The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-06
BREEDING CONTEMPT OF LAW.

In the current issue OF the North Amer
lean Review. under the general topic OF
Vital Phases OF Modern City Government"
are four articles dealing with some fea-
lures Of the admitted failure in the man
egement OF large cities. referring specially
to New York. The most striking of these
articles is that entitled National Danger
from Police Corruption" by Frank Moss.
who was a police commissioner with Presi-
dent Roosevelt in New York, and who later
directed the investigation which disclosed
the corruption prevailing under cover Of
the police authorities in that city. In this
article Mr.. Moss briefly sets forth facts
which show that all kinds Of injustice, vice
and violence are fostered by the police au-
thorities in New York city. 1t is not mere
rumor and unsustained assertion which
Mr.. Moss gives, but the facts brought out
by the committee Of fifteen. Some OF the
crimes which are protected by the police
authorities are the decoying and abduct-
ing of girls, the protection OF burglars who
have terrorized portions OF the city to an
extent that an insurance company has
made a special feature OF insuring against
burglaries, charging four times as much
for taking such a risk as the risk for fire.
During the Lexow investigation the exist
ence OF a system Of blackmail and extor-
ton. which gave the police their excuse
for not interfering with illegal resorts, was
fully proved. Only a few days ago Ward
man Bissert, the confidential man OF a
police captain, was sent to the penitentiary
for collecting fees from disorderly and
gambling houses, which were turned over
to the police captain. who in turn handed
the money over to some magnate OF Tam
many Hall. This ''wardman" collected an
initiation fee OF $500 from the scores of
disorderly houses and gambling dens IN
the precinct, and a fee of $50 a month
thereafter. Thus the worst class Of law
breakers secure immunity. The laws which
have mo discretion are given discretion
with a vengeance. for money. The black
mailing OF pushcart men and the keepers
OF fruit and peanut stands has been re-
duced 10 a science. Efficient patrolmen are
afraid TO arrest roughs for fear that they
may be the 'heelers'' of some politician
who has 4 pull" II was proved that pro.
motions in the police force were purchased
by the payment OF thousands of dollars. In
short, the police department is the instru-
ment for the protection Of vice and crime
and the enforcement of blackmail.
To New York more than to any other city
go the young men of the country seeking
employment and larger opportunities. tc
learn contempt of the law from the guard.
ians Of the law. They see the vicious DO.
lice captain protecting every known crime
for money, and they see that the men who
profit by this system OF blackmaiI are mos
worshiped; they learn that the wicked pros
per with great prosperity. while those whC
protest against blackmail suffer in theii
business. The immigrant who goes 10 New
York to engage I'm some small business find.
himself arrested. while his neighbor who
does worse things keeps open shop and I.
not arrested. He discovers tina his neigh
Dor pays the police. and when he learn,
he does the same. To him the police stand.
for the semblance OF all the government.
that he sees. and the injustice which n,
experiences breeds in his mind disregard
and contempt OF our institutions. Wher
those who have influence and who agree L
pay 10 officials some part or an exorbitan'
prizes paid for millions or dollars worth
: os materials FOR the city, the public gen