New-York tribune., 1896-05-14
DISCRIMINATING JUSTICE.

The sentence Of cx-Pollce Captain Carpenter
TO q term of three months in the Penitentiary
and n fine Of 8. 800 for having accepted a bribc
! 10 allow Sunday lquorselling In his precinct
was not too severe 1t will carry conviction
| anew TO policemen Of the danger which accom-
panies cxtortion even at times when 1t is winked
at by supcriors, and II Is Il wholesome reminder
of the demoralized state of public morality from
which this city has been rcscued-a demoraliza
| ton which people are ovcrrcady to forget in the
enjoyment Of present comfort or the worry over
present annoyanccs Captain Carpenter feels
! kcenly the disgrace Of his conviction. though
there is no evidence to show that he feels or has
| felt the disgrace OF his act apart from the pen
atty which has finally ovcrakcn it. The same
| view of the nature OF disgrace has been widely
| prevalent among his associates some of whom,
though implicated in far worse deeds than he
by the revelations of police corruption, have still
managed to keep themselves from the only dis
grace they care anything about. Captain Car
penter. deserving of his punishment though he
be. may not unjustly complain at the discrm-
inatlon shown in singing him out for successful
prosecution.
Almost at the same time that he goes to the
Pcntentlaly Captain Price Is renstated in office
by the courts. and the Police Commissioners are
compelled TO seek out for him place OF honor
and profit in which he may serve the city. Yet
Prices mlsdccds are notorious. Carpenter was
by no means one of the aggressive patrons and
bcncfciarcs Of vice in the police force Price
was the undcrstudy OF Williams in the Tender
loin In the days when that precinct was the
hourishing centre of every kind OF vice which
Ncw-York contained and which the cltys rulers
protected and fattened on But the indictments
against Price have been dismissed at the re-
quest Of the Dsirict-Attorncy. He had good
reason. Of course He has discredicd the testi-
mony against the captain. So Price compels the
Commissioners, in spite II their disiruSt 10 set
him N work. Then Williams IS Stil at large.
free 10 make more fortunes in Japanese real
estate. For al the testimony brought out against
him In the Lcyow Investigation. and thc curious
statements he himself made he Is not disgraccd.
So far from II is he indeed, that he seeks
elective office. He is not disturbed in the least
about his bad reputation. even though the voters
refused 10 accept him for Senator. With Colo
mel Fellows In the Dls,rIct-Attorney's office he
feels perfectly sure that no Indictment Will be
found against him. only the smallfry OF the
old police corrIptionlsts will under any circum-
stances be disturbed
the wronglocrs who nourlshed under Tammany
rule has long been public scandal TO him Is
due the almost entire failure OF justice in the
police cases Testimony enough and CLOVIS
enough were developed in the investigation 10
have resulted In wholesale punlshmcnts II dill
gently followed up and TO have made the con
structlon OF new system Of blackmail under
aLy rule impossible for years to come But from
the beginning Colonel Fellows has studiously
avoided prosecuting. and when possible even
indicting. any Of the leaders In corruption When
he has been compelled 10 make n show Of vigor
BE- has selected some petty offender like Stephen
son. and sent him 10 prison until the appellate
court set him free again. lie advised clemency
in the case of Carpenter, and has elected TO try
killilcl on the most trivial OF the indictments
against him. The few victims Of his prosccll-
tion. even though they suffer justly. have reason
10 feel aggri,vcd The great rasclls have rea-
son TO be profoundly thankful that Tammany
had the Disrict-Attorncy's office, and could SO
keep the rcformcrs from taking any adequate
measures of purihcaion.