The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-21
AT LAST.

At last the will of the people of st,
Paul, regarding the administra ton Of
their police concerns, is respected and
they are in a position to secure to them
selves the amplest recognition of their
paramount authority. All the political
and legal chicane which an unscrupu-
lous political ring could invoke, has been
brought to bear. The supreme court has
declared shat the peoples will must be
respected by their servants.
The st. Paul police board had already
demonstrated that even with the
wretched material at its disposal,
it could, through an intelligent
headship, relieve the people from
the reign of terror under which
they lived for some four years. Chief
O'Connor and his immediate subordinates
have shown how to make an efficient
police force. They have enforced discs
pline and put an end to corruption.
So far as the police commission felt
itself at liberty to go, it made needed
changes. The result has been the res
toration of order and public protection
and the destruction of bribery and off,
eial completely with crime. For these
results, that body has entitled itself to
the public gratitude.
Every contention put forward by Com
missioner Lawler in his character OF
member and as the legal adviser of his
associates is sustained. The distinction
made by MIN and them between dismiss
sal for the good of the service and dis
missal by way of punishment for official
or personal maIconduct is expressly rec
ognized by the decision. The power of
removal for the general well being of the
department is declared to be absolute,
without charges made or hearing had
The power of removal for misconduct
is only to be exercised after formal
charges have been made. These rules OF
conduct apply alike to old and new mem
bers of the force.
1t would be of interest to read the dec
larations made throughout by our Bit
terry and blindly partisan neighbor, the
Pioneer Press, in the light of the decis-
ion. According to its standards of pub
lie ethics fl was to be. regarded as little
short of criminal on5tNe part of the po-
lice board to remove Republicans and
put Democrats on the force; while the
same rule of conduct, when applied by
two Republican mayors, resulting in the
displacement Of capable and tried men
from the force because they were Demo-
Gratis and then substitution by number
Of inexperienced, incompetent and gen
orally Objectionable Republican ward
politicians, was treated by our contem-
porary as worthy of all sustainment
All this sort of folly is now effectualy
disposed of. The appellate court colt.
firms the powers conferred on the com
mission. The responsibility is all with
the commission, and that body will be
fully held to it by the people. The
G l o hopes that the members will
meet the situation without fear or hest
fancy. From stem to gudgeon the entire
department must be thoroughly cleansed
Sixty more heads must, if necessary, far
beneath the official ak. The sooner the
commissioners get to work and rid the
city of even the last man of the brood
of incompetents and corruptionists
with which the Republican ring manned
the city police force, the better pleased
the people will be and the better served
the city r-