The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-26

Home Ruie That, notwithstanding the
Great Boom. Eight Policemen Did the
Work which Now Requires sixteen-Ht
BIames the system.
81 was glad to see the item that was
printed in the Eagle with reference TO
the city expenses, especially Of the po-
lice department" said James Cairns,
who was for several years city marshal
and policeman for fourteen years
INV. | think have a right 10 know
something a bout police business IN
Wichita, and probably have had more
experience in this line than any man
in the city and viii say that Two police
men and the chief can DO ali the neces-
sary business in the city at the present
time.
Il say this because when I was mar
shall OF the city. and was the last mar
shall appointed by home rule, being APP
pointed by Mayor Joseph Allen and
confirmed by the city council, it was at
a time when the city had population,
including transieuts, Of over 10000
what she has today, and at that time
the largest force l had was eight men,
You did not go 10 police headq3ar-
ters at that time and find a half dozen
o. more policemen laying around, but
they were up and doing duty, and l can
not think there Is q man in the city Wno
Is dishonest enough 10 claim but what
the city was as well protected at that
lime as il Is now with from fifteen TO
twenty policemen.
Il don't desire to he understood as
fgming the men on the police force at
the present time, for on the contrary
they are some Of my best frienuS and
believe want to 90 what is right, but
they are serving under a different sys-
TEN now to what we were then.
All the time when WichiJa's eight pO-
lcemen were the terror to all wrong
does. it was when the officers felt that
they mad the citizens behind them. That
the I. sidents of Wichita had an oppOr-
tunfty of saying who would he their Of
fice1S and if any one failed to do his
duty fhey appealed to men whom they
had elected to correct the wrong, but
row they have first 10 see what kind of
a political pull.
Then a man was appointed on ac-
court Of his efficiency, but now they are
appointed on account Of some political
pull they may have in the interest Of
the crowd who are on top. Then the
city elected its mayor and council and !
with them rested the appointing power |
row It rests with the crowd at Topeka |
IL say who shall have the appointing |
lower.
''Tf1Ls you will see that by the metro |
politan police system that the officers |
do not have the moral backing that an /
officer should have to be efficient, and /
often the police are unduly blamed.
81 Will make this assertion that if the |
police system is abolish
ed and the police department again
thrown back to the city council, that
Wichita can be differed for 80 per cent
of the expense of which it IS today.
The system is more to blame than
the men who are IN charge, and 1 hope
60 see the time when the un-American
system will be abolished and Wichita
citizens Will have a chance 10 appoint
and contract for her own police, and
when this Is the case It will be found
that Wichita's police have the backing
of her citizens as She did of old.
'If tn 1887 eight policemen could
guard the interests Of the city when the
great boom was on, It looks reasonable
that one-half the number could control
the lawless element at the present time
That is IL the council and not the To-
peka gang should have the appointing