New-York tribune., 1907-12-26
GOVERNMENT By KINDNESS.

Virtue being quite as contagious as VICE. IL
is easy to understand why the city OF CieVe-
land. which Is the one place on earth "nele ui0
honor system of street railway ownership is IN
vogue should be the scene Of the first attempt
to conduct police department according 10 'ne
Golden Rule. We hope that the experiment IS
being made for the sake of law and ofder anu
not because Clevelanders believe that py oeihs
mock they NAV inherit the earth. If Police
Chief Kohlers campaign succeeds Tue lhos.
vexed American problem-the government OF
largo cities-will have been thereby vastly sim
pified Ouoth the police chief Of Tom Johnson
town the other day:
# js nv purpose to lessen the number Of ar
rests for nsdemeanors: to make the polcenlan
the first Judge as. If he is competent to arrest,
he is competent to decide when not to. 1t VIII
save court costs, police expense, cohouce ~
good feeling and make Cleveland better city
in which to live.
In pursuing this ideal Mr.. kohler has issued
orders TO his patroImen to warn citizens caught
wandering slightly from the straight ana mar
row path. to assist the unsteady of foot to their
destinations without inquiring whether their
instability is due 10 paresis or cider, ana 10 act
as peacemakers whenever they see men quar-
rolling It is apparent that this policy Will IRE
ouentIv uecessitate the coals-of-fre programme
duripe tbe first few years while people are get
ting accustomed to the new treatment NneA
the boatIoads of hilarious excursonistS from
other Lake Erie towns and regions begin To
nour into Cleveland next summer many cruel
misunderstand ndings between policemen ana
measure seekers will arise. of yore. irish
gentlemen fresh from rolling mills, Slav steve
dores and all the other estimable varieties OF
tourists who seek relaxation amid the natural
beauties of Tom Johnson's town will occa-
sonally misconstrue the pacific mission of the
bIuecoats think the inoffensiye advice which
they mete out sign Of poltroonery or obno1-
iolIs intrusiveness and proceed to convert the
officials into Hamburg steak. Hard then will
be the lot of the policemen who have failed to
acquire the habit of turning the unsmitten cheek
to their tormentors.
But this difficulty will prove temporary the
public assisted by the press, will discover the
policemen to be their friends. and Cleveland will
then become the most comfortable city on earth
For IT stands to reason that if policemen are
appointed judges of the first instance broad
construction" will be the order Of the day (and
night What Irish guardian of the peace under
orders to use his own judgment would not
strain every nerve to interpret ST Patrick S
Day assault upon a man with yellow neck
tie as a mere case of congested traffic: Gov
ernment by kindness. when thus perfected, may
be trusted to bring an era Of good feeling and
incidentally erase all appropriations for Grim
inaI courts and jalIs from the municipal budget.
It will further boom Cleveland cOnven-
ton town, making it peculiarly attractive to
the Democratic party. Is Mr.. Kohler's plan
part of some deep political plot of Clevelands
Mayor to win the substantial approval of his
fellow partisans?