Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-18

to them, but I'm any event the repub-
lican party is pledged to restore it and
1t will not fail to fulfill the promise.
NO ELECTTrE POLICE COMMISSION,
The original fire and police commits
sion law for cities of the first class,
designed exclusively for Omaha, was
evolved by experience ana had become
u necessity. The intrusion into our
city government of the classes that re-.
quire surveillance by the police had
foistcd into our city council keepers of
low groggcrics and gambling dcns. SO
long as the liquor licensing board was
made up of the mayor. city clerk and
president of the council, the council,
and. for that matter. the whole city gov
eminent was dominated by the saloon.
The prohibition crusade was the natural
consequence of such misgovcrnment
After much agitation on the part of
our best citizens, metropolitan po-
lice, strictly non-partisan and governed
by an appontivc commission, was
deemed the most desirable. BY
removing the appointing power
as far as possible from the
cesspool of ward politics it was
hoped and believed that omaha would
be able to get rid of hummer council
men and relieve it's city officials from
dependence upon the support of va
grants. thugs and chronic law-breakerS.
The first fire and police commission
was not, however. vested with the power
to act as Il licensing board. Its func-
tons were limited to the government
and supervision of the fire and police
departments. 1t was only after several
years trial ana much further agitation
and contention that the fire and police
commission was vested with full and
exclusive authority as an excise board.
So far as we can judge by past cN-
pcriencc. there is no valid reason why
the commission should be deprived of
any of the powers and functions now
vested therein.
Everybody knows that the changes
made by the last legislature in the law
governing the appointment of police
ana fire commissioners did not meet
the approval of The Bee The attempt
to divest the governor of his conStitu-
ti0nal preiogative in making appoint
mcnts was opposed by this paper ut
every step, not merely because it was
establishing Il bad precedent, but be
cause it was poor politics. AS far as it
related to the constitutionnlity of the po-
hin Of co. Ypsitinn
ruled by the supreme court. From the
political standpoint the law has proved
II poor Investment for its originators.
Taking it for granted that the incoming
legislature will cndeavor to right the
wrong and restore unto Caesar what
belongs to Caesar, we do not be
lieve the legislature would be justified
in making Il greater blunder than was
made by it's predecessor In our judg-
ment it would be something worse than
n blunder to make the fire and police
commission an elective body. Such
change would practically nullify the
main object for which the board was
created. 1t would result in n perpetual
conflict between the men who want
rational enforcement of law and the
men who are constantly violating law
and always opposed to its enforcement.
1t would mean the conversion of the
police and fire department into politi-
cal machine, to be dominated by ward
bosses. 1t would mean commission
that would be dependent for its exist
cnCe unOn the worst elements Ii would
reinstate into Omaha the methods of
Tammany blackmailers, with favorit-
ism and protection, such rs may be
seen without Il spy glass in town this
side of the Missouri not more than
thousand miles away from Omaha.
For all these reasons and others that
can be advanced, the citizens of Omaha
do not want an elective police commits
sion.