New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-18
ON MS OUN TRiIL.

Police Commissioner Philips may be the most
innocent man who ever faced trial on a Grim
inal charge That Is question for the courts
TO determine But. whatever he the final dis
position Of his case. IL is certainly grave I'M
proprety that he should have control over the
machinery which must be depended upon Tor
most important work in unravelling the intri-
cate web OF crime In which he may or may not
be involved. Mr. Philips naturally does not
wish TO retire under fire" That i the com
mon feeling of accused officials But his posi-
ton Is a peculiar one AT the head OF the Police
Department when his own past acts as pri-
vate citizen are under examination by tho de-
tectives of that Department. Other Police
Commissioners have been indicted before now,
but we believe that in all such cases they were
confronted with charges with the support OF
which the performance or nonperformancc OF
duty by their subOr,llnatcs had nothing To do.
When Commissioner Is indicted for some Off
cial failure 10 obey the law where the question
Is one Of determining whether certain per
formed acts were criminal rather than whether
certain criminal acts were performed. there
arises no conflict between official duty and pri-
vate interest With such a man. holding on 10
Office Is a matter OF taste. For there Is no sus-
picion that his personal troubles may involve
Paralysis Of his department.
But in case like that OF Commissioner
Philips such suspicion Is unavoidable. II is
not because of any undue readiness 10 believe
evil Of him. but because no man could he sit
uated as he Is without aronslng II. He and his
friends In the Police Board can exercise ma
tera influence on the officers engaged In fol-
lowing the trails Of evidence developed by the
Brooklyn revelations. Perhaps he has no rea
son to discourage them from making com
pletc exposure Perhaps he Is too honest even
TO wish TO shield his friends. his relatives or his
private secretary. But the mere fact that he
can put n dampcr on police diligence robs any
investigation made under his authority Of the
convincing force which should attach 10 police
work on important case. Moreover, even
II the thought OF any attempt on his part to
Illustrate the ends OF justice be dismissed. the
work Of the detectives on their own account Is
TO be considered. Mr.. Philips Is under ndct
ment His private secretary Ii under n1ct
ment Several Of his friends and political as
soclates are under Indictment. Sensational
revelations have been made pointing TO the pos
sibility Of a gigantic criminal conspiracy which
must be hunted down, and the men whose duty
II is to hunt 1t down. without whose aid the
work cannot well be done, are subordinatcs Of
Mr. Phillips and Of Mr.. York. whose name has
been coupled with the ugly business, no mat
ter how unjustly. Is II conceivable that any
detectives will take II upon themselves to be
SPECIALLY dilisent In pursuing quest Ivy which,
whether rightly or wrongly they cannot help
thinking their rulers may he involved? They
and we may believe Mr.. Philips innocent, and
think that the rumOr about Mr.. YOrk's attempt
to influence the investigation Is without fOunda-
tion but the mere fact that probing might pos
sibly injure these officials is sufficient 10 damp
en- the ardOr Of any Brooklyn or New-York de-
tective in seeking 10 gnin special emnence as
an investigator Of the City Works Department
scandals or the Grand Jury bribery case grow
ing out Of them.
The Police Commissioners may invite police
activity but no cautious subordinate would
take the invitation, particularly In view Of the
not conspicuous success attending certain po-
lice officers who In the past have arrested po-
ltica autocrats or lnterfered with the pleas
ures Of ofiiceholders. The conduct OF any
phase OF the Brooklyn investigation by police
officers over whom Mr.. Philips holds sway
cannot be expected to be properly fruitful nor
TO be accepted by the public as thorough.
Therefore II Is incumbent on the authorities to
devise some means-elthcr by the retirement OF
any Commissioner who can possibly be thought
to be interested in the result. or By obtaining
| adequate independent force for Investigation
by which not only may the furthest ramifica-
ton Of crime be detected aud punished, but