New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-03
POLICE REFORM.

The passage by the Senate OF the Bingham
Police bill is an encouraging triumph for the
forces of progress and good government 1t
proves that intelligent and enlightened public
opinion is a factor which must be dealt with
Mt Albany. and that selfish political interests
are no longer powerful enough to override
common sense and perpetuate abuses on which
political brokers have waxed fat and arrogant.
General Bingham's plans for restoring disci-
plne in the police force and vesting the head
of the force with real instead Of nominal au-
thority were in themselves so reasonable and
sensible as TO defy unbiased criticism. 1t
seems almost automatic that a semi-military
body should be governed with some approach
to military standards Of subordinatiOn and eff
ficiency. No military semi-nilitary machine
will work if the orders of the commander IN
chief are negligible and his subordinates are In
the habit Of deciding. each for himself, just
what weight is to he given TO directions from
headquarters.
Theoretically the merits of a concentration
of authority must he conceded. But so inter
mixed had the old automatic" system become
with the operations of practical politics that
the mere idea Of return TO common sense
aroused the passionate indignation OF the long
entrenched benefciaries OF autonomy" Every
politician with protection TO offer 10 law-break-
ers and every law-breaker willing to purchase
special immunity was content with the OLD
oaid pro qno exchange of cvilities. pO-
lice force which, I'm the language OF its most
conspicuous defender could never be driven
and forced to do its duty suited both the
classes with we'll defined extra legal habits"
and the honest brokers who endeavOred to mill
gate police persecution" and secure said
classes in the safe enjoyment OF life. liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. The friends Of
the good old order had boastcd Of their abil-
ity to defeat an OdiOus reform In the upper
branch Of the Legislatures branch supposedly
not readily affected by popular clamor. But
the ..autonomiSts" sadly miScaculated the ef-
feet of the straightforward and intelligent
campafcn made by the friends of the Bingham
Hill ON the rollcali yesterday only nine Sen
ators favored a continuation of the 'live-and-
let-live" system, and those nine votes came
naturally from statesmen most intimately
Identified with the Murphy Democracy in this
county and the McCarren Democracy In Kings
Mr.. McCarren as usual shone in the discus
sion of the police situation here and OF the
measure which may prove decisive nrst step
toward altering it. What the people OF New
York are interested in Is sOundness Of sleep,
said the great Brooklyn autOnomist. What the
politicians of the AIcCarren-Grady type are
interested in is putting the people Of New YORK
TO sleep and profiting by their somnolence. But
the peopIe are getting more and more awake.
much TO the annoyance of the distinguished
promoters of the political rest cure Here
after, as Mr. McCarren sees It, there can be no
iudicious cooperation" among the Commits
sioner. the police force and the politicians IN
regulating the enforcement of "sumpuuary
legislation The Commissioner viii do the reg
Mating with sense of direct responsibility to
the Mayor and the voters. The public will be
content. perhaps. with little less sleep. If 1t
can be assured that the police force has seen
q change of heart and begun to enforce the
laws honestly efficiently and impardally.