New-York tribune., 1899-07-23
PARSONS AND THE POLICE.

At the melancholy meeting on Friday even
ing Of strikers whose affairs he has misman-
aged and whose interests he has betrayed Cen
era Master Workman Parsons said that If the
police should retire the companys business IN
Brooklyn would not be worth Is cents; mot
because of any danger to the property" he
added, "but because they could not get men
to run the cars" Without wishing to add un-
necessarily to the burdens Of discredted lead
er, we think 1t proper to say that this state
ment Of Mr.. Parsons is both dishonest and abb
surd He says there would be, and means, Of
course, that there would have been, no danger
to property If 1t had been left without police
protection, when the conspicuous and univer
sally known fact is that property has been
threatened in all parts of the Borough Of
Brooklyn since the strike began and at many
points destroyed; that great number and
variety Of mschievous and turbulent acts de-
signed to ntimidate the company and It's loyal
employees and frghten the public have been
committed, and that one atrocous crime which
was expected TO have fatal results was delb-
erately perpetrated. In the face Of these in
disputable occurrences the General Master
Workman has the silly audacity to declare that
there would have been no danger to property
In a withdrawal of the police. 1t cannot be
wondered at that a man capable Of publicly
stultifying himself in such a manner should
find himself repudiated in an emergency by al
most all Of those whom he assumed to lead.
The only wonder Is that he ever had any fol
lowers at all at any time.
"Not because Of any danger to the property,
"but because they could not get men to run the
cars" The second clause, offered as an ex-
planation, makes the first all the more gro
tes0ue. II there would have been no danger
to property in the absence of the police, no
violence, no intimidation. no risk TO any honest
and industrious man wanting to work, no in
reference whatsoever with every mans right
TO sell his labor the company could not have
run its cars, according TO Mr.. Parsons whereas
In spite Of these pers and violent discussions
It did run them with large degree Of regular
ity and was deserted by only small minority
of its employees. This is the sort OF stuff which
a man who Is nomlnally leader OF men, and
who apparently has no humiliatlng sense Of his
utter unftness for leadership talks TO those
whom he can get TO hear him. The intelligent
majority OF the workingmen whose misfortune
II is TO be loosely reckOned among his follow
ers have good reason for regarding him with
contempt. and their conduct during the last
week leaves no room for doubt that such Is
their state OF mind.
Mr.. Parsons followed his assertion OF the
needlessness Of police protection with rabid
denunciation of the police, which affords suit
able occasion for saying that in the strikes on
both sides OF the East River the police have
been admirably handled and have shown ex-
emplary courage discretion and efficiency. At
every point they have proved themselves equal
| TO difficult situation, which would have quick
| ly become disastrous If they had been incompe-
| tent or weakly led. The fact that have felt
| compelled to condemn Chief Devery and many
OF the men under his command for grave faults
OF conduct and demeanor mt other times makes
II all the moro incumbent upon us 10 recognize
and attest their excellent behavior since last
Sunday morning. II is gratifying reflection
that the decentralization OF which too many
evidences have lately been given cannot have
proceeded so far as many have feared, and II
is a pleasure at least to hope that the con-
sclousness Of an important duty well done will