Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-29
DRAWING The ORDINANCE.
PREPARING TO REFORM THE Gov
ERNMENT OF THE POLICE FORCE.
Citizens Are Tired of Being Ruled
From Jefferson City-The Charter
Amendment Proposition VIII
Carry by Big Majority.

City Counselor McDougal yesterday COM
menced to outline an ordinance calling for
a special election to amend the city char
ter so that Kansas City can get control
of her police force. The ordinance will be
introduced in the upper house at the next
regular council meeting, to be held the
first Monday evening in January, one week
from last night. There will be little or no
opposition to the measure in the upper
house, but three or four aldermen in the
lower house, who are interested in the up
building of the gangs political machine in
connection with the police department, will
probably antagonize it. 1t is not believed,
however, that the obstructionist element
will be strong enough to defeat the ordi-
nance, and success at the polls by a big
majority is generally conceded.
Judge McDougal has not as yet decided
upon a time of holding the election, but
the first Tuesday after the first Monday IN
March will probably be the date named in
the ordinance. This will allow for the
thirty days that the mayors proclamation
must be advertised and for a reasonable
length of time for the council to pass the
ordinance.
Alderman Morrison, of the upper house,
in this connection, said, yesterday:
"I hope 1 shall have the honor of in
Producing that ordinance. l consider it the
most important piece of legislation that has
been before the council in years, not even
excepting the water works amendment.
shall put all of my energy into working
and voting for that ordinance.
,Tfr mol
ness and professional men talking about
this reform. They are men who, as gen.
eral thing, take only a passing interest in
municipal affairs, but when they see their
neighbors all about them being held up,
robbed and assaulted on the streets of
nights, the matter is pressed home to
them. They are bound to place the blame
somewhere. They know the police depart
ment is not being properly administered,
but they don't censure the chief for 1t.
knowing he is but the creature of higher
power. They don't blame the commission
ers, as they are but part of the govern
or's machine, and they even let the gov
ernor down light with the statement that
he is probably doing as much for Kansas
City as any other politician would who
wishes to keep control of his party and
whose life and property are not jeopardized
by his high handed dictations.
w nat OoeS a HldIl lou llllleS away Sdle
whether Kansas City has good police pro-
lection or not? 1t is the system that is to
blame and the people know it. AS long as
the present system is in vogue, just so
long will we have chiefs who are nine
tenths politician and one-tenth peace Off
Ger: just so long will the rank and file Of
the department serve party instead of pub
lic If this proposition ever gets before
the people they will carry 1T four to one.
Mayor Jones also had something to say
about the shortcomings of the police de-
partment.:
I'VE want higher intelligence among
the men," said he. I'VE want closer at
| tention to duty and more efficient service.
1t is as much the duty of policeman to
disperse a crowd of men standing in the
| street and ogling women as it is to arrest
a highwayman; it is his duty to assist a
woman or aged person in crossing crowd
| ed street; it is his duty to give attention to
his personal appearance, yet how deficient
is our department as a whole in all these
| matters. The men are not appointed ac-
| cording to their competency, but accord
ing to the political pull they exercise"