The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-18
CRAFTS STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS.

Deverys power as head Of New York's police
! system was that Of n car. Ruler of seven thousand
subordinates, he held them with a masters hand.
He had been one of them, knew them from helmet 10
shoe. and his personality made every one Of them
Il part of Devery. BY means of this battalion's in1H-
encc. diffused through almost every sphere and
stratum of civic life. he welded Il power scarcely con-
eeiyed by the outside citizen.
The relations Of the Police Department to the city
and TO the municipal government: make it essentially
Il predominant power. Deyery forced and extended
the immense leverage of his department. in its every
relation TO its utmost degree. Cities can find no bet
ter example of the police systems relative municipal
importance. for coed CT evil, than Deveryis machine.
which ruled New York in 1900. ~.
The current number of Outlook describes the
simple events which led to the overthrow of this
formidable power. 4 Reverend Mr.. Paddock laid a
complaint before one Of Deverys Captains concern
ing police rule in Il certain '%'red-light district Had
that Captain accorded the preacher 4 decent hear
ing, Devery might be in power to-day. But the
preacher was cursed by the arrogant. brutal officer.
Bishop Potter t%hereupon became interested in the
matter and wrote a letter to Mayor Van Wyck, Dew
ery's official superior; but gained no redress. There
the administration committed their fatal mistake.
They rouscd," says the Outlook. n body in the Com
monwealth 10 all intents and purposes both unaware
of their existence and at a pinch more powerful than
they"
With the denouement the public is familiar. The
Committee Of Fifteen was organized by the citizeIs
to inquire into Devery's rule. Its personal raids, led
by District Attorney jerome, brought to light all
manner Of crime and graft, and were the beginning
of a campaign for decency that eliminated in Dee-
ery's undoing, Notwithstanding his iron hold upon
the town and deep intrenchment behind political bull
warks., Public opinion thoroughly aroused made
short work Of 4 machine that for organization, thor
OuSh system, deep foundations and numerical
strength surpasses any in the history of cities.
All of which goes to show the old, old truth that
a simple incident may wreck tremendous enterprises,
and that no corrupt structure. however huge ard
firmly built, can withstand the force of civic morality
when once it is reused to disapproval. And -disap-
prevail" though hardly an emphatic term, describes
the force which cities employ to rout corruption. |
Wrath and fury. revolutionary passion-these have
no place in municipal reforms.
There was nothing even resembling Indignation in
the work Of Jerome and his allies. They were merely
purposeful, determined. They went about their bust
ness smilingly. As Mr.. Holder remarks, in the Out
look, they took cognizance Of grievances and out
RACES only as matters of which they purposed trying
to make an end"
In the record Of Devery's undoing the supreme
lesson for cities is that when the citizen himself be
comes sufficiently interested in matters to disapprove
corrupt rule the foundation for reform is laid. New
York was interested, concerned. troubled. Public
opinion was ripe. and when the slight circumstance
of Mr.. Paddock's and Bishop Potter's i'll usage was
made known it stimulated and strengthened disap-
prevail. Resolve meant the battle won. And if there
Is a moral in the case for corrupt machines, tt is,
Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall" Human precaution Is not proof against cor
~ruption's undoing. One too-arrogant policeman did
for Devery. |