The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-27
OUT OF POLITICS.
Topeka Business Men Demand a
Civil Service Police De-
partment.

The business men favor a non-par-
tisan police force where fitness, and not
political prestige, secures man a place
and assures his being retained Just so
long as he is efficient.
The police department has never been
up to the standard of the fire depart
ment and for but one reason 1t has
always been in politics and changes
nave continually been taking place. In
the fire department the men who have
been taken on have always had to pass
a physical and mental examination and
to serve as substitutes and perfect
themselves before they have been ta-
ken on as regular men. In no instance
has politics counted for anything The
result is that Topeka can rightfully
boast of one of the best and most eff
ficient fire departments in the country.
The tax payers want efficiency and
they are receiving it.
The same is expected of the police
and that department may be made just
as efficient in its work as the fire de-
partment is if it be conducted on the
same basis. The politicians never think
of demanding that curbstone polite
ians be given places on the fire depart
ment IS a reward for their services for
it is known that the department is out
of politics and that the people would
resent any such demoralizing proceed
ings. 1t is time for the people to be
served by the police force as they
should be.
The politicians have united against
Sergeant j. G. Owen. He is charged
with the crime of being a Democrat.
He is also a most efficient officer who
has worked his way up from a patrol
man and thoroughly understands the
duties of his Office. Chief Ramsey and
ex-Chief Strauss both speak of Owen
most efficient officer. Several of
the most experienced and best officers
on the force are Democrats. They are
capable men and for that reason Mayor
aT6lp Sc Of
their political beliefs.
Chief of Police Ramsey said today:
What l want is a good police force
which shall be thoroughly non-partis-
them the force must be efficient and to
be efficient the men must be selected
for their capabilities and not from po-
itical Standpoints."
There should be no politics. said
r. S. Brigham, president of the Com
mercial club. Those are my sentiments
first, last and always. Get good men
on the force and keep them"
Ed T. Sim said: ITO get a good force
it must be kept out of politics.
J. w. Farnsworth said: Il favor an
efficient force and efficient men and
politics should make no difference
George NJ. Hammel said: The po-
lice force should be out of politics. Let
efficiency tell"
w; E. Swift said: TT would be
good thing to have an efficient force
and get it out of politics.
T. D. Humphreys said: 1.-THE force
should most assuredly be out of poll
tics. A police force will always be cor
rupt morally when under the ban of
politics.
D. ]. Greenwa1d. treasurer of the
Commercial club. said: THE police
force should by all means be taken out
of politics and kept out"
H. A. Auerbach said: IT am in IA
vor of civil service on the police force.
If a man is a good officer keep him.
w. F. Schoch said: Take the force
out of politics and keep it out. Have
the men pass an examination"
L. S. Woolverton said: I'VE want an
efficient police force. 1t should be run
independent of politics.
Nothing will 50 demoralize a police
force, growing in efficiency, as the Gre
alton of a feeling, by removals for po-
liticaI reasons, that the thing for
policeman to do is to cultivate poll
tics, to be a first-class ward worker, to
hustle votes, to stand in with polite
ians.
To be sure the people pay for police
men to ferret out crime and prevent it;
to give security to life and property; to
drive away criminals and make life in
Topeka a burden to them. These latter
duties of police officers are secondary
from the politicians standpoint.