Evening star., 1896-01-25
GAf e.

could find nothing in the book about max
Ing faces at little boys. The little boy be-
gan to cry because his afternoon was being
spoiled. The father insisted on a process
verbal. They took his complaint and his
name and address, together with the Amer
leans regrets and his name and address,
and the session was adjourned.
Instead of being grateful to the police
for taking care of them the Parisians look
askance and mutter, just as in the nursery.
More than half the actual arrests that take
place In Paris are for "outrages to the po-
nee Now, an outrage means only an in
suit. 1t may be by words. for example to
say to policeman, Spy around! or
cow! Are your boots perfumed?" It
may be by acts, such splashing a po-
hceman with mud, whistling at him, or
pretending to bump against him by acci-
dent. To make a face at an agent, in
stead of at little boy, means sure arrest.
Public Report the Police.
That things have reached this point be-
tween the lower classes and the police-its
measure being more than half the arrests
OF the year-is significant. The effect on
both the people and the police is bad. The
policeman's only friend becomes the wine
merchant, who must curry favor with him.
and even this coquetting of the two great
forces of the city Is impeded by the peo-
pies spite and jealousy. Do three citizens
of the quarter, returning late at night spy
a saloon keeper handing out beer to the
two policemen on the beat, they glory in
the discovery, and hasten, hot-footed, to
denounce the thirsty agents the next
morning. Anything to give pain!
The duties of the Paris police are thus seen
to divide themselves into two groups-the
'signalizing Of contraventions'' and the
keeping of the peace. AS a matter of fact,
life is net as safe in Paris as in New York.
Berlin or London. There Is an average of
two deaths by violence daily, and the po-
lice force is none too numerous. OF late,
too. the authorities having to do with the
police have been anything but united
among themselves. The prefect of police
Is an officer of the national government;
but the municipal council, which is social
istic and against the government, has
great deal to do with determining the
number and payment of the policemen.
The great majority of the Individual coun-
cilInen are of the communistic type to at
least this extent-that they bitterly resent
the habitual government interference with
the affairs of Paris in general and the con-
seQucnt curtailment Of their own dignity
in particular. '' '''5 mons -"e=.E'
A member of the municipal council of
Paris ought to be more honored than a
deputy. Senators ought not to exist and
the president should be a mere lay figure.
All encroachmeuts on the rights of wards
and districts must be loudly protested
against, city patronage should belong to
the city, and the great metropolis of light
should shine according to its own will and
conscience. Municipal councillors are elect
ed on the expression of these sentiments,
and in their constant touch with the peo-
pie the theme of the misdoings Of the po-
lice is variously played on. Drunken work.
ingmen who have been to the Poste or De-
pot cry "Bravo! Loafers and tramps not
to speak of the criminals, find their dearest
sentiments echoed.
A Singular Condition.
The newspapers themselves, hampered by
the gag laws of 1893, do what they can to
slyly fan the. flame. Respectable laboring
people look on the police as inquisitive,
prytng and interfering-interfering with
free huckstering, newspaper selling, chick
en- and rabbit raising. garbage throwing,
hand-organ grinding, child labor in factor