Year: 1879

Mayor Almond and His Police


We have made such frequent unf'


vorabls references to some OF Mayo


Almonds police force lately, that W


would no. have referred to the subjee


again, at least not to-day, had not tn


nGazstts" intermeddled and attempte'


a. usual, to place the REPUBLICAN in


position it never choose for itself. Fo


instance we are misreprssented in tbi


manner: "But it Is but a short tim


since the REPUBLICAN was liberal will


fattery towards the Mayor and his po


lise, and frequently declared that will


one or two exceptions there had neve


been better force in charge Of tn


CITY," Now we never said any sucl


thing, nor anything like IT, and SO lonl


as the Mayor keeps upon his force mel


who are so notoriously unfit for the po


sition they occupy, We do not thinl


We ever will say anything like it. VI


have frequently declared that the,.


were some as good men on the force al


ever carried locust--men who would
be credit to any police force in the
country-but We never made one or two
exec ptions to this. We wish we could
truthfully do so. Besides the notorious
unftness of several, we are not going
beyonds the bounds Of truth and rea-
son when we say that one especially
of that fors,, if justice was done and
outraged law enforced, would have
been looking from behind the bars Of a
prison cell instead Of being entrusted
with the preservation of the peace. 1t
is true that Mayor Almond could not
be expected to have known the charac-
ter of all the men he appointed, but it
would be . severe reflection on the
Mayors reputation for sharpness and


sagacity to say that he did not know the
character of some he appointed-indeed
there is a lurking feeling in the minds
Of the people, that the most fragrant
law breaker amongst them was given
his exalted position on the force know
iugly and purposely. There is bare
possibility that Mayor Almond did not
know the character Of some of the men
appointed, but if he did not, he must
have been stupendously, and very east
" deceived. The "Gazette" farther
says: "Now If (the REPUBLICAN, uses
such sweeping language in denuncia-
tion that it requires explanation to
many that they may understand that
the Mayor hmselfis not involved in the
charge of being seen drunk on the
streets ;" We will fully and frankly
set the matter correct on that point by
saying that we have never seen him in
that condition, nor never heard Of any
body else seeing him in that condition
on the streets since he was Mayor, but
we let the time beyond hat take care
of itself. Mayor Almond SO far as we
know has conducted himself in his per
sonal character and habits, with great
propriety and circunspection since he
assumed the Mayors office indeed We
think that so far as personal morals are
concerned he is great improvement
upon some Of his immediate predeces-
sors. We presume that the above ono
tation from the " Gazette was based
upon the introduction which our graph
ic and live reporter gave to his article
in relation to Officer Payne's antics on
Tuesday evening. In that article we
have been in formed by our reporter
that the head of the establishment al
luded to was not the Mayor.


But word more before we close this
article. Having exonerated the Mayor
as far as we can consistently do so,
from some of the fancied charges which
our uptown neighbor feared might
do him harm, We would still farther
commend his action in removing officer
Payne, but as We have before said no
more credit than for the mere act of,
removal is due him. In response to
the opportunities OF an outraged peo-
pie he could do nothing else than re-
move him. Payne was 10 more to
blame on last Tuesday evening than
npon many previous occasions and had
The Mayor acted voluntarily before he !
lid, he would have been entitled to
more credit than having acted when
he force Of public opinion compelled
him to act. Payne is off the force now, Il
II course he should never have been on v
t, but il is due to him to say that his b
fences pale into insignifiance when n
with the offences of others 81
Who might be named and the Mayor T
hould act promptly with them without T
icing compelled to do SO by the force of u
outraged public opinion. N
The Democratic frauds In Delaware ct
re beginning to attract attention be- T
'ond the State. The Philadelphia "
Bulletin" in referring to the shame it