The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22
DESTROY TAMMANY
IN TEN YEARS TIME
Two Thousand New York Cops
Are Grafters
SAYS GENERAL BINGHAM
Refuses 100000 a Year in Bribes.
Former Police Commissioner De-
clares New York Is Most
Lawless City on Earth.

| Declaring New York to be in many re-
spects the most lawless city on earth and
arraigning Tammany. the public and the
press In scathing terms as being RESPONSE
bic for it, Gen. Theodore Bingham.
former head of the New York police, says
in Hampton's Magazine for September
that 100. coo, 600 grating, blackmailing dol
lars change hands yearly in the metrop-
oils. and that he could easily have made
81, Geo 600 dishonesty any year he was in
office.
The power of Tammany Hall rests
and has rested for 10 years upon its abil-
ity TO control the police by fair means
or foul" the former commissioner says.
a strong, honest, fearless police COM
missioner. supported by police masis-
trates of ability and integrity and mayor
big enough to conduct his office without
fear or favor can sap and utterly de-
stroy Tammany influence in ten years or
even less provided he is empowered to
dismiss and transfer his subordinates
/ for cause, without recourse to the courts.
/ = do not believe l am unfair in esti-
+ mating that from 1850 to eco members Of
the force are INSCRIPTIONS grafters whose
hands are always out for easy money.
That this should be known to the head
OF the department and apparently ignored
is hard for the average citizen TO under
stand, but says General Bingham in
Hampton's, the police commissioner Is
only the nominal head of the police de-
partment in New York city in that he is
appointed and is subject at any time to re-
moyal by the mayor. On the other hand,
q policeman is virtually a policeman for
life; as, under the New York law, all
sentences OF dismissal by the commission
er are subject to revision by the courts.
To make this palmer: The men are PEN
sioned of on reaching the age limit, or
for other legitimate causes, and are re-
quired during their time of service to
contribute per cent of their salaries
toward the maintenance of the pension
fund.
Discipline and the question of vested
interest should be kept absolutely sepa-
rate. 1t is not hard to see that the in
fuence of the commissioner is tremend-
ously weakened by such a situation. BY
permitting these conditions to exist the
people of New York, through their leg
slators, are directly fostering graft and
blackmail.
Il am asked to estimate the money
L
York each year. OF course, no one could
make such an estimate with anything
like complete accuracy, but my belief Is
that the total IL not less than s100, 200. 900
year. In fact. this figure. astounding
In itself, Is an under rather than over
estimate of what is annually paid by
| criminals and crooked politicians for pro-
lection. votes and immunity In New York.
| In relation to this colossal brokerage on
crime, the profits are proportionately
large.
III you will study the ordinances of
the city of New York carefully and an
alyze their meanings, you will come to
/ the Inevitable conclusion that hidden IN
most Of them is graft. The great major
| ity of these city laws were not enacted
| for purposes of law and order; they were
not made to be obeyed-they were made
| TO be broken, so that some one could
make money from the Intentional or I'M
Intentional yiolator of insinoere law.
During my first year at the head Of
the police department II would have been
an easy after for me to have made $500
! go in bride money. and 100000 would
not have been an excessive figure at all.
"One day. shortly after my arrival at
police headquarters. an acquaintance
dropped into my office.
Commissioner he said there Is a
house at West Thirty-third street
run very quietly. 1t will be worth $4,000
q month TO you but the sentence was
never finished to my knowledge.
s"As a matter OF fact, the place had
never been opened, and the man had been
! used an an agent to feel out the depart
| ment
"A few months later I was offered 5000
In cash and 800 a month merely to be
seen shaking hands with the proprietor
Of an upper Broadway cafe.
Another instance of the perplexity
with which the Tower order Of criminal
Views an honest police administration
was afforded by an East Side dance hall
| proprietor. Following a custom of years
| he had rendered his usual quarterly as
geasrnent' TO the patrolmsn OF the pre-
cinct Turned down In that quarter, he
had gone 10 the captain, then to the In
spector, both Of whom, to his amaze
/ ment. were square. He had finally come
10 me in desperation, to learn who would
| take his money in return for protection.
| General Bingham does not believe gam
| bling can be eliminated, but says that "a
| reasonable law imposing heavy license
| on gambling houses and suD1ectins the
| gambling evil to cast-iron RESTRICTIONS
| whereby such resorts shall be kept oh'
| Of general view can be enforced by the
police and gambling thereby reduced to
a minimum. provided newspapers are dis
| cours 2ed from publishing gambling and
racing news and way is found TO pre-
| vent the courts from rendering innocuous
nearly every legislative restriction as is
now notoriousIy the case
Taking up the Rogues Gallery contro-
Ssrsy which led to his removal By MAYOR