New-York tribune., 1900-12-09
AN UNMAsrERLY RETREAT.

An CAMASTERLH RETREAT.
After long struggle and a series of retreats
to a succession Of last bitches where the flag
was nailed 10 the mast and the ''irreducible
minimum" Of police legislation announced Sch
! ator Plat has at last quietly accepted a con
serrative plan for a single headed Police Cor =
mission for this city, TO be appointed by tho
Mayor and subject to removal by the Governor
This is a measure long ago urged in its essential
features by municipal reformers, but contempt
uously rejected by Mr. Platt, who has been de-
| termined to take the control Of the Newly 1ork
police from the local authorities, even if he had
| 20 impose a State constabuary upon every city
| in the State. Now that he has come around to
| the side of Independent popular sentiment and
the wise members OF the Republican Organiza-
ton, it is instructive 10 review the stages in
the oozng of his determination that a State
eonstabulary bill should "go through with the
aid Of the "Juggernaut" ear.
The returns of the election were not yet all
In when. on November s. Senator Platt de-
| clared:
am in favor Of n State constabulary bill that
| will take the administration Of the Police De
partment absolutely out of politics. Such a bill
will be Of the first to be introduced this
winter We have the necessary votes to pass II,
and am determined that il shall go through.
. The bill will probably be the one framed
two years ago by Judge Cohen We then had
]
/ bill Now, however. we have the necessary
votes
Finding himself taken at his word and the
plan for a constabuary bill as outlined meet
ing with opposition, Mr.. Platt on November 16
made the complaint:
The bin that the newspapers are talking about
! is an old constabulaTy bill II would be just
well for the newspapers to ait until they
see the new bill and learn its terms before they
condemn il.
Nevertheless Mr.. Platt did not by any means
then wish people TO think that public opinion had
anything 10 do with the matter. Whether the
| hill was the old one which he said would be
passed or some new one which must not be
criticised prematurely, even just criticism would
have no weight for, as he said on Novem-
! Der 10:
There will be opposition TO the measure, OF
course. but those who oppose it will feel the car
/ OF Juggernaut run over them.
This idea was elaborated on November Il,
when in answer TO suggestions that he might
have the bill modified so as to remove the OBJ
jections of its critics Mr. Platt declared:
! 1 have said nothing that could be interpreted
meaning that the State constabuary bill
will be dropped, drawn TO be anything
but strong measure have not backed down.
! and nobody has any right 20 say that l am
| letting up the bill. State constabulary
| bill will positively be introduced al Albany this
/ winter, ana nave every reason 10 believe that
| II VIII be passed. II VIII be a strong measure,
and will provide for a single headed State Police
Commission, with headquarters at Albany.
The head viii be supplied from this city, and
! he win be a man in whom the pubIic will have
! entire confidence. He will be a citizen Of very
high character. The bill will not be the identi-
cal one that was introduced last year. but il will
resemble il in many essential particulars Rest
| assured there will be no backing down
| People might as well make up their minds
| that the bill is going through and become recon-
! ciled TO it, We have a large majority in the
! Legislature, and all the Republicans seem TO be
| in favor Of the bill. There is no danger that
| throughout the State. II viii be difficult for the
/ Democrats TO carry the State when we have
non-partisan police force.
Before long. however, Mr.. Plat discovered
that he was not so supremely Indifferent to
the popular view of what he had himself called
a State constabulary BILL" and as he hedged
on his first proposition TO enact the old bill and
concluded that he did not mean what he said
about ii, so he hedged about the name of the
measure, and in spite of his defiance Of critics
| on November II he announced on November 2l
| that he would make the bill less Objectionable
saying:
! 1t is going TO be a State police bill not
! State constabuiary bill The papers and people
have been calling II by a wrong name. q.
IL Is too early TO discuss the possible features
. OF the bill, because Judge Cohen has not COM
pleted il yet. II win be quite different from the
o.O cOnSlaDulafy Dill, however. II will be so
/ essentially different that the members who op-
] p"sed il before will have less objection to 1t
1 this time.
Having so far modified the plans promulgated
with the announcement Rest assured there
viii be no backing down." he naturally did not
STOP half way. After taking a couple of weeks
10 reconcile himself 10 inexorable fate, Mr.
Plat came on from Washington On the evening
Of December Z, learned what he could do. and
finally said:
! police bill will be introduced Immediately
after the Legislature meets and Il will be passed
without delay. II will provide for a single Com
missioner for this city, TO be appointed by the
Mayor. and the Commissioner will be removable
by the Governor entirely at the option of the
/ latter, and without the presentation of charges
That is decidedly different from the con-
stabulary bill which was going 10 ride into the
statute book on the car of Juggernaut Was
that car OF Juggernaut just painted canvas TO
scare Tammany into dividing police spoils, or
was IL one OF those automobile contrivances
which sometimes take 10 backing and put their
drivers into the ditch? Whether he made a
blum or suffered a defeat careful reflection on
his recent urterances must convince even Mr..
Platt himself that, like Mr. Croker. he has
acquired the habit Of talking too much for his
own good.