New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-13
COLONEL PARTRIDGES RETIREMENT

| 1t is generally felt that Commissioner Par
| fridge has not been an unqualified success In
the office which he has resigned into the Mayor S
| hands. Probably no man obtanabe would have
been an unqualified success there under the con-
diLions surrounding the Police Department In
the last year. Many men, however, could have
been much more. striking performers, and there
is some reason to believe that what some Of the
sharpest critics of police Observation-Disclosures
ticularly those friends who thought it neces-
sary to show their friendly interest by telling
the public what a failure they feared the adj
mnstration would be-really wanted was per-
Torrance more than accomplishment. They
were demanding something sensational some
thing to touch the imagination of the populace,
something like a Lexow procession of police
captains to Sing Sing, only to have them return
again in triumph and collect back salaries.
Colonel Partridge has not done anything spec
tacular; nevertheless, he has gradually been
wedding out the corrupt and inefficient officers
as fast as he could get cases against them
which would surely stand. His recent progress
in this respect has been extremely gratifying.
He has been at the head of a department in
which the enemy was thoroughly intrenched.
The very instruments which he was obliged 10
use to detect unfaithful subordinates were them
selves unfaithful. There was nobody whom he
could trust. When he gave an order his cap
tains were as likely as not to carry IL out In
manner to make trouble for him and the ad-
ministraton whenever they could do with
out a breach of rules rendering them clearly
subject to dismissal Thorough reform OF the
Police Department has been rendered next to
impossible by hampering laws. Colonel Par
trdge's inability to enter upon campaign OF
rigid and inquisitorial enforcement OF the ex-
else and other laws touching the personal habits
of the community likewise deprived him OF one
resource of discipline. He was not responsible
for that The Mayor prescribed that policy
1t is a policy logically defective and easily sub
ject to criticism, but everybody-including the
crtics-knows that public opinion would have
tolerated no such strictness would have been
necessary TO shut the door on skilful police ex-
tortion.
The respect in which Commissioner Partridge
seemed chiefly TO be lacking in the quality
of sharp minor discipline That was a matter
in which adverse circumstances and bad laws
did not hamper him. He did not tone up the
rank and file of the force as might have been
expected. Patrolmen under him found it COM
paratively safe to break the rules and continue
in the happy go as you please course typical of
the lazy and staggering policeman of Tam
many days. This easiness on the part of the
Commissioner is probably due TO advancing
years and the impaired health which is given
as the reason for his retirement. A younger
and more vigorous man may be expected to
improve upon this situation, but it will be
impossible TO find commissioner more con-
scientiously and perseverngly devoted to duty
than Colonel Partridge. In spite of his failure
to meet the popular expectation of spectacular
reform, he has made substantial progress, and
progress not like that of the King of France and
his twenty thousand men, who went up the
hill and then came down again. What he has
done will stand, and it is q firm foundation for
his successor.