The Washington herald., 1912-08-18
More Than Ten Thousand Policemen IN New
York City Cost taxpayers 81 ,OO0 OOOa Year
RhineIander Waldo, Chief of Metropolis
Force, Has Hardest Situation in World to
Deal NTH, According to Mayor Gaynor.
By JAMES B. MORROW.

poncemen IN New fork. Tney cost Tn
tax payers SIG. oooo 900 a year. Set down 4
another way. the annual charge for tn
maintenance of order and the suppose
prevention and detection of crime equal
in amount the interest on a bonded deb
Of si000o0.O .O00 The total bonded debt o
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company 1
$50, 600, 600, and of the New York Centra
and Lake Shore, constituting a four
track line TO Chicago. sile, ,0oo, 900.
The city of London has q. 900 policemen
Paris has about $500. You" SO Mayo
Gaynor recently wrote to Rhinelande
Waldo. chief of the force, have tn
hardest police situation in the world L
deal with" As well as the second larg
est body OF uniformed men. Zachar,
Taylor fought and won at Buena Visit
with 800 regulars and raw recruits TIL,
victory made him President of the Unite,
States. Washington, at the head Of 200
Continentals. and 1900 French. under Ro
chambeau. marched 400 miles from New
York to Yorktown. wnere he compelled
Lord, Cornwallis to surrender, and there
by broke down the war of the British
against the American colonists.
Ten thousand soldiers are equivalent Il
ten regiments. The Praetorian Guards
whose licentious fury, Gibbons ha.
shown. was the first symptom and cause
of the decline of the Roman Empire
numbered 5000 at first. In the slang Of
the twentieth century, they were habitua
grafters.
ran out upon the ramparts and, with
loud voice. proclaimed that the Roman
world was to be disposed Of to the best
bidder by public auction"
There, under the walls of the fort
Didius and Sulpicianus bargained like
horse dealers. The latter promised 81. .0Ot
to each of the guards, who, by this
time. were $500 in number. Didius raised
the bid to $l,25O. In the lump. he is re-
ported by history to have paid $50, 200. .0OC
for the emperorship. He was the ruler
Of Rome for sixty-six days, when he in
turn. was assassinated, as was Herman
Rosenthal, the Manhattan gambler.
Astounding Figures Of Graft.
The figures of the ancients were in
variably exaggerated 1t is probable that
Didius gave no more to the rascally
and hnurderous Praetorians than has
been given yearly by various breeds of
lawbreakers TO few New York police
men for license and protection. Vice
and crime. it is said by careful news
papers. have secretly paid so much as
100000 annually TO certain officers of
the police force. Indeed, newspapers
and public men are charging to-day that
policemen. gamblers, pickpockets, pro-
curers, housebreakers, and thugs are
still in partnership. The country again
has been astounded by the accusations
and the revelations of the past two
weeks.
The dea-h of Didius occurred 100
years ago. There are students and phil
osophers who believe that the centuries
change but slightly the primal elements
of human nature. Politics was at the
bottom of the Roman tragedy. Politics,
IL is said by everybody, is at the bot
tom of the violence and corruption in
New York City.
A sober and respectable Dutchman,
known as the schout or sheriff, walked
the streets after candle-light, when this
island was first settled by immigrants
from Holland. Later appeared the rat
tie watch of six men. who noisily went
their solemn rounds for the sum of
1886 a week. IL they also patrolled their
beats on Sunday nights, otherwise they
got only $2.2s
By the year 1863. when William NJ
Tweed obtained control Of the city, the
police department contained 1,SjO men.
The Tweed Ring stole many millions
Of dollars Politicians. with the greed
OF barbarians, began at that time the
practice of demanding tribute from vio-
laters of the law. That was aside from
their plundering of the taxpayers by
means of contracts awarded to favored
bidders. The money assessed against
vice was often collected by the police
and punctually turned over to the men
higher up" In the end. as any one
could have foreseen, the police became
and blackmaIlers in their
own behalf. The system thus started
has fourished It is believed ever since.
A OFF hap
been retiring to private life with large
fortunes. saved, theoretically. from the
modest pay they have received.
Accusations Against the Courts.
Also the vicious classes have had votes.
Cash has not always been the only down
payment; nor have the policemen been
alone in selling out The New York
police, not as a whole, but in part, are
commonly thought to be the worst on
earth There are politicians in New York
who are equally as degraded and cor
rupt. Policemen, politicians. and GRIM |
mails, banded together, are-and that is
what 1t amounts to-rving riotousiy att
the expense of the decent people of the |
town. And they can carry the voting !
districts on election day whenever and |
rs often as they put their minds to it. !
Even the courts, so the newspapers and |
many public officials maintain. are crook |
ID, in that the judges, with the hope |
,f holding their jobs or out of gratitude |
Tor getting their jobs. are scandalously /
enient toward all sorts of lawbreakers, |
ieions included.
1t has been the custom in most cities !
or the police either TO confiscate and |
Seep or completely to destroy the tools |
ound in gambling places. Not so here.
Waldo, in formal letters |
% Mayor Gaynor, has not only shown |
hat scores of dangerous criminals have |
been turned loose upon the community /
~ Judges of the courts under what is
inown as suspended sentences-in sin
lie year eighty-one burglars were let
90 after being convicted-but that In
wenty-four recent cases the judges from
he bench have restored gambling i'm
dement's found in gambling places to
he gamblers who owned them
A story related by Mr.. Waldo makes
'lain certain conditions that are noto-
ious hereabouts. The story was given
lim by lawyer Of standing and truth.
In assistant district attorney had about
nded his case against the prisoner at
he bar when the judge asked: rs that
II the evidence you have in this rotten
ase?'
Everything, the prosecuting attorney
except the confession of the
efendant. which I have in writing and
Which he signed himself"
Il direct that you acquit the defend
mt, the judge said. addressing the
ury, because of the impertinent re-
mark addressed to the court"
why are convicted burglars in New
-orlr 1at on under Suspapdad |