The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-07
POLICE AS GOOD AS THE CITY.
so SAY M'ADOO AND CROFT AT
TRAFFIC SQUAD DINNER.

Citizens Must obey n Equany-Like
90 DO so NON--COmmisdOnert Jtke
Ablut netiremeat-sHat Grafters
The great ballroom Of the Waldorf
Astoria was ths gathering place last night
OF two hundred policemen In uniform ana
one hundred or more Of their departmental
associates and other friends. The trafhc
SQUAD gave itself banquet which II called
the First Annual Dinner Of tho Street Trafic
Regulation Bureau. Commissioner McAdoo
was the toastmaster, and no public speaker
ali through this winter has looked down
upon a more impressive audience than
that which confronted him. glorihed by
the new uniforms Of Capt. o'Briens oom-
mand.
Not only we're the uniforms new, but on
the arm OF every man glittered a gold en-
broidered truck wheel with horse's head
worked into tie center; and the faces OF the
men were better TO look at than the uniforms
even New York knows It's cavalry cop.
Army people have a way Of laughing at
them for holding their brides in the wrong
hand and not sitting their saddles properly
but there IL a olearness Of eye and a clean
out grimness Of jaw about them which
inspire confidence and mean business.
With two hundred Of them gathered as they
we're last night they gave out that inn
precision Of stern, coldblooded willingness
70 fight and be fought in any emergency
which was much more eXhiarating than
anything contained In the bottles which the
wait rs rut before them.
Al a guest table sat with Commissioner
! McAdoo, Comptroller Edward NJ. Grout,
former Deputy Commissioner A. r. Piper,
Chief Clerk Henneberry Of the District
Attorneys Office, Deputy Commissioners
McAvoy, Farrell and Lindsey; Inspector
Stephen O'Brien Sergt. McCauley, Presi-
dent Fornes Of the Board Of Aldermen,
Secretary to the Commissioner William
Howell, and fifteen or twenty more men
connected with the administration Of the
Police Department.
The banquet was arranged on three days
notice by the trafflc squad and therefore
| its invitations were issued somewhat hur-
| riedly. The Mayor, who had been ex-
! pected as the principal guest Of honor, was
not able 70 go He sent his regrets TO be
very earnestly expressed by Commissioner
McAdoo, but nobody brought the regrets
Of Inspector O'Brien's colleagues, his fell
! low inspectors. One looked up and down
the rows Of tables In vain for the faces Of
any Of them. and their absence was cheer
! fully commented on by the men In uni
! form.
| In opening the formal proceedings Of
the night, Comm issioner McAdoo said,
among other things, looking out over his
men with smile that fairly radiated pride:
L wish 70 say TO you as my honest con-
viction that there was never a finer body
Of policemen than that which / stand be-
fore tonight. have heard 80 many good
things about you to-day from citizens,
from officers Of the army and OF the navy
from people from abroad, that l must
warn you 20 be as modest as you can. You
must remember that in your beautiful
new uniforms there is even danger that the
girls may try 10 steal you. New York girls
always know a good thing when they see
It, and l know no reason why they should
not believe that you are the finest ever.
[Cheers and laughterl
Among those who have spoken in your
praise to-day, you have no better friend
than the Mayor. Prolonged oheers.l
Often this afternoon has he expressed
bis admiration Of you, Of the men in the
ranks. As a representative New Yorker
he is as proud Of you as every good New
Yorker ought 70 be, and you are proud Of
| Yourselves, and nghtfully. You are proud
| OF the authority and influence with which
| you are clothed as guardians Of the public
peace; and ! am proud OF you lCheersl
And when l close my career as a Com
missioner-and that close may not be so
| far away as my enemies expect, or "a near
as my friends might hope--l will be proud
OF you, as l was proud Of the navy when |
| left it, You may think that l have been
| hard on you at times; but believe me when
| say that have tried TO do the best for you
that can. Cheers and applause l am
I reminded OF the speech sailor man made
TO the retiring skipper The sailorman,
and he was an Irishman, walked up to the
| captain and said:
! It's good-by would be sayin' TO you.
sir, and Pm sorry you are a-goin'; but I'm
tellin' you there will be many a dry eye
| on the ship when you 60 over the side
I'm thinking that therell be many a
dry eve around Headquarters when I 20
up the wron side Of Mulberry street. lCries
| OF "No!nol' and laughter. A voice: You're
all right, Commissioner Cheers and APP
plause
And remember, gentlemen, am talk
/ ing 10 you now, not so much as the traffic
squad as am talking 10 you as policemen.
] wish had every man ON the force within
the hearing Of my voice tonight, when /
say that ! do not want TO boast, but that
| truly, men, the scenes OF violence and
murder which are taking place in another
| city to-day could not occur in New York.
| Cheers can name i've fighting captains,
| any one Of whom would suppress such
riots as those TO which I refer within six
/ hours.
! But. gentlemen, we must be careful;
/ Brooklyn is full Of judges who stand guard
/ over the personal liberty Of Manhattan
/ citizens. Every night now when 60 home
| / shake my clothes out 20 find II there are
/ any injunctions OF mandamus papers con-
| cealed about them which have not hap
pened 10 take notice Of during The day
| Speaking 10 you a. the traffic squad,
/ I wish 70 compliment you men upon the
| thoroughness with which you have absorbed
| the Chesterheldian idea which | have tried
| to impress upon you. Twas going up River
side Drive the other day In an automobile.
| The French chauffeur was trying TO show
me how fast the machine could go. One
OF you men came up and rebuked the chauf-
feur thus: Pardon sir, but may ! observe
that the rate Of speed on this roadway IL
eight miles an hour lCheeTs, laughter
and prolonged cheeringl
! Don't carry il too far, You are 30
beautiful laughter] and 10 atoget her
admirable naughterl that the ladies cannot
be blamed for pursuing you. You may
think that you are impervious, but l warn
/ hat aVn in In