New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-14
TIE STATE CONSTABULARY SCHEME.

The hill providing for single Commissioner
If Police in this city having been killed outright
In the Senate yesterday by the adoption OF the
motion to strike out the enacting clause, the
vav was made clear for the introduction OF the
State Constabulary bill which was sent to the
canital on wednesday by the leaders of the
local Republican organization. The passage OF
the latter measure is made possible by the Gov
ernor's Jealous support, which has been secured
by various notifications of the original scheme.
The most important of these are contained in
the sections providing that there shall be one
RESPONSIBLE head of the police in the State and
one in each city affected, and that Civil Service
examinations shall be required for admission to
the force. The Governor believes that the en-
bodIment of these principles in the law would
fix responsibility in such manner that malad-
minstration could be surely punished and
would take the police effectuay out of politics.
It is not surprising perhaps that, believing this
and approaching the fact that it would devolve
on him to put the new system In operation, the
Governor has given his approval to the bill. We
are not yet prepared to believe however that
the arguments which have convinced him will
appeal as powerfully to majority of the good
people of this State.
In the first place, the circumstances are such
as to give somewhat disagreeable appearance
to the undertaking The scheme of State con-
stabulary was preached early in the session,
but It developed no support, excited no discus
sion worthy OF the name dropped out Of sight
completely and was practically forgotten. There
is not the remotest reason to suppose that 1t
would have been heard of again il the organiza-
ton leaders had not anticipated the defeat Of
their bill applying only to the police Of this city.
In that emergency 1t was suddenly revived, a
bill was hastily drafted. and with some new
features designed to overcome the Governors
scruples that bill now appears as party meas
ure We have said already, and now repeat
that strong arguments can be adduced In sup
port of the policy of State police force, and We
should cordially welcome a public and legisla-
tive discussion Of measure carefully prepared
by competent persons to carry that principle
into effect and introduced at time when i'm
partial and deliberate consideration of It's mer-
It's was possible. We do not regard with favor
the sudden bringing forward Of such q scheme
at the end of the session in a form and manner
which are more suggestive OF partlsanshlp than
of public care.
The Legislature Is expected to adjourn In
fortnight, and 1t Is not conceivable that this
measure. which 0stensibly makes its most re-
spectacle claim 10 public appreciation on the
ground that II is non-polItical, can be enacted
excepting by n despotic exercise of party au-
thority. II 1t is to be put through at all 1t must
be damned through Now, that is a process
Of which the Republican organization has re-
peatedly made use In recent years, but 1t is not
q process by which the Republican party has
won credit and advantage. Its employment
largely contributed to put the party In a position
of peril from which II was rescued at the last
election only by the help of unforeseen circum-