The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-02
CAN'T REFORM.
Police Board Starts Out IN the
Same Foolish Path
Of Its Predecessors By APP
pointing Policemen
TO "REWARD" THEM
For Their Advocacy of Free
Silver and Such Things,
Instead of Their Ability and
Fitness For Police Duty,
TO RISE ABOVE PARTY
Is Too Much 1t Seems in APP
pointing City Officials.
Topeka Pays For Police Service,
Not For Political Opinions.
We Furnish the Money and Our
Wishes Should Rule.

The new board of police commission
ers beheaded IS policemen last night
and named Is to take their places.
There are two Democrats and two Sill
yer Republicans" in the list of APP
pointees and the rest are Populists. The
same old bad system of appointing
policemen is to be followed that has
been followed from time immemorial.
The first qualification for a policeman
under the present system is what has
he done in politics?" 1t does not mat
ter whether he has in him the material
from which good officers are made
The all important question is whether
he has sufficient influence in his ward
to control votes. He isn't to distress
his mind about being a good officer but
is to be rewarded" for his political
work Suppose the firemen were APP
pointed for the same reason what kind
of a fire department would we have.
Seeing that the people of Topeka have
to pay these policemen for protecting
their property, why should not some at
tention be paid to the desires of the
business men and other citizens. We
need a municipal league to select the
policemen and present their names to
the police board for notification.
1t looks as if Topeka will never have
a police board that will dare step out
side the silly, ridiculous and disastrous
rule of selecting politicians for police
men. The present board is following
the precedent laid down by Republican
and Populist boards before them.
1t may be that none of the old mem
bers of the old force were competent
policemen, but the board should think
twice before dropping all the old Off
GERS from the roll The people o. To-
peka want police force that Will sup
press 1awlessness and they want it nom
partisan. They really do not care
fig whether they are Democrats, Repub-
licans or Populists- Give US a police
force made up of men WO Will catch
criminals and prevent crime
Following is the list of appointments
as far as made:
Samuel Jones, jaiIer, Fifth ward, Silver
John Dagg, jailer, Democrat
Albert Heartburg, patrol driver Popu-
list. First word
Patrolmen:
Davis Close. Populist. Second ward
Charles G. Gordon. Populist, Fifth ward.
c. P. King. Populist. Fourth ward.
NJ. c. Jenkins. Democrat. First ward
NJ E McFadden. Popuiist. Fourth ward.
Henry Grosch. Populist. First ward.
II i idns F4 PPnniist 0e Fftb waTd
Byron Winget, Silver Republican, Fifth
ward.
The policemen whose stars will be re-
moved tomorrow to make places for the
new men are NJ. Bundy, Sergeant Frank
Ellison. Jailer Disbrow, Patrolmen Aye,
Hale, Carlson. PARCELS, Mcdowell, Dough-
erty- McElroy, Long, Bundy and Pinks-
ton.
There is but one colored man in the list
of the new patrolmen and that is ]. H.
Hicks of the Second ward, who was on the
Populist police force two years ago
The new board has not recognized as
many of the old Populist patrolmen as it
was thought they would as Gordon,
Hicks. Jenkins and Dagg are the only
members of the old force on the new Ser
geant Owen was also on the old POpuliSt
force. but he was not moleSted when the
Republicans took charge and has contin-
ued to serve as patrolman- Nearly all
the members of the old force were appli-
cantS for positions.
The local Silver club endorsed four
there more to be made and they may
be given another ''slice of the pie. Sam
Jones' who was appointed jailer was a
member of the Republican county central
committee until last fall when his pro-
nounced views the silver question re-
suited in his expulsion and he afterwards
did what he could for the Bryan-Leedy
David Close who was appointed as pa
trolman, is a brother of Col F. J. Close
who was private secretary to Governor
or less well known in local Populist cir
cles.
The board adjourned last night until
tomorrow afternoon when the rest of the
appointments will be made. The rule con-
corning the hearing of the personal APP
peals from the applicants made no end of
ed with applicants all yesterday afternoon
and the street around the headquarters
was also crowded. The members of the
board patiently listened to the applicants
until dark and resumed work after sup
per 1t inconvenient and what one
of the POpufiStS termed "a deuced poor
PLAN" for every man who had chance at
the board was convinced that he would
be appointed
The few patrolmen of the old force who
will be duty tomorrow will consider
themselves fortunate but they will proba-
bly, be displaced soon-