New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-17
NOT THE FINEST.


The influences which now dominate our Po-
lice Department are largely evil. Among the
thousands of patrolmen roundsmen and ser
geants there are many honest, faithful and
hard working wearers Of the uniform; but
when one goes higher how firm Is the foundation
for trust and faith! How many captains
there on Manhattan Island whose good names
have never been blown upon? And how many
Of them are unjustly smirched by suspicion?
Very few The black spots Of greed rapacity,
injustice, political jobbery and blackmail are
wide and thick on some of the higher officials
OF the Department which protects dive keepers
and other transgressors at the behest of cor
rupt bosses. An enormous revenue from vice
and law breaking is flowing steadily into the
pockets Of the men whose aim in life is to get
all the gain they can out of Office and out of
the opportunities Of political leadership
OF the long list OF disgraces which the mis-
government Of the Police Department has
brought upon this city the incidents of Wednes
day night and Thursday morning must be
counted among the worst. For many a year it
has been evident that the colored people in
New-York have not received fair treatment at
the hands of the police. When crowds have
gathered to look at a parade a big public
spectacle of any kind in our streets the police
ored men and women among the masses OF
spectators The average policeman delights in
violence toward the average man or woman Of
peaceable disposition, but when the peaceful
man or woman belongs TO the negro race then
the wild JOY which a policeman feels in the
misuse of his club passes bounds His
frenzy for bruises and blood then approaches
the delirious rage Of an Ashantee chieftain on
slave raid He exults in the thought that the
ward heeler who got for him his place on the
force will him through safely. The amb-
ton TO Club the life out of a niger is cher
ished among the Tammany pets who WELD
the locust If ever the whole truth is told
about the happenings of Wednesday night and
Thursday morning it will probably appear that
the brutality and ferocity engendered and
stimulated In the Department by the Tam
many thugs and ruffians. whose influence is
masterful in the Mulberry-st headquarters and
in the precincts throughout this borough led
to criminal assaults by policemen upon law
abiding people.
There are many negroes in New-YOrz and
a certain percentage of the colored population
is restless, disorderly, vicious and criminal
But that is true of the police force also. A
certain percentage of the force Is restless dis
orderly, vicious and criminal, and Tammany
with it's Matchmaking methods is constantly
encouraging and promoting the vilest elements
in the Department. Punish every negro in
New-York who deserves punishment with the
utmost promptness and with the utmost rigor
of the law. That is the right thing to do But
II is also the right thing to punish every Grim
inal on the police force with promptness and
rfgor. And there are many criminals and
blackmailers on the force, and some OF these
blackmailers and criminals, high in Office work
far more injury 20 the general welfare of this
whole community than the wickedest negro
ever seen in Manhattan. A properly organized
well disciplined, well governed Police Depart
ment could have suppressed the disorder of
Wednesday night In few minutes. But the