The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-17
DR.. GEORGE M'DAN|ELD

Continued from First PageD
others know. A bank president is re-
sponsible for the honest and efficient
work of the men In the bank under
him, and any such president in this
city who had a situation to develop
IN his bank similar to that in the po-
lice department would either resign or
he removed, not for dishonesty, but for
inetficiency.
Public Sentiment.
The public sentiment Of this COM
munity is in part responsible for our
present plight. Fearless officers have
been criticised and nagEed and held
up to ridicule. Too little WAS said
about the numbers they caught and
too much about the inevitable mis-
takes. II one citizens baggage was
opened for liquor and none was
found r sensation was made of A no
liceman invading the rights of an in
nocent man. Naturally. this caused
policemen TO hesitate. and when they
did not have the unqualified backing
of the head of the city government to
fear, Personally I would have no OBJ
lection to any policeman looking into
my suitcase at any time. What harm
could 1t do an innocent man.
Furthermore, pIries are partly TO
blame for failures TO convict and for
mild verdfots Jurymen have avowed
their unwiliingness to convict boot
legsers upon the testimony of police
men, when our citizens under oath
discredit the officers of the law. what
may we expect? Then, there have
been too many suspensions OF SEN
fences and psrdons for violations OF
the prohibition law. Let as have an
end Of this.
The Remedy.
What is the remedy? The secular
papers of this city are agreed for once
that our shame is reproach and
that II ought TO be removed This ia
the only moral movement that / have
known which was championed by all
the papers. Thay. like the citizens
might have prevented this humiliation
by different policy in the past. While
we confess our dereliction they might
do the same But now their eyes are
opened and they are sounding the note
OF alarm.
1T Ia not a misfortune that the min
listers did not take the lead in this re-
form movement. They are always
willing to do SO. but their voices fall
often upon dull ears. There are al
ways men who love to discredit the
ministers when they speak upon social
evils,
How can we rid ourselves of our
woes? By discharging our duties as.l
citizens and electing competent offi- !
Gals, With a qualified electorate of
twelve thousand, Richmonds vote on
the average is around six thousand. |
Where are the other six thousand. and
where are the other thousands who |
failed 70 quality The bad citizens |
vote and, frequently the good citizens
do not. The lawbreakers have too
much influence with the powers that !
be They make 1T their business to |
keep in touch.
The mayor Is entirely too chicken
hearted That honest. incorruptihie, |
Christian chief of police. Louis Wer- |
ner was made uncomfortable in the
discharge of his duty by the gam blers
and the bootleggers who attempted to
bring pressure to bear upon him. When |
he died the mayor made his own ap
pointment of a chief and soon removed
that man for a slight indiscretioh and
appointed another whose record for
law enforcement was not so good as
that of the deposed chief
Poor Judge of Men.
To put II mildly, the mayor is a |
poor Judge Of men. | say, here and
now that we will never have law en-
forcement In Richmond until we get
chief OF police whom the policemen |
believe ts without fear and reproach. !
go outside the disorganized depart |
ment and select man of incorrupti- !
BILE character and circumspect conduct /
against whom no one can bring just |
charge; a man OF discretion, intelli- |
gence. energy and courage; man |
who believes the laws can be enforced |
and la willing TO jeopardize himself |
to enforce them, and we will have law
enforcement.
Tn the meantime. hope that the |
mayor may hnd moral backbone. |
Such would qualify him for his Of
fce, A timid, eauivocal. evasive man
in the mayors chair means more
trouble In these troublous times.
man who Is not bigger than the office
is not big enough to be mayor OF
Richmond in this hour weighted with
the destiny OF the race"
Il have great respect for that wo-
mans judgment"
Why so, Flubdub?"