The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-10-14
Private Martin, N. P.
His Case and That of Venezuela on All
Fours, It Seems.

Fours, 1t Seems.
Private Z. r. Martin. of the police
force, was tried the other day for
'disobedience of orders" and prompt
y found guilty. Major Sylvester
has forwarded the papers to tn,
Commissioners with his approval of
the findings Of the trial board. l.
the Commissioners agree with him
Private Martins days as a member
of the police force are numbered.
This is the case in nutshell, as it
were
But what was this disobedience of
orders by which Private Martin was
euilty2 Had he refused to report
for duty at a certain hour or place
Had ne declined to carry out the in
structions of his superiors in appear
ing at the station in the proper uni
form7 Had he defied the authority
of his captain or been otherwise OBJ
streperous IN his conduct as a guar
dian of the peace2 Not so far as we
have been able to ascertain. or so far
as the papers in the ease disclose the
measure of his guilt. He had SIMPLY
been "disobedient" in not paying a
debt, as ordered, presumably because
he was unable to do so.
Now, we do not wish to be under
stood as entering a plea in defense of
dilatorv debtors, or of people who
ha0itually contract debts without any
thought of paying them. But we
may well ask what good purpose is
served by turning the Chief of Police
or the Commissioners into agencies
for the collection Of debts7 We have
had quite recently thrust upon us an
example on a larger scale Of this at
tempt to collect debts by extraordi-
nary means, IN way which should
make us hesitate TO apply similar
means IN the case of an obscure DO
bceman. We said to the assembled
powers Of Europe, "You shall not
collect the debts of your subjects
from Venezuela by threats of vio-
lenee; you shall not convert your
fleets into agencies for the liquidation
OF obligations which may, or NAV not,
have been incurred honestly; and
you shall not, above all, be so foolish
as further to impair, or utterly de-
stroy, your debtors ability to settle
with you, by depriving him Of the
only means left him to demonstrate
that his intentions are honorable"
This we said, we repeat, to the as
sembled powers of Europe. and in
saying IT, we put ourselves, as we
thought, on a high moral plane and
assumed a position which we consid-
ered-at least Mr.. Bowen with fat
fee from Venezuela in his pocketl
made US consider unassailable. In
what respect, except in degree, does
the case Of Private Martin. differ
from that of Venezuelan Are not our
authorities preparing TO threaten him
as England, Germany, and Italy
threatened Venezuela, by saying:
"You must pay the amount you owe
or be dismissed from the force; we
are your official superiors and we
shall use our power TO compel YOU to
settle with your creditor; and we shall
do IT, too, though we know that after
you are dismissed from the force
your ability TO pay will be impaired
and probably utterly destroyed"
1t seems to us that such a position
Is an utterly absurd one for the Com
missioners TO take. We have no ex-
cuse, we say again, to offer for any,
one who deliberately contracts debts
he knows he canno; pay. But be-
tween such a man and one who. for
one reason or another, may find him
self unable TO repay a loan IN which
usury plays a conspicuous and wholly
cIsereditable part, there is some, and,
III fact, a good deal, of difference.
Nor can we admit for a single me-
ment that it is either wise or expe-