New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-02
THE RETURN OF THE SYSTEM"

1t would doubtless be unjust to consider Po-
lice Commissioner McAdoo a free agent in the
selection of Thomas f. McAvOy as First Dep
uty Police Commissioner Mr.. McAdOo is gen.
tleman of responsibility, who would. If he had
his choice, wish TO be at the head Of an honest
police force. Such choice apparently was not
allowed. He was permitted to choose merely be-
tween being the head of a Tammanyized force,
in the well recognized meaning of that term as
established by the practice under Gilroy, and
later under Van Wyck. or not being the head
of it at all. The disappointing thing is that he
should be willing TO lend himself to such an
administration, but probably he argued that the
conditions were fixed. somebody had to take
the place, and II might as well be he. Tam
many would not do any better than he might
make 1t. and IT might do a great deal worse.
We are not disposed to pass hostile judgment
on Mr.. McAdoo or any other appOintee Of Mayor
Mcclellan. We prefer 10 judge them solely by
their performances and to give them full credit
for all the good work they may do. Neverthe-
less II is impossible to look forward with much
confidence to a praiseworthy police adminstra-
ton with Thomas T. McAvoy as Commissioner
McAdoo's right hand man and expert adviser.
Mr. McAvoy has record. He was an inspector
of police In the Tammany regime which was
driven from Office owing mainly to the police
corruption which it fostered. The revelations
Of the Lexow investigation closely touched In
spector McAvoy. Captain Schmittberger testi-
fed that protection money which he had col
lected from poolrooms was, part Of ii, handed
on TO Inspector McAvOy. He also gave him
money taken from keepers Of disorderly houses,
but McAvoy did not know that this was its
origin. Being, Schmittberger said, q religious
man" he had stipulated that such collections
should not come 10 him. Nevertheless the
houses were VIGOROUSLY open in his district and
he could not have failed TO know it. Mr. Nc
Avoy denies the truth of Schmttbergers state
ment, and says the charges were presented TO
a grand jury and no indictment was found. 1t
is well known. however, that many men whose
corruption was morally certain in the light of
the LexOw revelations were not punished be-
GAUGE Of technical legal obstacles.
Schmittberger was not McAvOys only accuser
Sergeant John ]. Taylor testified that he had
been instructed 10 put protection money in
certain drawer for Inspector Steers, and that
when Inspector McAvoy succeeded TO the place
he continued the practice. Testimony was also
given casting suspicion the good faith OF
Inspector McAvoy's Investigations of gambling
houses. Corruption OF this kind is almost I'm
possible TO prove. The testimony of accom-
plices is almost always alone available. Cor
roborative evidence is carefully guarded against
But everybody knows that the system" was in
full operation under Mayor Gilroy and that the
revelations of the Lexow committee were sub
stantially true
1et we now find man who seriously dis
| credited by those revelations placed second I'm
| command OF the Police Department as the first
act on its return to power of the organization
| which was responsible for the undenied police