The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-08-18

| III tuf spring OF 1889 l was appoint
cd by Mayor Strong Police Commits.
sioner. and / served as President OF
the Police Commission of New York
fer the two following years. Mayor
Strong had been elected the preceding
fall. when the general anti-Democrat.
ic wave OF that year conceded with
one OF the city's occasional insurrec
lions of virtue and consequent turning
out of Tammany from municipal con-
troll. He had been elected on a non.
partisan ticket-usually (aIthough not
always the right kind OF ticket In
municipal affairs, provided II repre-
sents not a bargain among factions
but genuine non-partisanship, with
the genuine purpose to get the right
men in control OF the city government
on platform which deals with the
needs Of the average men and women
I the men and women who work hard
and who too often live hard. was
appointed with the distinct under
standing that | was to administer the
/ Police Department with entire dlsre-
gard OF partisan politics and only
J from the standpoint OF a good citizen
Interested in promoting the welfare
| or all good citizens. My task, there
fore. was really simple. Mayor Strong
had already offered me the Street
J Cleaning Department For this work
! did not feel that | had eny especial
/ fitness. I resolutely refused to accept
the position. and the Mayor ultimately
got far better man for his purpose
/ in Colonel George F. waring. The
work of the Police Department, how
ever. was in my line. and was glad
to undertake IL.
Jacob Riis and The Other Half"
The man who was closest to me
/ throughout my two years in the Police
/ department was Jacob Riis. By this
time, as | have said. ! was getting
! our social. Industrial and political
needs into pretty fair perspective.
was still ignorant of the extent TO
which the big men of great wealth
. played mischievous part in our In
/ dustrial and social, but / was well
I awake 10 the need of making ours in
good faith both an economic and an
I industrial as we'll as a political dem
| ocracy already knew Jake Riis.
because his book How the Other Half
! Lives" had been to me both an en-
/ lightcnment and an inspiration for
which | felt I could never be too
! grateful. soon after IL was written
/ had called AZ his office 10 tell him
( how deeply impressed / was by his
] book. and that I wished 20 halp him
/ In any practical way 10 try 10 make
I things a little better. / have always
| had horror % words that are not
! translated into deeds. OF speech that
3 does not result in action-in other
words. ] believe in rcalizable IDEAS
and in realizing them. IN preaching
I 81 hat can be practiced and then in
I practicing g. Jacob Riis had drawn
an indictment OF things that we're
wrong. pitifully and dreadfully wrong.
| with the tenement homes and tn. ten.
ement lives OF our wage workers. In
his book h. had pointed ont hoV the
I city government. and especially those
. connected with the departments OF
/ police and health. could aid IN remedy.
; ing some Of the wrongs
Wanted: a Workinsmsn's Mayor.
A. President OF the Police Board
D was also ct member Of the Health
Board In both positions felt that
7 with Jacob i;i.s'~ guidance ! would
B De- able to put roOdly number OF
: bis principles INTO actual "fec; h."
and locke a. life and IFS problems
! from suh-fa 1',ailv tho sam" stand
/ point. our ideals and principles anu
? purposes. and our beliefs as 20 the
me thods niece --ary 20 realize them.
were alike After Do" election IN
B 1895 : had written him letter when
: ran N par, a. follows.
. 1T U.s. very important 90 fhe city 20
I hay. g. business mans Mayor. hu: ~
! u.s. NOR" Important 20 hav" "a working
| mans Mayor. and ! want Mr. strong
! 20 b" that also 10 Is su 'Xcrli' ~
/ thing 20 have rapid transit. buy D; is
T good deal moro iWpOftau'. % you
. look ~ matters with proper per
b spective. 10 have ample Fairgrounds
/ IN the poorer quarters Of tho CITY.
and 90 take The children of tho
3 s'r'eD' go az 'n prevent Them grow
I .ns ~ touch IN the Sam" way 70 is
( an admirable hing n have clean
! streets. indeed - &C. on essential
/ thing 20 have thom. bu' g. would 20
better fh-rE fo have orr schools
! larE' enough 90 xiv" ample accom-.
mediation 20 all Vlo should be pupils
/ and to provide them VITA proper play.
[ grounds
And J added. uh.ie c1p-ossing nv
/ regret that lai mo- been able 20
accept tho street cleaning commits.
sionershp. that % would have been
delighted 90 smash up the corrupt
CONTRACTOR and pu' OBJ" stree f.clcan
ing force Hheolunly out of tho oo.
main ~ politics"
I.~ NNf N.Nf'feF N'dfH NEn. fN+
% makes o pretty rood platform fn
uUnic pal poiIfrr even today smash
corruption. take Tho municipal service
ont NJ tho domain 81 puilfica insist
upon having a MAYOR Who shall bc o.
worktrsran'a Mayor even more ftau
q business mans MAYOR. and devote
al Oh" attention possible fu fhn wsI
fare - ffr children
concentration % Power
Therefore. a. viewed if fNer.
were fuo aIdra fo ffr work fret tho
actual handling Of tho police ufrarf
mont. second. USING mt position COO
help ir making fis r.ty %, 'fsr
place ir Which 90 Two and work for
those fp whom 'Is conditions 81 I.In
and 'gh6r aero hardest Tho fEu
problem werc closely connected. Cor
on" thing u't'f fu b' forgotten .n
striving Co better tho conditions OF
fh" Nr~ AUfF police force d.. tho CON.
ne' 'lun between fIr standard Df
mora. arI behavior 100 UH' fo-.n
and fhs gene roo standard of MORAL.
aud lflasIDr lr ftr city go LARGE IIr.
form ~ yOsrfur .rf O. fhr Police ln.
Iaf'fr'nf OF tltf time Wa such as
Co. make Do a matter O. extreme 900
h'IIfF 'u .rf .uuI result Or f.r