The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-31
SASSES BINGHAM.
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Tho Rev w. charles N rafkhura sho
sails fpf tufDf~ IN. nrftpw frf his annual
lona vaeatIpn, gavs out yesterday crbles
" \ lister he ssnt ~ Tuesdsv IN Police
Commissioners Rinsham having previously
road n ~ tho Pafhhufst sBciety executive
rnfnu lste" ton hihaham sni word 10
IN farkhurs, that hs had No reply a. make
h. the Ia'iet 10 the reporters tho rom
missioner said laa, night
'Dr parkhufst l. y ofnmon scold I
haven', time 10 ray any attention Ia him =
The letter v ~ follows
SIN The society for The Prevent ion ~
crime VA chartered Tor y particular WORK,
end uudof the best ~ circumstance viii
has aims 81 IT, own Ia suhssrvr. bu' n Wa
not constituted with tho draien ~ doinR the
Not6 ~ tho Police Department, nor any
part NJ II aud. II would srrm ~ though II
would he y constant source Of mobilization
60 vou, ~ head NJ the department. 10 have
ou' soclety, and other or ganlzA'ions similar
10 ours. attending 20 matters for which YOU
are Officially responsible. hut to which vnu
show yourself unequal
This II not written without an appreUIa
ton ~ tho peculiar dinlcultic lea with which
you are beset. both by the powers above
you and by the powers beneath A 10 the
former. you are tied 10 city Hall You ARE
a. one end Of the string and the Mayor holds
the otheT end. aud II ia the will OF those who
back this admlnistr rat ion that you should
trot along by the side Of your master and II
you brcomo frisky you cannot he his dog
any longer. x-CommIssioner McAdoO will
tell YOU all about that. so hat the better
Commissioner you are the brieier will be
your official life. Not that your longevity In
immediately threatened. but in case you were
to turn virtuous in your oficial capacity.
we mean virtue would have 10 be your only
reward.
so also you are limited by the men under
YOU They are your tools and every work
man Is conditioned by the i'm plrments he has
to do with. And, II your estimate OF the
member OF the force ia to be taken as correct.
when you scrub with them you scrub with Ii
dirty brush. for YOU said to the president
OF tho city Vigilance League a couple OF
months ago: Il don't believe there IL a
captain on the force who will not take graft.
There may he here and there a lone police
man who is honest and never got any higher
because he was straight.
Nevertheless. TO be In or a big
force and still be unable to handle II must be
humiliating to a man like yourself. especially
to an army officer. who Is as conscious as you
OF military prerogatives. By your transfers.
your fines and your damnlng you have put
your officers In mortal terror Of you. but
what is the use OF discipline on the parade
ground II your soldiers won't fight in the
field and IL our society and other civic organi-
cations and the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation and the clergy have to go around
cleaning up the dirty spots. while you keep in
your office and swear and ask for more men?
II you can't show results with the men you
have, how many results would you be unable
10 show II you had a couple Of regiments
more?
When anybody complains. you demand OF
him proofs. You ought to know how to get
your own proofs. and not to try to stife
criticism by putting a bluff on complainants.
If YOU ask us for our proofs we have already
furnished them. Every raid we have been
making these past months has been a proof.
and we have made a lot Of them. and followed
them ND with convictions. We grant that
when the final assault Is made 1t is made with
the aid of your men. That is, we tell them
what to do and how to do it. and they come
In as tail to our kite-we furnished the brains
and they the Drawn. These blue coated and
brass buttoned tools OF yours say they can't
make cases. Magistrate Pool said TO our
superintendent the other day: -They can.
but they don't want to-" However that
may be, il you will send some of them up to
our Office In the United Charities Building.
we will communicate to their reluctant UNDER
standings some OF the secrets of the art. We
will start an A b q class for b. beginners.
a kind Of kindergarten for infantile prac-
titioners.
In the meantime. complaints are pouring
in upon us from all over the city. excusing
their application TO us by assertion that all
appeals that they made to You or your subor-
dinates had been f%ruitless.
tired OF this sort OF thing. We are glad to
render to those who appeal to lis all the ser
vice that we can wirhfour limited force and
limited means. If We had your resources,
We would not complain, but IL ought to make
you red with shame that people should be
40 heavily taxed for the support Of Your de-
partment and then have to put their hands
into their pockets again. to pay our men for
doing your work and cleaning up the litter
after your men.
This is the way that things look to people
who were ready to graduate in this business
before YOU had taken your preliminary ex-
tjon mildly so as not to drive YOU to unsecmly
language. We should deeply regret the
existence of any strained relations between
YOU and our society. and until You get upon
your feet and until YOU get your department
In working order. II such a thing be possible.
sci our experience enables us to render and
your inexperience entities YOU to receive
Yours respectfully,
nv order of the executive committee Of The
Society for the Prevention of Crime.