Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-16
,MACLACHLAN SAYS
THERE is NO GRAFT
In POLICE FORCE

Continued From First Page)
II. II is we'll known that there Is a
law against disorderly houses In this
state: IT is equally we'll known that In
That law by maintaining a called
| segregated district Why? Because
| that is the policy of the Board OF Police
commissioners l am not. remember, de-
tern the rights and wrongs OF
that policy. am certainly not in favor
or suddenly closing things up In any
sensational campaign. with its inevi-
| table reactions: though on the other
hand am still more strenuously OPP
posed to sitting down with folded arms
and saying: This is a necessary evil
| There ia nothing better we can do II
l believed that. should not be min
lister Of the Gospel OF Jesus Christ.
WHY ARE GAMBLERS
ALLOWED TO co FREEr
| Then. again, why is II that when
gambling houses are raidcd only the
proprictors arc fined and the players. IL
they be OF prominence--though equally
guiity--arc set free? That. / believe,
Is the practice. why? Can 1t be that
where? Can IL be that distinction IL
Doing made between rich and poor In
their standing before the law? We
nave heard stories-not. Of course. I'm
Richmond-of certain other places be-
| Ing raided and prominent men allowed
| TO go scot free. The woman who has
no reputation must be punished. but
the mans reputation must be preserved
| at all hazards
Il am not making any cbarea,
not INDUCING In indiscrIminate criti
| cisin. On the contrary, ] believe TINT
| the police force OF Richmond Is one of
the best have ever known-both in
us personnel and Its management Tho
chargc or graft was recently made
against them. do not believe IL.
| There may be individual men on tho
force who can be brlbcd. but the force
as a whole is honorable, clean and
capable. We have not, thank God so
| far I'm Richmond tho conditions thar
make for at least organized graft. Nav
| We never have them Is my prayer! II
! what ] am trying to say is that We
arc placing in the hands Of few men
tremendous power-the power OF en- :
ioreHg or snspending the la ws+-and
! want TO know whether the people OF
Richmond want things that way
NEVER APPROVED
POLICY OF SEGREGATION
In this connection want publicly
TO correct statement reported re-
Gently In the newspapers that the Min
isterial Association approved the policy
or segregation There Is not n word
| OF truth In 1t. was q member OF the
committee that three years ago con-
ferred with the Police Board on that
very question. and our position was
that we condemned the aggregation
policy root and branch. but NE de-
| manded certain more stringent rcgula-
lions, such as tho elimination of liquor
selling and the forbidding OF piano and
! ;phonograph music In these places.
cannot understand how any member OF
the Police Board could have SO mis-
interpreted our attitude az to imagine
for q moment that body of tho minis
| ters of Jesus Christ should mako bar
| gain with the devil to hand over to
!. him certain area Of this city, pro-
vi6ed he left the rest OF 1t alone.
The same is true of our attitude on
Sunday closing. We knew 1t was a
difficult question. and we took the po-
sition that II the board were not pre-
/ pared to stop II altogether there were
certain restrictions imperatively de-
| manded. such as the closing Of the
stores within certain radius of the
| churches for a given time before and
| after services. the delivery of goods
| on Sunday, etc. In this matter our
| hands were tied by the knowledge that
our own church members were not as
| careful as they might be to discourage
| Sunday trading and Sunday deliveries.
WHAT HAS BECOME
| OF MAYORS COMMISSIONS
| What has become OF the commits
| sion which the Mayor appointed to in
| vestigate vice conditions In the city?
/, have not heard OF any recent activity
| on their part. 1t is, on the whole, n
good commission. and might bring In
valuable findings looking to more or
| less permanent solution OF the problem.
What Is tying their hands7 Even II
| the city government has refused them
an appropriation, is there not some
! thing they could do without an appro-
priation? believe II they could show
| some progress made the appropriation
! could later on be obtained.
Let me close with two thoughts
which I believe may prove construc-
tive. The first Is that the police can
| do much to prevent certain forms OF
evil by throwing the protecting arm
our streets at night. The joy
riding automobiles should be carefully
watched. The moving picture shows
should be diligently policed. Young
| girls concerning whom there Is any
doubt In their minds should be told to
| go home, and even escorted home when
| in danger. There is not a man on the
| force-certainly not family man
i who will not see the Importance OF
| this and do his utmost to cooperate.
Something is already being done under
| the initiative. ] believe, OF the Chief
I of Police. Could not permanent
policy Of protection be outlined, so that
| the streets of our city shall be safer
| places for young girl to walk at
night? / know the ultimate blame too
| often lies with careless parents and
| bad home conditions. but the police
| can help much. ] hope the time Is soon
/ coming when one or two women will
be added to the police force. whose
| special duty 1t shall be to look after
| just such cases
.1n the second place. ] hope that
| when the reconstruction Of the Police
Court takes place, necessitated by the
/ new annexed area, 1t may be the policy.
Of the Council to establish separate
Juvenile and domestic relations court
! in pursuance of the act passed at the
last session of the Legislature empow-
ering cities Of over $4,000 inhabitants
1 to establish such n court. This would
mark q great step In advance for the
Improvement of the morals OF the city,"