The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-25
CANTOR ON LHIOW.
Minority Report Exposes the
Bi- Partisan Police Board
Humbug Confidence
in Strong.

ton. He concludes
First, 1 concur in the first recon-
mendation made by the committee that
additional powers should be lodged in the
hands of the Superintendent OF Police:
similar to those suggested in the bill ac-
| companying the majority report. l De-
lieve that it will add materially to the
discipline of the department. | would
further provide hat the Chief of Poiice
shall be prohibited from acting upon the
| recommendation of any person holding
| public Office in the assignment, transfer
or promotion Of member of the UNIFORM
ed force, and public officers should be
| prohibited by statute from making such
recommendations.
Second. I emphatically dissent from
the proposition contained in the third
recommendation of the majority report,
| which provides for the creation of a BIZ
partisan Board of Police Commissioners.
| 1 have contended, as it will have been
| observed, throughout the above report
that all the evils complained of and
demonstrated to have exister were in
full and complete operation under a BIZ
| partisan board of police. In the first
| place, the principle is bad in theory. 1t
is worse in practice. 1t is a divided re-
sponsibility and there is no way in which
the people can hold either individuals
or political party to a strict account
ability for the actions of the board.
LAS a further indication of the char
acter of the report made by the ma
jority, on this very matter it is alleged
tina cities in which one-headed commits
SONS are the order, Investigation to
the same corrupt practices as have been
revealed before you committee are now
under consideration. There is not a par
ticle of proof to sustain any such finding
on the part of the committee. No evil
denee whatever was taken by the com.
mittee to indicate that in any city of
this State, where a s.ngle-headed com
mission existed, were there ABUSES OF
any kind. nature or description. On me
contrary, no evidence affecting any such
locality with a single-headed commission
was presented to the committee.
A RANK FAILURE.
sit has been clearly demonstrated by
the evidence that the bipartisan com
mission which has existed from the crea-
ton of the department down. to the pres
ent hour has proven a fa1lure. II mas
demonstrated its weakness, and it is time
to suggest a radical change that may &C
complish the desired reform which the
people of the City of New York de-
of the Bureau of Election from the Police
Department of the city. AS a represen-
tative Of the City of New York, I have
carefully watched the workings and OBJ
served the practical results derived from
a consolidation OF the Police Depart
ment and the election machinery of the
city.
when the two departments should be sep.
grated. If this is done 1t will eliminate
from the argument in favor of a bl-parti-
san commission nearly all that is alleged
= - ,,-+as - vrrnI1l6 nyt
first for a singie-headed commission Of
the Police Department for the C y of
New York. I believe that that force, in
the hands of a practical man; honest
faithful and conscientious, would be re-
lieved of the abuses shown 10 have here
tofere existed and can be honestly relied
Upon to exercise true n efficient police
ment which seems to dominate the Re-
publican machine in favor of a bi-parti-
san commission.
CANTOR'S PLAN.
"In this determination to be arrived at
in regard to the safe and successful pol
icy to be adopted at this time in the crea-
ticn of a new commission 1t is well to
be governed by public opinion, univer-
sally expressed in the city to be affected
| by the legislation, especially when that
demand IS made after the bipartisan
commission has been the product OF SO
| suggested, in favor of a single headed
commission, appointed by the Mayor of
the City, and I am not unm'ndful of the
fact that that official is opposed to the
political convictions that I entertain. but
I believe he can be safely trusted with
the appointment of a competent commits
| sioner to occupy this office. In the crea-
ton of the new bureau of elections to be
separately constructed, / would suggest
the appointment of two commissioner
representing the two dominant political
| parties In national politics, whose duty 1t
shall be, under a bill to be hereafter pre-
| sented by me, to control the election ma
chinery of the city under the present safe
and conservative election laws, SO that
all political interests can be protected.
with respect to the police depart
ment, ! would eliminate from it all par
~tisanshtp and political considerations. It
ment of the city government. Through
a proper and conservative exercise of
its functions depends the peaee of the
| city and the enforcement of all the GRIM
as it is, is one which should be exer.
cised with a due regard to the rights of
all the. citizens irrespective OF, social,
political or religious distinctioas. t is
in the hands of one man would be auto
cratic in its character, and for that
reason it should not be possessed by n
any such statement. I can conceive of
no reason why a police commissioner,
whose duty IS administrative only. with
Contemplated in the PROPOSED legisla-
| ton, and under the vigilant and watch
full supervision of the and
the. people of the city, should not give
| it must be conceded that inssmuch as a
| bipartisan commission has been proven
to be a failure, 1t is the duty of the
LEGISLATURE to provide some new measure
ed, and ] know Of no other proposition
that would meet the present emergency