The Detroit times., 1916-09-30
Which of These Men II the
Better Fitted For the Office
of Police Commissioner?


Frank H. Croul or James Couzens for
police commissioner, which?
That is the question.
That is the great big issue in Detroit's
mayoral campaign.
The interest Of The Times in the de-
termination of this issue is ar interest,
merely, in keeping with that Of the de
cent citizenship generally.
1t is to see Detroit redeemed fRm par
tisan machine rule, holding partisan
machine rule TO be responsible for the
fact that the city is right now knee
deep in the mire Of misrule.
Judge Connolly. a Democrat, has
promised the people that II ne IS elected
to the office of mayor, he will name
Frank H. Croul, EPUBLICAN, police,
commissioner.
That is not only the evidence chat
Judge Connolly is in good faith when ne
tells us that this department OF the city
should be placed in competent hands
but is the evidence, also, that he is in
good faith when he tells US that the de-
partment should be taken out Of politics
and conducted as part Of government
of, by and for the people.
Goaded to political desperation by the
popular favor which greeted the an
nouncement of Judge Connolly that he
would appoint Croul, and the statement
of Croul that he would accept and give
his city more of the efficiency for which
his department was noted while he
served as commissioner, Mayor Marx de-
cided that John Gillespie would have TO
be replaced by man whose name would
ct once win public confidence.
For that urgent purpose, Mayor
Marx picked James Couzens, who takes
the office today, and the mayor could
not have made better selection.
Nevertheless, the appointment was
unfortunate when the issue Of political
control raised by Judge Connolly is con-
sidered, because Mayor Marx not only
named a Republican but a Republican
who belongs to the Marx political fami-
ly, and the first impression Of the public
the impression that is generally held
longest-is that Of desire for continued
power with the forces Of the party or
ganization intact
The Times believes = has presented the
two sides TO this issue very fairly, 70
permit It's readers TO judge for them
selves what the impulses of the two can
didates for MAYOR we're in selecting
their respective police commissioners.
Taking the two men together, their
personal soundness, integrity and all
around good-standing in the community
considered we would say that the cam
paign for a better Detroit has already
been productive Of results, but it is the
opinion of The Times, once again in all
fairness, that IL the credit for the pro-
gress represented goes where 1t is due,
II will go to Judge Connolly.
We MUST be agreed with, in view Of
the fact that for many weeks Judge
Connolly has been deploring conditions
that exist here, while we have had not
q word from Mayor Marx to indicate
otherwise than that the issue is still
those seven-for-a-quarter fares, granted
rome years ago and all but .wrested from
the ID. u. r. before he took office
Judge Connolly raised the issue that
absorbs US today--the issue of a wide
y open town-this issue OF police com
missioner.
1t remained for Judge Connolly 70
arouse the people to the issue.
The only part taken by Mayor Marx
In this wide-opeu town campaign has
been 10 admit what Connolly has