The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-05-30

WHILE the right Of petition is guar
anteed by the Constitution, the right
should be exercised with Judgment
and propriety. We venture the sug-
gestion that when petition was pre-
sented to Judge Mills last Friday set
ting forth that in the sentence to be
imposed upon a convicted prisoner,
Jesse Jones, clemency should be ex-
ercised because 1--WE certify that his
character and deportmentint this town,
where he has lived all his life has been
good, and that short confinement in
the county jail in our opinion would
suffice for his crime, " it was no place
for the name Of policeman, and yet
it bore the names Of Marshal Hollo-
way, and Assistants Naughtan, Hally,
Brennan and MeSlar. Some Of them
adding the word "police officer after
their signatures. These men are in
the employ of the town as guardians of
the law, and their sympathies and
energies should be exercised on the
part Of the people who employ them
and not on behalf Of criminals. IL it
was adyisableto prove the good char
acter of Jones why was it not done at
his trial instead Of waiting for his con-
viction and then advising the Judge as
to his duties. A private citizen can
exercise his Judgment about matters
OF this kind, but police officer should
impress the average citizen that he is
jealous for the reputation Of the law
and If he expects to do this he should
not endeavor to interfere with the adj
ministraticn Of justice. While on the
subject we would call the attention of
the police and Others who think that
they should not assume the response
bility Of enforcing the law and ordin-
ances to the following extract from the
charge Of Justice Dixon to the Hudson
county grand jury last Saturday
"The police force Of Jersey City has a
chief: it has captains, SergeantS, pa
trOlmen, detectives. How many of
them +? Am / wrong in saying be-
tween two and three hundred? Every
one Of these men has a specific duty
cast upon him by the law to ascertain
at least, to use due diligence and
zeal to ascertain where crime is be-
ing perpetrated and to bring the Of
tenders to Justice. And yet that whole
organization through all this period
never brought one OF these offenders to
the bar Of justice.
These people have been guilty Of will
full disregard of official duties in the
performance of which the public is
vitality interested. Disregard of that
nature is crime. 1t is not for me to
nick out the individuals in that police
force. The individuals cannot be con-
fined to one. But who do you think
must be guilty of this wilful disregard
Of official duty? -.
Now, gentlemen, 1t is your duty
your solemn, your highly important
duty, to consider these things, and TO
consider them reasonably, and to draw
whatever reasonable differences your
Judgment dictates, and upon them to
act, and to ask yourselves whether
these servants Of the law have been
diligent in business and fervent in
spirit in trying to maintain the good
order of this community, the peace OF
which they have in charge; and If they
have not, it will be your duty to pre-
sent them by indictment, and do not
let the charge be laid at your doors
that you have not been dillgent IN
business and fervent in spirit in per-
forming this legal duty that rests up
on Vou.'