New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-04
TETERANS AND POLICE.

The situation confronting Police Commissioner
Partridge calls renewed attention 10 the mis-
chief wrought by some of our veterans prefer
enCe laws. He is soon to appoint some police
captains These officers have peculiar and heavy
responsibilities. and only men of the highest
possible capacity should be selected to fill them.
But it is said that of the six places soon to he
filled five must be given TO veterans who have
managed TO obtain pass mark on their
Civil Service examinations and have had n
record for faithfulneSs that made them eligible
TO promotion. These veterans are getting to be
old men, and, it is reported, are not so We'll
qualified to do the work needed at this time as
some of the other candidates. The others may
have shown much higher physical and mental
qualifications than the veterans. and may have
had better records in the department, but their
superiority can be of no avail. The least compe-
tent veteran who can manage 10 pass the tests
al all gets the office even If somebody else is
clearly shown TO be better fitted TO perform the
duties
Such n system as this is a wrong 10 the
people. Public office should not he an asylum
for even the most deserving. Public servants
are employed TO do certain public work in the
best possible manner, and no consideration
should permit the substitution for the most
efficient person available Of some other man on
the plea that he can do the work passably well
and has a claim on the gratitude of his country
The people of the United States are justly mind
full Of those who have served in their armies
They recognize their obligations TO the veterans
and should continue 10 do But they should
not discharge that obligation by setting them to
do work which others can do better. The idea
that public office should be bestowed as a re-
ward is vicious one. though perfectly natu-
raj one in view of old habits 1t has long been
the practice 10 distribute offices to party favor
ties with only incidental reference to their fit
ness for official duties. II was the simplest
thing in the world for persons who recognized
veterans as patriots. even more deserving Of
recognition than party workers, to seek com
Portable official berths for them The benevO-
lent impulse finally resulted in giving them a
preferred legal status.
The spoils system often put inferior men in
office but it did not go so far ms TO force ap-
pointing powers, under legal penalties, to take
inferior men and keep them. The public could
better afford to pension veterans much more
literally than now. rather than to have office
thus made an asylum. No private business
could thrive which intrusted its most important
work to other than the best available workers
This city is wronged when the lives and prop
erty of citizens, the enforcement of the law, the
difficult task of breaking down the matchmaking
system are intrusted to q man because he fought
in the Civil War forty years ago, and not be
cause he is the strongest and most competent
instrument the city can secure. The veteran
may deserve well, but he does not deserve n
call for duty that somebody else can perform
better than he and it is a reflection on his
patriotism so say that he wants thus 70 handi-
cap his country's progress His reward should
be given him in some other way