The sun., 1901-01-20
Tho vigilance ommlttee Plan.

Hshop PorTERs announcement. yestsr-
day, that hs had reosived a letter telling
OF the -'roping In by two policemen IN
plain clothes ~ victims tor q dlSorderly
house whose exact situation was dc-crhed.
Ia OF the mos, SERIOUS importance Reports
20 the same general -net have been made
concerning policemen on tho East Side Of
the town, or at least as 20 the active agency
OF tho poNce. not only In protecting suuh
establshmsnta but AIso In recruiting for
them
II Ia to got evidence to establish such
facts that tho formation OF a sOrt OF Wig
tlance Committee OF I've thousand men
has besn advocated, and unquostionably
reports so appalling ought TO be inves-
ugatei thoroughly. for II they are cor.
roborated the complete reformation of
the administration Of the police system
In New York Is essential 70 preserve tho
town from moral rottennes They are
horrible stories and their detailed reD"-
tition has become 40 fr-qucn, that II would
sssIn they must have a basis OF fact. IL
"a not surprising. therefore. that Bishop
POTTER. In h.s righteous Indignation. re-
tho sItrone measure OF recruiting volun-
teer committee of thousands Of private
aai amateur dct@~'tives 10 keep watch
on the pouo.: bat. none the less is the sug
g,stton unw,so and utterly imprudrrt
Practically, the proclso and positive
evidence nocd~d could not bo obtained
from such a committee any Nctter than
from sources OF Information like that from
which Bishop POTTER received tho letter
To- which he referr. II reports as to tho
conduc, Of the police In the matter of ~lcA
vlos are ohtalnahlr at all from volunteer
wttnes.es they can 10 secured by inviting
the Information. In a form TO h" usI ~
legal violence. from all good citizens Who arc
cogniIant of the facts II Ia truo that men
who would write privately and coniidor'laily
OF their knowledge Of police dcrehc'ions
might refuse to mako themselves r,tpou-
s.ule Us authorities for uotlCts lhcy relate,
by appearing pIhNcly as wltn'~sJs to them;
for unquce ionahiy, the power Of the police
70 mako NE wretched for their accus"rs
would be feared But would not the samo
restraint act upon TO proposed volunteer
COMMITTEES of detectives or at least prevent
the sffNiCs on u Ol NNe N'rg bOEN ol U'u
requisite 10 command TOR 1t public respect
AMI confidence;
Moreover. tho very fact Of the formation
Of such "a committee would be a noLNca-
ton to che police to be on their guard until
the excitement had blown over nor
would Il be posiible ~ organize So great a
body without eetung IA some men whose
charaotors and perormanees would tend
% ,nva.lla,o the iuv,snga'.on AMI br.nS
reprpi,h on lt The dotccr,yc business -
not S,trir'!vs 10 the SOFT Of men IN whom
r,lanyc can b5 put most confidently. and,
naturally enough. tho spotted pnhrrucn
wouid kevp up u sharp .oosout 10 trip up
tnair ,upInyyrs ami bring The lnvcsuga-
ton ir'o rldAud!r AMI contempt Nor is
/, reasonable tu sIne that there woVIt
not be- such lap're among a body Of i've
thoI,lul men of the kind who would he
Ni,Ius TO 70 into tho business. 1t Is rather
10 he assumed that some Of the number
would enter It for that very purpose.
The difficulty Of obtaining such evidence
from unorganilcd sourccs Of Information
10 great. unq,wstionably. Tor the observers