Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-24
THE POLICE CHIEFS
Business Of Today's Session
at the Shoreham.
MAN Y PAPERS RE AD
CRIME CONSIDERED FROM A
PRACTICAL STANDPOINT.
Movement to Give Maj. Sylvester An
other Term as President OF
the Association.

Spicy debates and crOss-firing between
chiefs. and the unanimous determination of
the members to re-elect Major Richard Syl-
vester their president for the fourth term
were features of today's session of the IN
ternational Association of Police Chiefs, at
the Shoreham The movement for the re-
election of Major Sylvester was a spontane
Gus one. and indicates his popularity in the
organization and the appreciation of his
ability and worth as the head of the great
association of the metropolitan police of the
United States.
Detective Chief William G. Baldwin of
Roanoke. Va, and other prominent mem
bers of the society today quietly circulated
a paper among the police chiefs, all Of
whom signed it. The paper will be handed
to the Washington chief at the beginning
of the session tomorrow morning. 1t fol-
lows:
Hon. Richard Sylvester:
Dear Sir: Realizing that you have
made a good president of this association.
and seeing no reason why there should be
a change, we respectfully ask that you al
low the use of your name for another term
We assure you of our cordial and hearty
support if you will consent to serve
AS Major Sylvester is unaware that such
q paper has been prepared and unanimous
ly signed, it could not be learned whether
he would again serve president Some
Of his intimate friends, however, say he
will no doubt accept the place, coming to
him ii does in such hearty manner
After calling the convention to order this
forenoon Maj. Sylvester announced that
the officers of the association would hold
reception of the citizens and members of
the police society at $50 O'Clock this even
ing at the Shoreham. Letters of regret
were read from Mr.. Loeb secretary to
President Roosevelt; Chief w. s. Seavey of
Seattle, Wash, and others.
ant + ,;1r
force of the United tates Capitol building
and grounds was elected to membership in
the association.
Chief Moore's Paper.
An able paper on The Legislators, the
Laws, the People and the Police" was read
by Chief of Police William Moore of Bing-
hamton. N Y.
He said, in part:
The day OF the namby-pamby policeman
is past, and the day of the village constable
with his vacillating jelly-fish methods is
also past and numbered with the things
that were. The policeman of today has
come to be, if he is an efficient one, an ag-
gressive force, backed by the moral and
enacted laws of his state and community
Necessarily to perform the task assigned
to him he must be fitted not only physical
ly, but mentally. His position is at the
OutpOSlS, OF guarding against the rapacity
of the criminal hordes. and he must be so
vigilant that all law-abidng citizens can
feel secure that the law will be enforced
and they and their homes protected against
criminal acts of every kind. He must
possess knowledge of the laws he is
called upon to enforce. and particularly "A
knowledge of how far he has a right to act
IN each case. There is always a class that
is ready 10 cry out against the acts OF any
policeman as tyranncal and as inconsistent
with the principles of "A free country and
unfortunately, there has been too much of
this disposition shown by some of the men
who are occupying judicial office In or
der to do his duty. his whole duty and
nothing but his duty, he should work UNI
der perfect system controlling his legal
status
Chief Moore denounced the so-called
John Doe warrant a troublesome prop
osition, and declared no such warrants
should be issued. He favored government
control of the bureau of criminal identifica-
ton, and concluded by saying:
Il do not mean to be heard as though in
criticism of any judge, for, as the Great
Book says. Judge not, lest you be Judged
but | do think that there are many judges
who would have refrained from writing the
opinions they have written had they walked
a policeman's beat for a single week"
In discussing this paper. Police Chief
James McWeeny of South Bend Ind. spoke
against novices and beginners in crime be-
ing incarcerated in prisons, which he
termed schools of crime" He said the
police chief who would drive a professional
thief from his own jurisdiction 10 prey on
other communities was unfit to hold the
office of chief. Novices in crime and sea-
soned criminals should be kept apart.
Experts in Crime.
Chief of Detectives William Desmond of
ST. Louis read a paper that was heartily
applauded throughout. He said: Experts
in crime may be broadly divided into two
r. Is naiun iStS