The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-13
vADo0 SIZES up THE POLICE
,IG. MANLY. HUMAN. WITHOUT
rTTHER WINGS OR HOOFS.
ue.,,ammers what's Had In Them Every
Day but He Is Enthusiastic About Their
.o,ri side Charity in the station
I,usc-Eyils OF Perverse Criticism.

pr0klpills anu Npidi'i'iiD'
If was very much pleased indeed with the
EDITORIAL article on the police in The Sun
=, Tuesday" he said. 1T was altogether
he f,irest and best statement about the
,,ood side If the police that l have read.
Ss.or,hody knows the bad side which does
80, lose ANYTHING in the telling When
,,is side !, presented by opposition news
,arcrs professional reformers or other
,,,erssteI uartieS | do not deem it neces-
sory TO make any reply If by any chance
I should soc the statements or articles.
with these people such criticism Is solely
,,s;nass politics or diversion, and In any
sye,, il must pay them, us they labor Wig
,.o,.Iy and persistently. They have no
.,,cern for the betterment Of the police
,orcc, in fact the worse the police are 30
rnuch the better for them. II the police
wsre already good they would be out Of
business When the force Is at It's best
thew are depressed, when at its worst
elated.
ITO correc, the bad in the police means
constant. persistent and firm discipline,
and when the facts warrant 1t, swift and
.evere punishment, but the good should be
A. earnestly encouraged as the bad Ia re-
creased on the good side the police
nf New York are without peers. They are
generous, yaorous and humane. For the
Innocent sufferer they have big heart and
strong hand know Of no body Of men
who so quickly respond to the call OF charity,
IN fact, | have to repress the tendency
to contribute more than generously for any
humane and charitable object that appeals
- ho ~
"A policeman in New York who will not
rive his last cent to help suffering man.
woman or child who needed immediate
assistance would be a very rare exception.
A policeman in this city who will not 60
into burning building to carry out a eiok
woman. and never think of his life, would
Re marked man on the force and the OBJ
isct OF contempt on the part Of his COM
rades. policeman who would not face a
hundred men in a murderous mob to en-
force the law would have no friends on the
force. The cases cited in The SUN are not
exceptional. These men are generous to
fault-generous in way that should make
the rich men who criticize them in clubs,
drawing rooms and at public meetings
and in society meetings blush at a COM
narson with them
4 have no distinct fund from which to
draw to furnish meals for sick or suffering
people who apply at the station houses for
and that Is provided for but the worthy
poor and suffering have to depend on the
generosity and kindness OF the men.
i have noted what Comptroller Circuit il
reported to have said with reference to
this matter. The Comptroller himself is
a man Of conra &c and good heart and am
quite sure that he would like to aid SO far
os ha caD Ha a,I0 hOwoyer that |
take the money out OF the contingency
fund and pay for these meals. In really
distressing cases. with his permission, /
would not hesitate to do 30, and thank
him for his suggestion.
Il notice in this connection he speaks Of |
the outrageous bills presented against this
fund. There is no money ! spend with |
greater reluctance than that which Is to be
used in ferreting out certain ohenses, but
it seens to pe necessary evil, and this IL
the only way the mac hinery OF the law can
he operated, especially with a view to the |
rulings Of the Magistrates and other Judges.
"Of course, cannot encourage all the
suffering poor and sic k people to come to
the station houses and promise them food
and medicine. As for sheltering them
as the station houses are now they are in the
main disgrace to the city, being foul and
in many Instances unsanitary and not able
to accommodate the officers and men. IL
any case Of real distress turns up at the
station house and am advised of it and
the Comptroller will audit the bill, 1 will
see to it that the person applying is furnished
with food and urgent necessi ties. or
speaks of prisoners, not the poor, sick,
homeless and suffering ones who come for
food. shelter, medicine and aid.
This call on the generosity of the police
is somewhat equivalent to the demands
on the courtesy of naval officers who are
compelled to return International socia
obligations, Our Congress furnishes no
courtesies and in many cases on foreign
stations the officers are severely taxed
out OF their own pockets to return honors
and attentions shown them by foreigners
while the expenses of their hosts are paid
from the public treasury Of their own
remarkable instances of this kind. in one
Of which had the pleasure Of being able to
get a Treasury Department ruling to allow
one OF our Captains TO return in some small
degree an International entertainment of
Unusual magnitioence.
manly very human body Of men. They have {
neither wings nor hoofs and they are SPLEEN
lldly representative in a way of the great
BODY OF the American people. No men
human nature better and they
, ,a people en- masse IN way that elicits
Shi aiiHi dlion wy Ildii every Gay |
estifes how well they handle crowds from !
Wedding to riot
The New York policeman will plunge ,,
nto the river, with the temperature below
ero. IN the middle Of dark night, to save I
'our life. He will battle with a runaway G
cam on crowded thoroughfare to pre-
'ent danger to a little child at the risk Of
US own life He will make as many as a
l91en trips back and forth over a quaking
.ank into the scorching flames Of burn
lg tenement to carry out the helpless and
ne SICK He will pursue a burglar to the ,
leath even after he himself has been dan
'erously wounded, He will stand up in q
lard tight against dreadful odds and, when !
etessary, take a terrible beating, or give
~ H'ter one in return and, if they do not
III nm, he will get his man to the station J
Dj, or to the hospital before he ia through
'ith him. He will stand ten hours in the {
,,l water taking the dead from the Socum
I'LL and Will refuse to slack his labors for
moment II there is another body to be
ouhd He will pick out Of crowd cross 9
u the street feeble woman or Il lame !
's al ana go TO their rescue at once.
., Every day of his life he does a hundred !
y. acts OF charity and kindness an against I
" ", occasional lapses into discourtesy, !
4uehess and vulgarity. He has faults
Nse and small but he is 30 human, 30 !
so manly and 80 big in every :
aSylshat 1t Is pleasure to prune his faults
nu even try occasionally to hammer them
~ ~; ol MIN | like him, immensely admire I
nn and am even enthusiastic about him !
y MS good side and | Mound his had side I