New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-03
GOp SUPERINTENDENT.

,,or, into which the shocking disclosures "
tho uttcr roticnncss of our i"Ic' h'P'' mn
MINCED the whole community We "'S''"-"
hotvrcn the members of the force W'"' ""''
corncrrd or conscicnccstrckcn shoW'" 3" "''
nositlon to aid the work Of Investigation INV,
reform hv telling the truth. ana Inc h''"'n."
-. .h porsisicd I'm false swearing lhc
service was So welcome ana the contrast ~
m,.d ,h,t tho nraisc awarded the pcntcnt
may have been trihc ovcrstrain'l Anu P'N
s,hlv thc cush Of gratitude may have peeh '''h'"
he rcncntant offenders for renewal "t commence
and reinstatement in public favor bu' IL 'ii'!
sunnosc that ia tie eyes Of the community 'h'E
stand rs well as men who nave never sih"'"
ot nj, or for the purposes Of reorganization anu
roform of the system better cvcn they should
hasten To undeccvc themselves. Cohhohauo"
Of mast offences is the most they can expect IN
tho reward of their service. III the! INV"
nropcr appreciation Of the situation. me! shou'"
consider that liberal and ample and count mem
solves fortunate So far as they are personally
concerned the public disposition Is to judge
tbem charltably But this charitable Judgment
does not extend 20 intrusting any part OF Inc
uorl, of rcorganizat ton and reform OF the ponce
system to the dlscredited officials VINO nave
cj,hcr actively or passivcly degraded 1t. The
line must he drawn there.
7, ,s generally agreed that Of all the officials
who have been put upon the rack OF 'hN'S"s"
ron none has been fortunate as Superhh-
tendcnt Byrnes II Is not necessary 10 r'clc
tho conditions which lend the color OF lus'lnch-
ton tn the unusual lcniencc Of Mr. Con III con
ducting his examination. Though no authoriz'h
statement 10 that effect has ever been made II
has hecn prettv well understood that MI Ton
and the committee viewed the superintendent
~ = useful assistant in their work rather thhh
the subject of rigid investigation himself. III
,ho Uyh, of the great service he il supposed 10
have rendered. the public has accordingly h"'
been disposed to criticise To" se''r'I! INV
lencncy of his treatment III ~ pcH'''d' ho"
eyer that public sentiment is IN ACCORD WIN
the Rev. DR. Parkhurst a to The responsibility
Of the head Of the police force Tor the 'ohdi''"'
Of thc system The SupcrintcndentS apparently
frank disclosure Of his financial condi'oh an"
the sources Of his wealth must. In the absence
~ any serious effort 10 test his vcracl'y' Dc ho-
cepted rs true Even AT that II must be s'lu
that the confession for II Is a confession 80 lar
dlscredits and disgraccs him that he cannot p'
considered in the judgment of any uprls"',
right minded and clearthnkng ciiz"n puahhN'
20 give wholesome counsel in the work If rcor-
tant the service ne tardily rendered. his recoru
and his own admissions disquafy MIN.
We are aware that In what may be called
nor,od ~ sedshncss and greed, and in com
munitv where the majority are 80 much NOR"
intent upon amassing wealth than scrutinzlhg
the methods employed. The tendency Is to pass
over tbe Supcrintendcnt's admissions AZ involv-
ing no official malfcasance nor even moral ne
unouoncv For. they say. II Mr.. Gould or any
other wealthy operator in the stock market ia"
st from n sense Of gratitude for personal pro
lection or appreciation for his public service I"
offer him cspccial speculative opportunities, ne
could hardly be expected to refuse them. IL IL
| douh,loss the oplnion Of many citizens OF char-
acter and repute that 1t Is too much TO expect
| Of the official virtue OF any one before WHOM
such n temptation should be placed that he
vould Withstand IT, Doubtless this consdera-
,ion will be urged upon Mayor Strong with the
added argument that Superintendent Byrncss
long cxpcriepce his familiarity with the system
and its methods and his knowledge Of the per
| sonnel OF the force make II almost Indispensable
| that he should be continued In his present posi-
tion No doubt when II Is urged against MIN
| that upon his own admission he received large
sums Of money from individuals which could
be accounted for only upon the ground OF the
expectation Of official favors his friends VIII
saw. with shrug "Well. who wouldn't have
done the same in his place.:
| who wouldn't? Well, we can tell Mayor
Strong who wouldn't. The United States Gov
eminent maintains ont OF its Treasury two train
! ingschools where young men are bred for the
! Nations defence In the art OF war. Bul they
are bred in something beside that In times of
sore trial and distress, when foes threatened
the existence Of the Nation from within or lis
character and dignity from without, they nave
rendered high service by their skil their cour
age and their patriotism But higher than all
other service Is the credit they reflect upon the
| American name by their proverbal truihfulness
and lofty sense Of personal honor. However low
oficialism may sink and the standards OF public
virtue be degraded. the American citizen may
congratulate himself that the Nation maintains
two training schools which graduate what II II
be an arisfocracy. is an arstocracy OF gentle
| mon: Of gentlemen who tell the truth and hold
thcir personal honor above price or barter No
graduate of West Point or Annapolis unless he
had turned false To his training and traditions,
would be- likely 10 prostitute his position or be
tray his trust. Why not try one of that sort.
| Mayor Strong: