The Detroit times., 1915-03-19
"A Puzzle, Mr.. Commissioner:
Find the Difference-If Any

il
Let's have little heart to heart talk.
Police Commissioner Gillespie.
A little chat, man to manor news
paper to commissioner, to be exact.
Let's put aside every consideration but
the good of Detroit, which includes the
rood of every man, woman and child in
the city of Detroit.
Which MUST include the good of your
department, for we are much dependent
upon it for our general welLbeing; for
the security Of life and property and of
our health and morals.
Now here we are:
You have just issued general order
upon which you count for improved
discipline on the police force.
Following the shooting and killing OF
one policeman by another. in which trag-
edy and in which scandal saloon that
was open after hours. figured, you have
forbidden patrolmen to enter saloons for
the purpose Of drinking, at any time OF
the day, or to enter any place where in
t0xicating liquors are sold, which means
81 many Instances, grocery stores.
This order. Mr.. Commissioner. is your
business.
II becomes the business of your men
70 obey It.
It becomes the business and the duty
Of your superintendent and your captains
% MAKE the men obey it.
We are together so far.
Now let's 60 back to the shooting and
killing Of one of your policemen by an
other policeman.
The policeman who did the shooting
md the killing has admitted that short
time previous to his act he had taken a
drink In . saloon which was open after
the legal hour-when the law Of Michi-
gan says 1t should have been closed.
The policeman who was shot and killed
had been drinking only short time be-
fore he met death with the proprietor of
the saloon In the saloon at an illegal hour,
when the law of the state Of Michigan
says its proprietor shall not be in his
saloon.
A third policeman staggered around in
the crowd after the shooting, and he, too,
had been taking drinks with the pro-
priet0r Of the saloon at an illegal hour.
This saloon was open at an illegal hour,
Commissioner Gillespie, because YOU
HAVE NOT BEEN ENFORCING THE
Law WHICH SAYS 1T SHOULD HAVE
BEEN CLOSED.
You have told US, in so many words,
that you do not agree with the law; that
It works hardship upon the saloon man,
and makes 1t impossible for him to meet
his high rent If he has to obey the law.
You refuse to consider the saloon mans
great American right to get out of the
saloon business, if it isn't paying, and get
into some other and better business that
might pay.
You have taken it upon yourself to
lynch the law, Mr. Commissioner; to hang
the viii of the people Of the state, by re-
fusing in your place Of power and author
ity to enforce the law-contrary to your
duty and contrary to your oath.
Now, Mr. Commissioner, this is what
we are getting at:
Your word, your order given to the
men on your force (and our force. re-
member), is LAW.
When you speak, your subordinates
must obey; it is their duty to obey; if
they didn't 1t wouldn't be but short
time before it would be worse than no
force at AL.
Our great metropolitan police depart
ment, to which we look for our safety.
would become thing to FEAR il the
word Of one man, YOUR word, Mr.. Com
missioner, were not LAW, to be observed
and OBEYED in both the letter and the
spirit
Suppose. Mr.. Commissioner, captain
who has received the general order. your
Law, that patrolmen shall not visit
saloons. at any time-suppose this cap
tain were TO send you word that he didn't
AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THIS BE-
ING A GOOD THING FOR DISCIPLINE
AND THE FORGET
WHAT WOULD BECOME OF THAT
CAPTAIN. Mr.. COMMISSIONERS
What do you think you would do with
bim3
How long before he would be reduced