The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-10

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particularly to the defects in the law
itself, which skilled lawyers daily use in
the interests of the law breakers AS a
former sheriff graphically said, when the
imprisonment clause was stricken out,
the teeth of the law were drawn.
Doubtless l shall be sharply criticized
for yenturing to discuss this subject upon
this occasion; but l am persuaded that
it is of vital Importance to the com-
munity to consider it, If for no other
reason than this, that if the present con-
dition OF affairs is permitted to exist our
CITY will be unable to obtain men OF
character for this office, for any man
having q regard for his reputation and
peace of mind, will shrink from assum-
ing the burdens Of an office sufficient in
themselves without the added penalty of
| suffering continual abuse for failing to
execute satisfactorily to those who pose
as its only friends, and the opponents OF
good morals IN the community. law,
which, under the limitations which sur
round him, and the means at his dis
posal, 1t is impossible for him to so exc
CUTE This, say. in itself, Is sufficient
reason for me to present the subject for
your consideration.
! have before called the attention of the
City Council to our police system. Men
are now appointed to hold office until
they are sixty-fve years of age. and can
not be removed without legal proof of
wrong doing. An evidence of the diff
Guilty OF obtaining such proof was shown
q short time ago, when two of the force
were convicted Of taking hribes. No
proof OF this would have been possible,
and the ssmen who had been practlcing
this crime for years would have been on
the force today, had they not uuarreled.
On the other hand, the officers of the
Mayor and chief officers of the police are
subject to annual change, and in the
graphic parlance of the men, they are
denominated yearlings. Such a condition
of affairs 10 not calculated to promote
that discipline in the body which 10 SO
necessary to efficiency. NV recommends
ton would be to shorten the term Of
office of future appointess to, perhaps,
two years for the first term. This might
serve as probationary tenn and subse-
lreritorious conduct II thought best An
, officer who had rendered faithful service
should, at the end of his term, be reap
pointed and distinguished by mark Of
merit, and a man who had not proved
his efficiency should be permitted to drop
| out. believe also in giving the men.
not only merit marks. but also the chance
of promotion for distinguished service,
!, by appointing the deputy marshals from
the ranks, and perhaps the marshal from
, the deputies. l think some such system
would greatly increase the efficiency of
the force. We have at tho present time a
large number of flrst-class men on the
force, who in spite Of the present system
, are unexoeptionable officers; but the
credit is due wholly to them, and no part
OF 1t to the system. AS you are doubtless
aware, the appointment of police officers
: is made by the Mayor, from men who
: have passed the examining board. and as
before remarked, when appointed, hold
Office until sixty-dve years of age When
it is considered that constant and pow
erful pressure is brought to bear upon the
chief executive, by friends of candidates
and by politicians who desire to pay poll
tical debts, or secure political service in
future. to appoint particular men, the
liability to make unWise appointments is
apparent, and once made no opportunity
for remedy exists.
You will see by the Marshal's report
that something over six Thousand gal
Ions of liquor have been seized by him
during the year. The several recon-
mendations which he makes are worthy
of your careful attention. now pass to
a consideration of the
LIQUOR AGENCY, az
which in my opinion should be abolished
as soon as possible You will see by ref
erence to the report of sales during the
two years that the agency has been under
my control, that the sales have been
nearly ninety-thousand dollars less than
in the two previous years, which follow
ing statistical plan at present perhaps
too popular represents over twenty
drin ks for every man, woman and. child
in the city. AS the law prescribes that
liquor shall only be sold from this es.
tablishment for medicinal and mechanical
Inn fr..r I--l-I
health OF the city had greatly improved,
or mechanical business had greatly de-
cl1ned, or both; but this is not the fact,
as every body must know. The fact is
the Agency has been conducted under
moro stringent rules; yet do not believe
that VITA all the care that has been ex-
erted, and the agency can never be con-
Quoted better than it now is, for it is I'M
der the management of the very best
men, ISsay that do not believe now.
that the comparatively small quantity
sold is all needed for medicinal and me-
chanical purposes. Tt ia presumable that
the sales of this agency will increase or
decrease according to the policy adopted
by the political party in possession of it.
This is an additional argument why this
whole liquor question should be removed
from the arena of politics.
believe that modification of the
Norwegian plan OF supplying the public
uclAesdu lcT ilquoIn WOu u DG an improve
ment. Instead Of combining the sale to
liquor shop in which every citizen is
stakeholder, and which is under the man.
agement of changing political parties I
would suggest placing the bust ness In the
| hands of syndicate or private corpora
ton under similar restrictions to those
now imposed upon the Agency; but in
stead of being supervised by committee
of the political party in power, that it
| should be under the supervision OF a
commission Of three men of high charac-
ter, all friends Of the law, if possible,
and selected from the three parties,
Democratic, Republican and Prohibition.
This commission, in addition to the duty
| of seeing that al liquors were properly
tested for purity, should also see that
| they were sold only for lawful purposes;
and to it should be entrusted the sole en-
forcement of the law through officers ap-
pointed by it and wholly under its CON
troll The commissioners should hold
office only SO long as they performed their
| duties satisfactorily to the friends Of the
law, and might be appointed instead of
elected to Office, and removed by the ap-
pointing power. A portion of the profit
of the business should go to the munich
| ralifv and in