New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-21
IN DEFENCE OF THE POLICE.
AN ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.
! HE SAYS THAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO
GUST THE PRESENT COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE
oL- W. At THEY AVE DONE

OF WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
Theodore Roosevelt the president of the Police
Board. made an deliberately prepared but vehement
address before the Methodist ministers at their
monthly meeting in the cnapel of the Methodist
Book Concern. No. 80 Fifth-ave.. yesterday
morning. declaring that the police were warning
against all criminals. and that efforts are being
made. for that reason, to turn the present Comrnls-
s.oners of Office He declared that corruption In
the city had been gel eral and he claSsed with the
gamblers. crooks. and go-betweens who mad peen
secretly interested in such corruption. THE news
paper editor who got a fat job of advertising for
his paper through the favor of police official or Of
a big politician who stood behind the police OFF,
cial: the banker or rich merchant who willingly
purchased protection from the detectives. and VINO
hired these detectives to do work which was just
outside the pale of the law" and 1.-The small shop
keeper who was allowed to transgress the law, and
who was glad to be allowed to do so on condition
that he paid something for It,.
BY way of Illustrating his declaration that the
Police Board made enemies by striking at corrup-
ton. he said:
Up to our time the contracts for election printing
ever newspaper was the favorite OF the moment
reward FOR political services In the past or d
bride for such services in the future Inc preseht
out these contracts to the lowest oder In conse-
sS.ooc in iSa5 it cost only 5000 The money saving
was the least Part Of the mi and
bribery. whether by baskets, of champagne or by
Considerable We saved the city $1,000 but we IN
CURED just $4,000 of newspaper hostihty no lhui.
otherwise by the fact that the Police Board mad
acted honestly and saved money, but there We YER,
certain newspaper men who lost money by THIS
honesty OF the Police Department. ana who only
waited The chance to try TO reYense themselves Tor
their injury by assaults on the Department -,
Many Of the newspapers, even OF those VINO had
benefited In the past. We're as honest men, gao gao
not. and perhaps more. OF course, sucn news
paper does not alege as the ground o. ~ 49, our
failure to give Il printing; it merely loneu IN ie
peatng and embeshng some fictitious sto,y a sls
hood OF the conduct of the police In enforcing the
Sunday law.
a little further in his address he said:
Many OF foes. including hotab.y one or two I've
system OF corruption. have done all In their pow:
to invite crnlnls back to this city. They have put
and tried to pervert me pupil NM yenharjty in
Justification OF the facts ana reckless iheuae''' !"
describing them
lie declared that there had been no increase OF
crime In the city OF late and he paid his respects to
Judge Cowng in this fashion:
Grand inrv spoke 9f the increase Of crime in this
city Some pereons affected TO understand the Judges
the nrst place the judges approximations were UNI
founded. In the aggregate there has been no IN, IN
next place the most effective way to reduce crime
FOR the Judges and Magistrates 70 impose heavier ,
sentences on criminals The p2nce 90 thenT I uuy
wei: bu; II the courts let ne crlmnae go WIN IN
adcnua'. sentences, the enect OF the laDOr OF the
police u largely wasted.
lie cited a number Of IN which liSh; sem
fences had been passed upon burglars. Then he
made a long defence OF the practice Of employing
snies I'm getting evidence against vioators Of the
Excise Law and he defended the practice of employ
ing children 10 act spies in certain cases. After
citing a case in which a had been arrested with
the AID Of a youthful spy h. attacked Magistrate
F1ammer without mentioning his name Ia this
way:
Incredible though II may seem. the Magistrate be-
fore whom the brought sided. not with the
officers OF the "a who were trying 10 save these
children from Destruction but with the srounfre
Aho was running their lives and violating The law
that might add 10 his ili-gotien game. The Nag
mendei the policeman. and the baser portion OF the
press Deliberately ap2auded what he had done while
a few hysierlcal men OF good intentions. but weak
minds. Joined In
Near the close OF his address. he said:
For weeks every corrupt politician. every tool OF
the aw-brcaklng lquor-sellcr, every friend or tht
semcrImlna classes. every man, ricn ana poor, VINO
leala A vicious He. mas been announcing with gee
another would get r.i OF this Police Board. Now, |
wish IL understood that We have no favors TO ask.
An attack against the present ponce hpari,
ma le on no matter what prctext j. an attack on us
because We have done our duty. Inc pohuclans VINO
seek 90 control affairs at Albany must reckon with
decent sentiment II they dare 10 punish us because
us"d FOR political purposes by tne hrel mercehtrits
OF politics. because have declined q protect hAf
blacknau and occasionally informing the other half
and because we have declined 10 extend To the law
breaking lquor-seiler immunity vouchsafed TO no
The politicians who think they gain the good
will Of the llquorselors and their allies. and on the
swarm Of petty half-crimlnas who INA their re-
vii. ihynsc.vos have 20 reckon with the plain law
abiding citizens OF the state.