The Washington herald., 1909-10-21
THE POLICE CAMORRA.
It's Code of Stick Together and Don't
SqueaI InexOrabIe.

HHutnt AntAoEaDlG.
W. p. Meloney. in Golfers
There is no subject which engages the
attention OF the American people so much
as their police Take the smallest town
in the United States with only a handful
OF bluecoats. and you find that the
force" is its uncomfortable bugabOo. Few
municipal campaigns are decided without
the police being the ruling or one OF the
determining issues. Decent men are
elected 20 Office who hurl themselves at
the monster Of police corruption and
graft. Some times they catch a crooked
chief or captain or patrolman. and
break him. but when 1t comes 10 a
criminal prosecution and putting him In
stripes there IS always a fly in the ONT
ment Of correction. They must rely on
the Enthusiastically and preiudiced sources
or the police themselves or the vengeful
tongues OF the underworld Cor the con-
victlng testimony and in nine cases out
OF ten the element Of reasonable doubt
becomes the key OF a defendants escape.
In all the reform upheavals in New
York, only one police captain mas ever
named Carpenter who, after being dis
missed from the force" pleaded guilty
90 save himself the expense Of a trial.
and went 10 the county penitentiary for
thirty days. The decent men pass out of
Office, and when the wheel turns around
again and new set is elected they are
confronted with the eternal problem OF
clean government-the police.
What is true Of San Francisco is true
OF Detroit What is true Of Philadelphia
is true Of 81. Paul What is true Of Bos-
ton is true OF New Orleans. What is true
OF Chicago is true Of New York The
police are a law unto themselves. The
system is everywhere II Is more than
n system: II is a Camorra The code OF
stick together and don't squeal7 is in
| exorable. Few policemen have trans
crossed II and escaped the penalty No
tably among THE few r. all the history
/ OF the American police is Chief Inspector
Max Schmittberger, of New York He
/ ''squealed" TO the famous Lexow com
( mittee; he told how much graft he had
| collected, by whose orders he collected
! IL, and with whom be divided II. He was
( only wardman when he made that con-
( fession. but he has managed to come
along through the intervening time and
ranks 10 his present position. I have
/ said that he has escaped The penalty OF
I transgressing tic code. so far he has
/ escaped II.
/ 1t is in New York, with its 1000 men
/ in blue-the second largest force In the
/ world-that the police have reduced self
! government 10 an Incorporated science
! They so on ruling themselves corruptly
confidently, and insolenuy year in and
/ year out. despite administrations goods
1 bad, and Indifferent 1t is in New Yori
/ that you find the police code refined &c
/ the last degree; ii is there that you find
/ organization intreuched and so powerful
/ that it has been and is able to invade
the legislature with money bags and I'M.
/ punity, and order the fate Of laws, or
| failing flout the laws 1t hates This or
! gahization Of the police is a veritabl,
/ camOrra. IN 1t are such elements that
| given the occasion and a daring leader
and New York would have TO turn to sol
4 diers to preserve its peace, as did Paris
a short time since, when her municipal
I employees struck 1t protects it's loya
sons and damns the disloyal. It insures
a policeman against dismissal by those
in authority. 1t pays him a price FOL
losing his position through breaking the
law.