The Washington herald., 1913-08-24
Former President Narates Experiences in His Term as Com
missioner in New York Placing Promotions
the Merit System-Heroic Deeds

Our efforts were crowned with entire
success. The improvement In the
efficiency Of the force went hand In hand
with the improvement in its honesty
The men in uniform and the men In
plain cIothes-the detectives-did better
work than ever before The aggregate
Of crimes where punishment followed
the commission Of the crime increased
while the aggregate OF crimes where
the criminal escaped punishment de-
creased.
Every discredited politician, every SEN
sational newspaper, and every timid
fool who could be scared by clamor was
against us. All three classes strove by
every means in their power to show
that in making the force honest We had
impaired its efficiency; and by their ut
terances they tended to bring about the
very condition of things against which
they professed to protest. But we went
steadily along the path we had marked
out
The fight was hard, and there was
plenty of worry and anxiety, but we
won. I was appointed in May, 1886. In
February, 1897, three months before !
resigned to become Assistant Secretary
OF the Navy, the judge who charged
the grand jury Of New York County
was able to congratulate them on the
phenomenal decrease in crime, especially
of the violent sort. This decrease was
steady during the two years. The po-
lice, after the reform policy was thor
oughIy tried, proved more successful
than ever before in protecting life and
property and in putting down crime
and criminal vice.
Daring and PrOwess--
The part played by the recognition
and reward of actual personal .prowess
among the members Of the police force
in producing this state of affairs was
appreciabIe though there were many
other factors that combined to bring
about the betterment. The immense
Improvement in discipline caused by
Furnishing all offenders without mercy,
no matter how great their political or
personal influence: the resolute warfare
against every kind of criminal who had
hithrto been able corruptly to purchase
protection: the prompt recognition OF
ability even where it was entirely un-
connected with personal prowess-aII
these were elements which had enor-
nous weight in producing the change
Mere courage and daring, and the re-
warding of courage and daring, cannot
supply the lack of discipline, of ability,
OF honesty. But they are of vital conse-
quence, nevertheless. No police force
is worth anything if its members are
not intelligent and honest; but neither
is it worth anything unless its members
are brave, hardy, and well disciplined.
We showed recognition of daring and
of personal prowess in two ways: first,
'by awarding a medal or a certificate In
remembrance of the deed; and, second,
by giving il weight in making any pro-
motion, especially to the lower grades.
In the higher grades-in all promotions
above that Of sergeant, for instance
resolute and daring courage cannot nor
mally be considered as a factor of de-
termining weight in making promotions;
rather is it a quality the lack of which
units a man for promotion. For in the
higher places we must assume the eXis-
tence of such q quality in any fit candi-
date. and must make the promotion with
view to the mans energy, executive
capacity, and power of command. In the
lower grades, however, marked gallantry
should always be taken into account in
deciding among different candidates for
any given place.
Police Heroism.
During our two years service We found
1t necessary over a hundred times TO
single out men for special mention be-
cause of some feat of heroism. The
heroism usually took one of four forms;
saving somebody from drowning, saving
somebody from a burning building. stop
ping a runaway team, or arresting some
violent lawbreaker under exceptional ciI-
rumstances.
To illustrate our method Of action, I
will take two of the first promotions made
Bfter became commissioner. One case
was that Of an old fellow, a veteran of the
civil war, who was at the time a rounds
man. 1 happened to notice one day that
he had saved a woman from drowning,
and had him summoned so that 1 might