The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
and limiting the right Of arrest, had TO be

and limiting the right Of arrest, had 70 Dc
observed by the police. He seemed 10
be wholly unaware that the highest court
in the State had q few days previously
In the case OF Glennon declared tfs same
principles In the most explicit ana COM com.
prehensive maHneri and also that section
BIS Of the CITY Charter gave no new powers
to policemen in respect to entering HOUSED
or making arrests. ,,,.,
AN that had been decided by any Judge
was affirmed. Is that decision also 20 M
ridiculed and defed3 II there be any oInelai
who should be an enlightened American
citizen. schooled In the traditions OF the
Anglo-Saxon race. and keenly alive TO !he
rights and liberties OF the citizen, ana the
m aaning Of free government, 1t Is me foIaS
Commissioner of large city. Such ih';n
would easily keep order end decehcy IN
the city, because he would proceed accord.
ing to law, and not array the law, the court
and the enlightened and educated sense OF
the community against him by his law ICES,
ness Any one who knows his knee from
his elbow ought to be able to see this
The guarantees Of Individual right ana
liberty which the Commissioner is reportt q
to have derided are the warp and the WOOL
of the English and American system Oh
law and government. and without them
free governing mt could not exist, and does
not exist, anywhere in tho world,
If such a remark should be made by
Police commissioner anywhere in Engian a.
Government would have to heed ana ylelo
to, and If the hlmblest man or the most
unfortunate woman In England were law
lessly arrested and locked up, the wrong
would have to be disavowed and rectiftcd
by the Government for the safety OF the
Crown, 40 keen Is the sense of that liberty
loving people of the foundation principles
on which alone free government rests ana
can be preserved. What would happen In
England If scores OF people In one. night,
or thousand people in period OF rev
weeks, were arrested and locked up by
Police Commissioner or captain under no
charge whatever? 1t 1t at all extravagant
to ask, as some do. whether we really have
Anglo.Saxon government IN the city OF
New York?
These unlawful arrests seem to be APP
proved by some good people who are under
with a good motive and that they do good.
While they admit they are wrong. they
justify them under a detestable maxim
which is condemned everywhere, even by
those to whom its origin is often attributed,
namely that it is justifiable to do wrong
unlawful raids and arrests done with a
good motive? II SO. since when? 1t is
often said that not 80 long ago the police
extorted tribute Of over million dollars,
a year from unlawful houses and licensed
places IN TINS Guy. 10 not these soou
people know that ths was done py tn aoa,,d
not pay the monthly or weekly sum levied
against them by some unrevealed police
authority? Those who paid were let alone
those who wouldn't pay were raided. what
more enectuaI nethoo OF collec'loh cou'u
be devised?
IF it were put stop to- and the police
we're prohibited on pain of dismissal from
unlaw1ully entering houses ana ot i1t'
places ana making wholesale arrests WIFI
out warrants, the problem OF disscciatlhg
the police from crime ana preventing mem
from licensing certain onenoers ana CO..,
Letting secret tribute from them would
be solved or course, where an oheNce
is committed IN the view or presence OF a
police officer, he has the right TO arrest
without warrant; hut he h@s to take me
offender before a Magistrate and formally
accuse him of the offence and prosecute
him.
If any one is keeping an unlawful house
the way of the law is that evidence be quietly
obtained from neighbors or otherwise,
and then that a warrant be obtained. and
the offender arrested and convicted. Why,
instead, is this lawless raidng continued?
1t must certainly be done for some purpose.
That purpose is certainly not to convict
offenders, for no one Is being convicted
Those arrested are charged with no GRIM
inal offence and are. therefore, forthwith
let go. and the administration Of the law
is thus brought into contempt. 1t is not
difficult to convict offenders and thereby
enforce the law If you go lawfully about
it; it is very difficult. well nigh impossible.
to do il II you 60 about il in an unlawful
manner. suppose you observed the OBJ
ject lesson recently given to the police by
the Rev. Mr. Myers. here in Brooklyn.
He quietly got evidence against dozen
booksellers and gamblers il a perfectly
easy thing to do If you went to do it; then
he went and had the evidence sworn to
before Magistrate and got warrants, ard
the offenders were, all in lawful, orderly
and easy manner arrested, indicted and
convicted within, think, thirty days. In
a month or two he caused more booksellers
to be convicted than the police have caused
to be convicted during the present city
administration and its predecessor. as | am
informed. or course, he had the advice and
assistance of the careful and efficient Dis
trict Attorney OF Kings county.