The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-16
New York Police Politics.

New York Police Politics.
1t is Impossible to avoid the conclu-
sion that either partisan or fractional
opposition to Tammany has much tc
do with the hue and cry that is now be-
ing raised in New York for the transfer
of the city police department to TIE
control of the State government This
conclusion comes naturally from the
circumstance that the outcry is alto
gether disproportioned to the specific
disclosures. Four or five persons have.
with reasonable certainty, been incrim-
mated. and at once the air is filled with
aenunciations of Tammany, although
at least two of the wrongdoers are and
have been Republicans.
1t is very likely that there is much
room for reform in the New York City
| government, and for whatever there is
wrong Tammany very properly comes
IN for goodly share of the blame. That
organization is a great political ma
chine. and the machine in politics is
not. as a rule. controlled in its action
| by high moral considerations But
| Crokerism is no worse than Plattism,
and if we are to judge by what has ac-
tually taken place, it is a great deal
better than either Quayism or Hanna
| ism. Therefore. the demand of the an
! ti-Tammany factions of New York City
| that the police department be segre-
! gated from the city government seems
| to be an illogical one, and to rest upon
an insufficient basis.
SO
no use in trying to overthrow Tam
many at the polls. because the adher-
ents of that organization can outvote
any possible combination that can be
made against it This is an argument
that fails to argue. At any rate it fails
to convince. If it is impossible to mass
majority of New York's electorate
against Tammany, it locks very much
as if the charges of corruption may
have been somewhat exaggerated. 1t
is very true that Tammany's control of
the patronage is powerful lever; but
there are large numbers of highly re-
spectacle voters who give their support
to the organization as a mere matter
of principle. If it can be shown that
Tammany is rctten all through, it is
fair to suppose that much of its pres
ent support will join the forces of re-
form in the interest of good govern
ment.
Tammany was badly beaten in 1894,
and it has not been made clear why it
cannot be done again if the conditions
are anywhere nearly so bad as they are
assumed to be. It is said that the 1894
victory over Tammany was the result
of discord among the Tammanyites
themselves. Grant this and still the
fact remains that IL the city govern
ment were as corrupt as is claimed by
those opposed to Tammany, there
would in ali probability again be di-
visions among those who are classed as
Tammany men. 1t is hardly just to as
sumo that all of these people are |
thieves. or that they are in favor of |
political forces which are opposed to |
the present regime cannot muster a |
majority of the votes. it would seem as |
if there must be a shortage in their |
proofs of the awful depravity which |
they allege to exist.
But in this particular instance we are |
not restricted to mere abstract reason
ing. However much corruption may
exist in the police department, as yet |
very little has been brought TO light.
The shortcomings of a few police Off
GERS (not exceeding a half dozen) is no
more to be considered as proof of
wholesale corruption In the department
than the fraudulent practices of a. few
appraisers in the custom house are to be
taken as conclusive evidence that dis
honesty pervades the entire customs
service of the United States Extortion
or tipping Of by a New York police
man is no more reason for depriving
the city of the control of the depart
ment than fraudulent appraisement
of silks is a reason for taking away
from the Federal Government the con-
troll of the custom house in which the
fraud occurs. There is a right way and
a wrong way of remedying evils, and
In this case a great many New Workers
mot a majority, thought appear to be
seeking the wrong way. Especially
does it seem so to an unbiased outsider.
because of the circumstance that thus |
Tar not the slightest disposition has |
been shown to screen any guilty man.