Evening star., 1927-02-06
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

L ON the LIST of February, 1877. Con-
gress met in joint session to canva IS
t. n.e. e the vote for Presi.
In DeIense OF dent and Vice Presi.
the Police. dent. Under an act
of Congress. an cleo
toral commission had been named to
decide disputed cases The city was in
a state OF excitement. Many strangers
nad come, not the hundred thousand
democrats called fer by Henry Wat
terson. but sufficient number to con.
gest the Capital The Star. of Feb
ruary ], 1877. apropos Of the excite
I sment, discusses the subject of the eff
neiency and integrity of the Washing.
ton police force: 80
In the debate in the Senate on
Tuesday on the resolution authorizing
the employment of so additional pO-
-llcemen to serve at-the Capitol during
| the electoral canvass, it was stated bv
Senator Hanlfn that the police of the
city I'm a~demoralized condition and
! that there ls virtually no police force
mere now to look after the light
fingered gentry and other desperate
characters who come here to plv
their trade on occasions of this kind.
Yesterday In the House, on the same
resolution. Representative Wilson of
Iowa also characterized the police as
Utterly demorahzed and useless for the
preservation Disorder and. the protec.
,tIQn of property. T., .t. 8.
= This Is putting the case rather
strongly. Our police force is not ut
aterly demoralized and useless. AT the
same time. 1t may be conceded that
through the suspension of the veteran
chief of police and several of the lead.
ing detectives, the police force is meas
,1lrably crippled at time when it
should be up to its most effective mark
Tor the preservation Of public order
and the detection Of the visiting swell.
mob.
~ Probably, too, the police machinery
mas been fuCther thrown out of gear
py tne attempt. of those now running
II to concentrate all Its force upon the
gambling houses. The suppression,
or, III that Is not possible, the repres-
sion, or gambling in a community is a
proper portion, Of the duties of the
police force. but 1t is by no means
their sole, or. even their most impor-
tant. duty. In. the, case of our metro
Rolftan police. they have devolving
upon them the care of the lives and
property OF 150,00 people, scattered
ever large extent Of territory. in ad-
dition to their duties as the custodians
or vast Government property inter
ests and in the preservation of order
at the National Capital. 1t certainly
never was intended, in the organiza-
tion of this police force, maintained
at so much cost by the people of
Washington and the General Govern
ir1ent, that 1t should be concentrated
In Gordon 20,deep about three or
four miserable policy shops In Rum
Row to maintain nightly vigils there
Tor the detection Of any gleam of gas
light from an upper window, and to
he .vctimized by the practical jokers
OF Newspaper Row into making night
gamblers up many flights OF staii's.
We have not felt like saying augFft
that would seem to discourage the eur
rent attempt to suppress the gambling
houses, though doubling the wisdom
or the methods employed to that end.
but 1t is now apparent that this hobby
has been ridden SO pertinaciously that
the general efficiency and usefulness
OF the police force has been impaired,
and the public interests are in danger
Of suffering In the, same proportion.
! It may be added that the suspension
from duty or the officers in question
at this particular juncture. and for
the reasons stated. has not met the
public approval. We do not propose
to enter upon any thick-and thin de-
feense Of Maj. Richards and the detec-
tives. In fact. we have had occasion,
more than once In the past, to criticize
their action with some severity. But,
staken. an a whole, for the length Of
lime they have been In employ Ii
must be GcucSded. we think. that they
h&vs donlkEpod seryice.