The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-05-11
ETHICAL CODE FOR The POLICE
JOHN STREET INCLINES TO THE
PRAGNATISM or ". JAMES.


A. Explained by Lieut., Paddy Lynch-The
First Precinct, Having Found No Moral
side TO wall street. IL 10 GO In for the
Truth, which u Based Oh Expedieney'
In the solitude Of the John street police
station, rs In some magnificent palace
brightly Illuminated, yet silent and de-
serted, sat Lieut.. John Glynn. Lieut. uiynh
was writing In the blotter, The single arc
light above tWlnkled and flashed not more
radlantly than the eyes Of Lieut.. dlynn
~ he wrote.
Upon this scintillating scene entered the
large form u Lieut.. Paddy Lynch. Lieut..
Lynch cast a reflective eye round about and
then sat down beside his mate. whsreupon
Lieut.. 0lym suddenly ceased TO inscriDe'
Paddy said he. did you ever hear Of
pragmatism'' =,
yeas. I've heard Of it, Lieut.. Lynch
replied. But I'm pretty sure II isn't IN
the Penal Code, anyway don't remember
the section. | reckon it's a civil offence
Mono. no-no. > interrupted his partner
The pragmatism | have in mind IL asSo-
ciated with William James
james slip, eh?' inquired Lieut. Lynch
what about itl'
only this, that through 1t We may get
something on Lieut.. Bull Mccarthy, Lieut.
Glynn responded. we just can't let Bull
have a monopoly on civic righteousness.
You know he has promulgated the idea
that the police should study civic questions
First il was culture, now it's civic problems
The police are to DO uplifted, and Bull
Mccarthy Is going to do the boosting NOW
| never did sec why tho First precinct
shouldn't be hrst in every sense Of the word
and II we we're only TO take up pragmausm
why we'd be the pioneers among the police
in the great field Of ethics. Where would
moral issues be then2 Stung at the bar
rier."
81 thought we were going to take up the
moral side Of Wall Street commented
III hasn't any, replied his mate. 'All
there is TO Wall Street IL an inside an
outside. Those who were inside ana are
nov outside talk about a moral side but
when you come to pin EN- down they can !
show you. They're quibbiers INC "na' Is
worse, p~essimists. Everybody else Is al
~ don't think much Of optimists,' OBJ
seryed Lieut.. Paddy. Il knew one once
who was laid up for repairs and delighted
with the hospital because, he SAID u was
80 ethereal ~
aTbat il indeed tough exclaimed Lieut.,
Glvnn SBnt take a look at this pragma-
liam II sweeps away the existing idea Of
ruth as a hxed and immovable thing and
Jaws that truth is that which is most e1-
Dedient The true cOurs Is that which
brings the best results. Now, ask you
isn't that Just the theory on which the
police should acti Pragmatism for me
1t certainly sounds good. declared MS
attentive partner. And u strikes inc as
sound doctrine. Come to think OF II, no one
yer made a study of police ethics and EN-
Lodied the results in a book. now,d did they
let's yet William James to do Il. Or. better
vet let's do il ourselves with his help;
We've rot a Penal Code, a civil Code and
there's no reason why W. shouldn't nave
an Ethical Code bound IN imp leather'
Tjsnt Glvnn's eyes sparkled more than
aver az he extended his hand and said
simply:
CONTINUED in M next.
But in the Oak street police station: hah a
mile away, Lieut.. Bull Mccarthy, lniornei
of the new movement, reared his head from
the mass Of detail surrounding an alcoholl-
calY intoxicated prisoner long enough 10
remark:
sPragmatism? Sure! When we were
ND the Congo River | preached 1t to the
natives. | was a missionary then; o
I'm only a prophet