New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-23
NATIONS HEAD GUEST
OF LIEUTEN4NTS.
President Tells Them Their
Work' In City Is Like His
IN Country.

among others
OF these prominent citizens the only ono
TO grace the occasion was the one most
remotely interested in the welfare OF the
New York police the President The
absence of Mayor Gaynor. and particu-
larIy of Commissioner Baker, who re-
turned from Atlantic City yesterday. was
considered significant The latters
presence had been confidently expected
At the dinner there were, besides the
600 members of the association, ID
guests. men prominently connected with
political. municipal and police affairs. 1t
was held in the grand ballroom OF the
hotel. but the Astor Gallery had also TO
be called into service to accommodate
the $50 diners. The galleries and boxes
were filled with women. the wives,
sweethearts and relatives of the officers.
who were entertained during the dinner
by'a vaudeville programme. In all there
was larger attendance than at any
previous dinner of the organization, due
il was said, to the increase ID pay from
s. ooO to 81 800 g year granted the lieu
tenants by the Board of Aldermen re
Gently.
When the President entered the big
dining room every one cheered, ana even
those in the galleries waved the canes
with American flags attached. as cheer
upon cheer marked the progress of the
Chief Executive to a seat near the toast
master.
Lieutenant Enright introduced the
President with just word: L am proud
to call upon as the next speaker the
President of the United States"
CHEERS FOR PRESIDENT.
Once more the big crowd broke forth,
nile the band played the national
anthem.
President Taft said: 4 am delighted
to be here, to tell you that I'm with you.
You are engaged in doing the same thing
that / hope | am doing-you are en-
forcing the law. You are preserving the
rights of persons and the rights of prop
erty. You are giving everybody square
deal
Since ] have been twenty-one-I do
not like to recall how long ago that is
l cannot remember the time when
didn't hold All Office of some kind. The
duty of each Office imposed upon me in
volved the enforcement Of Athe Law, and
in this Office had to count on the mem
bers Of the police to uphold my hands,
Then the President went into details.
Il have often come into contact with
the police force of the city of New
York he said. Il have enjoyed your
protection on many occasions. In the
course OF my canvass here there have
been occasions when We covered hun
drcd miles in very short time. and We
would have broken our heads had it
not been that the Lord was looking out
for the policeman who was with US
II did not come here to make a speech,
merely to exchange greetings with YOU.
In saying what l am saying I am not
merely. to use a colloquial expression.
joIlying you, because 1 feel deeply for
the cause of law and order which you
represent. / say it because I know from
the history of the police force of New
York that when it is necessary to sup
press lawless violence YOU men do not
hesitate to take your lives in Your hands.
You know no persons YOU show no
favor, but you do your duty and enforce
the law. 1t is this principle that we
must maintain in this country or give up
the business OF enforcing the law
Il congratulate you on forming these
associations to look after your wives and
children when misfortune overwhelms
you in the course of your duty. am
glad to see that in your festivities you
invite here those who ought and no
doubt do guide you and act as your
police at home. Josh Billings used to
say that the man who consented to be
lieutenant on his wedding day never
got promotion Some may object 20
such position. but 1 know from my own
personal experience that the home is
better run under that permanent ar
rangement of the lieutenant
ENRIGHT DEFENDS POLICE.
Lieutenant Richard f, Enright, r~esi-
dent of the association, presided. He
began with a patriotic address on George
Washington and closed with con-
demnation of the defamers of the Po-
lice Department.
He said in part
We met here TO celebrate the
birthday of the immortal George Wash
ington and We may also celebrate the
passing of q reign of terror in the Police
Department and welcome a reign of
reason in police affairs All the mem
bers OF the force favor a calm and Ju-
dicious reform of the public service
within or without the department. Not
yithstandng the efforts of our wits-our
pseudo- reformers the Writers-there are
some people in this city who believe
there is still real Police Department in
New York"
Then he said something that was taken
to refer to the Mayor:
For the future glory OF the nation q
new Tilden has arisen in New York." he
| said "anC the police Of the city will re-
! ceive and are entitled to receive place
| of honor ia the ranks of the great army
of good government
Io,,d cheers greeted Lieutenant En-
| ~;rht,s reference to the Mayor and his
| talk Of reform.
He went on to condemn the hysteria
| that led to what he called unwarranted
! attacks on the department, and declared
| that the men and women guilty of mis-
/ iudging the police force in its entirety
had minds no better than those OF little
,I,t IA 4,