St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-03-24

HAvAKA's POLITE POI ICE.
Native Guardians Of the Peace ARa
Now Respected IN the
Cuban City.

Cuban City.
Havana policemen have turned out
TO be not half-bad chaps. For a time
the success of native police force
looked u little dubious. There was a
Jack of stamina-backbone, it might
better be caIled-combined with an ex-
.itability which looked ill for the fu.
ture of IIavana's b,ue-coated guardians
of the peace. But both the people and
the officers of the law have learned a
good deal through the experience of
The year jus; past and a mutual respect
has begun to grow up. This has been
wisely fostered by the American au-
thorities. sometimes with such meas
ures that individuals appeared to suf-
fer the gravest injustice. In the end.
however, was the great purpose OF
| teaching the people, Americans, Cubans
| and Spaniards alike, that the repre-
sentatives of the municipality must be
respected because back of them was the
| law.
This was difficult lesson for many
Americans to learn. To speak honestly
the rank and file of American repre-
sentatives here are not of the kind
which is meek and lowly in spirit. They
are the sovereign rulers of great re.
public. They are deep-chested. long
legged and big-muscled. They have a
tendency TO look upon those who are
not like themselves physically with
contempt, especially if the inferior ones
happen not to understand the English
language. This vas especially true of
the soldiers who were discharged from
the army in large numbers during the
early part of last year. In their own
country these fellows would probably
behave as we'll as the next man, no
doubt somewhat influenced by the 1sO-
pound policeman who hung out around
the corner. But down here there were
no such policemen. Instead there was a
dapper little chap with hollow chest
ard dark skin whose anatomy offered
an irresistible target for just one
punch. The temptation to find out
what would become of him if you land
ed zone good one" was often too-mucb
for the scrappily inclined and when
Havana's finest" first turned out to
keep order they really melted disorder
among this grade of men, who too otter
had their natures heated to the fighting
pitch by liquor.
Tine consequence of all this was that
a lot of policemen were thoroughly
mauled. Their beautiful 'tasselled
ii. Ho1 from,
them by the riotous Americans. one o.
whom could comfortably handle two OF
three policemen in stand-up fight. So
II came about the excitable Cuban, re-
alizing the hopelessness of using hi.
club. got to pulling his revolver at the
slightest squall. Things got SO bad that
several drunken soldiers were killed
and the heartfelt hatred grew up be-
tween the two forces.
Here is where the American authori.
ties showed their good sense. They
backed up the policemen in every posi-
BILE case. Riotous soldiers were "guard
housed" merciiessly and turbulent
American citizens who started out te
do the dago cops" were handsomely
done when they got into the polict
court presided over by Maj. William +
Pitcher. of the Eighth infantry, who
bears the title of supervisor of the po
lice. His was the work of putting stiff
fleming in the backbone of the police
men and teaching the public. regard
less of nationality. that the guardians
Of the peace must be respected.
The Cuban. as well as the American.
had a lot to learn. Like the Irish. he is |
naturally "agin the government" be
cause for centuries the government has |
been foreign and depressing powe,
ard he can't realize in minute that |
these policemen are his servants. Sc
on occasions the natives c!ashed with |
the coppers and for the doing of it were
hauled up with SO round a turn that
Pitcher became a hug-a-boo with which |
to frighten babies. ''Ten dollars or ter |
days" slips from his lips so often tha;
no stage caricature of him is complete |
without the constant repetition of this |
phrase. ss.ss.1tsts s-
As run to-day under the chiefship OF |
Rafael de Cardenas and the supervisor
ship of Maj. Pitcher. the Havana police
force is really fine organization. II
has its faults. but the discipline il |
good. its members have learned sdf-re-
straint and courage has come with the
knowledge that they will be strongly |
supported when they have acted rigid.
ly. Above all else the Cuban police
man is polite. He can give American
officers of the law lessons in this re-
spect which the latter would do well to
learn. Even when under great excite
ment this national characteristic OF
courtesy is dominant and occasionally
in ridiculous way. Que night when
there was row at the cafe of the Hotel |
Inglaterra and some shots had been
fired. an excited mounted policeman
sprang from his horse with drawn re-
volver. Rushing up to the swaying
crowd which was dancing around in a
panicky way, the policeman'pushed his
weapon under the noses of those il
front and began pushing men back.
"Hage me eI favor!" (Do me the fa.
vor), he kept shouting, waving his arms
"Cabelleros, hage me ell IA
vor!"
Imagine New York policeman try
ing to disperse crowd with a gun and
gentlemen. do me the favor" It's not
in the blood. A club and bunch of
oaths would be much more Likely. A
policeman who is always polite certain
ly has his merits even though he be
little week-kneed and hollow-chested
and sawed-off. Probably when we get
New York policemen who are always
polite and Havana policemen who are
all big and brave and strong the world
will have reached that stage when po-
lice force will be superfuity.-N. Y.
Sun.
C00n Of William Penn.
During the removal of a dilapidated
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