10
stay come slowly and we may have to wait some
,ino for the full frrtion Of the reform when
will sweep out 81 all public places the public
servants who treat the public rs though II was
their and they not It's servants. But II Is n
strange paradox when what We call reformed
Civil Service helps pcrpetun'e an utterly ana
absolutely uncvil service.