New-York tribune., 1905-01-12

Police Commissioner McAdoos somewhat TART
statement about criticism OF the ponce "ouiu
seem 10 indicate that he regards himself as an
,,nnsusllv il treated official. That idea seems
10 find credence in some other quarters, "heIe
lie is represented as the victim OF STORM OF un-
Fl ,,recedented abuse. charged no other commits
sioner was ever charged with responsibility lot
evils inherent In society itself
Now, as a matter of fact Mr. McAdoo ana
sis colleagues in the present administration
have been remarkably well treated. We do not
mean 10 say that all or even the greater part OF
The criticism Of the Police Commissioner is just
but that even presuming its injustice. he has
been much more fortunate than his recent preoe
.cessors. Let any one recall the two years of
carping criticism, personal abuse impatient ZEAL
cynical ridicule, slander and misrepresentation
which Mayor Low and his Police Commissioners
lad TO contend against, and compare it with
the generally courteous treatment Of Mayor Nc
CIellan and Commissioner McAdoo by their po-
fitical opponents. The Republican and iDde-
pendent press have generally given them credit
for their good deeds and while criticising sharp
Iy specific acts of administration, have refrained
from emulating that policy Of daily persecution
B which was aimed al Mayor Strong and later at
Mayor Low and their subOrdinates for the dis
finct purpose Of making reform officials per-
Ronally ridiculous and hateful. Personal lido
- -sEncrasles, IKE mayor Suong IOuQneSs TOT u
cup Of tea. were endlessly harped upon. With
devIllsh ingenuity and persistence good deeds
were distorted 10 appear bad and the fact that
supporters OF reform were more critical Of their
officials than Tammany voters was cleverly
avsiIed Of and the slliest trivialities were made
effective Instruments for dlsintegrating the re-
form forces.
II Mr. McAdoo thinks that the police situation
IS being exploited 10y some persons. without
''the slightest regard for the moral weIlbeing
-''Of the community or the best interests of the
city, or with any honest intention OF reforming
snherent abuses in the police system. but solely
''for partisan and political purposes in the game
''of chess now being played for the control OF
1.-THE city government al the next election"
what does he think Of the agitation against
Commissioners Partridge and Greene? He can
not have forgotten how politicians and news
papers never known for their puritanicaI dis
1Dosition became veritable lions of morality In
their demands OF Mr. Partridge for a fanaticaIly
rigorous enforcement OF every letter OF the ex-
else law More orthodox than the Pope, their
vel known purpose was 10 put the Low admin
sstration "in the hole" They did not want
good government or an orderly Sunday. They
simply wanted 10 force the administration into
antagonlsm with the Germans and other bellev-
ers IN the Continental Sunday" who had voted
for g. or represent Il as defending police law
lessness The stimulated astonishment at the
existence OF conditions which are as old as the
town" which so exercises Mr. MeAdoo was
rsever more IN evidence than among the open or
secret partisans of Tammany when Mr.. Low
WAS Mayor. The law made tie removal Of cor
fupt police captains difficult. but Commissioner