The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-15

course we do not pretend to know.
From the tone of a portion of the met
ropolitan press it would be supposed
that the department was permeated
through and through with corruption.
So ii may be. but that fact has not yet
been proved. The evidence given to the
public duplicates but a very few midi
viduals-apparently not more than five
or six altogether. and the idea of such
an expose being made an excuse for the
denial of local self government to
Americas greatest city is absurd.
AS Governor Odell observes. it is a
matter for the New York electorate to
deal with. There should be no State
Interference whatever. Even If in any
case it would be just and proper for
the State Legislature to take action
which would virtually declare the peo-
pie of New York City unfit to regulate
their own local affairs. certainly no
such case has yet appeared. When we
consider the magnitude of the opera
tons of the New York City Police De-
partment, the recently developed scan
dals, however malodorous. they may be,
are still of very small proportions.
Such things are occurring all over the
country in State, county, and munich
pal governments New York City, while
bad enough. as everybody knows, Is no
worse, relatively, than many other
places.
There is entirely too much DISPOSE
ton to deal with the matter either in
party or a factional spirit. Both Re-
publicans and Democrats who object
to the Croker regime, are urging that
the control of the police force be taken
away from the city government and
given to the State. However just may
be the complaints against Crokerism,
the remedy proposed is not the proper
one. Reforms have been made in New
York City heretofore without anything
that pointed in the direction of disfran-
chisement, and there is no reason to
doubt that the same thing can be done
again, and will just as soon as the city
is FULLY aroused to the necessity for
earnest effort But it is monstrously
unjust to condemn vast city because
a few minor officials go wrong. AS
far as the matter has gone the legal
authorities have shown no disposition
to screen the guilty. and it seems idle
to claim that the service cannot be
purified by the city itself.
In this connection it is well not to
overlook the fact that the officers i'm
plicated z-e not all Croker men by any
means. Bissert, the convicted extor-
toner, is a Republican, and so is Cap
tain Diamond. who has just been indict-
ed for neglect of duty. Bissert is the
protege of Diamond, the latter is the
friend of Eidman, the Revenue Collec-
tor. and Eidman is a friend of Thomas
C. Plat, while Justice Hooker, who
granted the stay of proceedings which
kept Bissert from going Immediately to
prison, is also a prominent Republican.
This does not prove that Eidman,
Hooker, and Platt are in anyway con-
nected with the offences of police
officers. but it does prove that the po-
litical friends of Plat are just as likely
to be guilty of official misconduct as
are those of Croker and Van Wyck.
Hence, the conclusion comes naturally
tn It nothing would be gained by giving
Platt virtual control of either the police
or any other department of the New
York City government.