Evening star., 1895-05-15
Where the Chiefs of Police Will
Gather Next Year.
4 CONSTITUTION is ADOPTED
Lively Discussion Over the Ques-
tion Of a Chaplain.
ALL BUSINESS FINISHED

o'clock this morning in the red parlor of
the Ebbitt House to do their second days
work Secretary Carr read the record Of
yesterdays proceedings. There were no
errors found in the Indictment by the as
sembled members. who were not as numer-
Gus this morning yesterday, a great
many Of the delegates being away on sight
seeing trips about the city. President
Eldridge sounded a warning call to the
members present in the matter of choosing
the next meeting place. 1t was quite likely.
he said, that the question would be set
tied today, and it would be well for those
friends present.
A report was read from the committee
appointed to secure cheaper telegraphic
tolls for the police departments of the
country. The report was practically mega
tive, it being announced that a reply to
the committees letter having been ceceiv-
ed from but one of the great companies,
the Western Union, which declined TO
cede to the request on the ground that
the company could rot afford TO make dis
eliminating rates in favor of the police
departments, which would make it proper
that the same privileges should be given to
state and municipal governments. The re-
port being adopted and the committee dis
charged the fa-e of the plan for the
economical capture of criminals by cleo
tricity was sealed.
Adopting n Constitution.
The chief business of the morning was
the adoption of constitution for the Or
ganization. A report was presented by
Chief Atkins of Knoxville, Tenn, chairman
of the committee on constitution and by
laws, and after it had been read the as
sociation began to adopt it. section by sec
ton. The first snag was struck on the
question of admitting proxies to the con-
ventions of the association. The debate,
while it was lively, showed that the chiefs
are not much given to making long
speeches, therein differing from their re-
ligious friends who have just adjourned.
The talks were brief but brisk. The chief
objection to the proxy system was that the
chiefs of police would soon fall into the
habit of non-attendance and would fill the
with subordinateS.
Chief Jansen of Milwaukee declared that
he did not welcome the prospect of sitting
in convention with "a lot of jays who may
not have had six months experience in the
police business
This brought Chief Murphy of New Jer-
sey to his feet with the declaration that
he had no Jays" on his force, and he did
not believe that any chief would send such
a proxy.
thought the next officer in rank to the
chief should be sent as proxies, and gave
1t as his opinion that in many cases the
second man Is more competent than the
Deitch of Cincinnati, but Chief Atkins
protested against the intimation that the
was being filled with poor ma
terial.
Mr. O'Meara explained that he cast no
reflections on the present membership of
the association, but he called attention to
the fact that the political system in vogue
in many of the cities frequently results in
the appointment of incompetent men as
chiefs or superintendents, while the best
men remain as inspectors and assistant
After some more talk the proxy section
was stricken out by vote of Al to g.
Knocking Out the SheriHs.
The next case tried was that of the
policeman VS.. the sheriff ct al. One sec
tion proposed to include sherifs as hon.
orary members, and an amendment was
adopted extending this privilege to police
commissioners. post office inspectors, and
Chief Jansen objected to mixing sheriffs up
in the association, but, on a preliminary
vote, they were included. Then Chief Har-
rigan of st. Louis made a little speech in a
faint brogue, and brought the
jury around In a gallop. He said that 1t
would be fatal to the best interests of the
association, which should keep on the one
track of making it an organization of DO
lcemen. It was formed, he said for the
purpose of insuring better cooperation of
the chiefs of the various cities, and for the
better protection of the people, including
the sheriffs. The latter officials, he said
often need more protection of other folks.
At the conclusion Of this talk a vote was
taken on the entire section relating to the
honorary membership, and the sheriffs and
all the others proposed honorary mem
bers were whisked off by an overwhelming
vote. Later Chief Murphy of New Jersey
offered new resolution extending this
privilege to police commissioners and other
officials at the head Of police departments.
Question of n Chaplain.
The next object of attack was the chap
lain, new officer proposed by the consti-
tuition. The question arose on the item of
providing for opening the sessions of the
convention with prayer. Chief Jansen led
the anti-prayer column, and moved to omit
that feature of the program. Chief Oliver
OF Athens, Ga, an eX-minister Of the gos-
pei, protested against the motion. He said
that If there is a department in the United
States that needs the protection of the
Divine Hand to lead it it is the police de-
partment. IL we are going to take the
rens of organization without invoking the
blessing of the Almighty he said, I'VE
are embarking on stormy sea and We
shall surely be. wrecked on fatal rock"
The motion to strike out the prayer was
lost by large majority. Later there came
the provision for chaplain among the
regular officers of the association and
Chief Jansen asked:
Where are you going to get the chap
lain? If he is going to be an officer of the
organization he ought to be a member"
1t was pointed out that Chief Oliver was
eligible to such office, but he moved to
strike out the provision and to arrange for
the appointment of chaplain from among
the ministers of the city where the con-
vention is meeting. He said that he was
proud that he had been a praying man all
his life. and glad that he could be re-
garded as eligible for such position, but
he was not sure of constant attendance on
the meetings Of the association. So he
hoped that the chaplain would be chosen
from the local ministry. though there was
no office that would give him more pride
and qualification.
His motion, however, was voted down,
and he was elected chaplain by acclama-
ton. The religious question, however was
not yet settled, for in few minutes Chief
Jansen moved to amend the constitution,
limiting the chaplain to one prayer during
each convention, instead of one a day.
After a brief skirmish this was adopted
and so the anti-chaplainites were partly
Locating the Next Meeting.
This ended the differences of opinion over
the constitution, which was finally adopted,
and then Chaplain Oliver the man of
peace, cast firebrand among the chiefs
ra11 11inp for oh Of cifx for tbo