Year: 1878

l have been waiting for you to speak


out more plainly than you have about the


proposed increase of our city police force.


Probably you have so much to attend to


that it has slipped your memory; and


knowing so well that you are an econo-


mist in all our political affairs, both city


and State, ask for space in your COL


umns to give my views on the proposed
| increase. First, the city of Wilmington


at this time, and indeed always has been,


one of the most quiet and orderly places


there is to be found anywhere. / chal-


lenge a successful contradiction to this


assertion, and for one l am very much


opposed to have her held up in wrong
light. just think of tan increase of
one-third more police. Why, what on


earth would they have to do? We have


more now than we can find employment


for. And again, we will have, by the


time our next Legislature meets, $780,
900 of floating debt to take care of in


some way, and with a certainty of a


higher tax next year than this, the way it


looks now, especially if they lay it high


enough to meet our current expenses,
which of late years seldom is done. Be-
fore our city election this was on every


body's tongue, "The taxes must be re-


duced." Political economy was the


watch-word, and our Mayor-elect took up
the cry with the rest, 'Something must


be done to stop extravaganza" and be-


fore he is installed in office three months
proposes this increase of police at an eX-
lpense of seven to eight thousand dollars


a year-nothing suffering and no one


apparently wanting them at that time ;


but afterwards he or some one else gets
up petition for an increase of police


Come, Mayor, let's be candid about it.


This looks like putting up job. Would


it not have been better for you to


have waited until the people asked for it ?
And further, have been told that the


member from the First Ward, who intro


duced the ordinance for said increase oi


our now very efficient police, is applicant
for Chief of Police himself. Well, there


is no harm in this, l will admit but il
looks too much like job work. And there
is another point that is worthy of men.
tioning. Our former Mayor asked fol


it in this light Suppose he had got the


increase at $1,000 year, three years


would be $21, 900 out of pocket, and moi
twenty-one cents worth of good done fol


the city at large. But maybe you wan
to strengthen the party by creating more
officers. You had better be very careful


right here. My advice here is to the
!, Council. The Democrats were elected


on purpose to economist and reduce the


taxes, and the people, think, expect yoI
to do this if you want to keep the city il
the hands of the Democracy. Tha


word means something more than party
t 1t means economy, honesty and frugalit.
. in making the proper appropriations, ant


living below them. This the peopl,


want more than parties. Recollect tn,
election before the last one, when tn,
party was hurled out of power. 1t wa
} not for their well-doing. You ma,
: think you are strong; but take heed, les
you fall. Again, the principle that mel
are employed on is, we have something
for them to do--not imagining merely
that we may want them; but something
: real, so they may render some services il
return. For my own part l can see
nothing in this increase of police but {


waste of money. Our safety depends moi


on our police but ON our civil law and it:


due enforcement. All good citizens keeI


the law and ought to aid the police and
all the ministers of justice in the proper


enforcement of it. The people through.
out the country live in peace and safety


and yet have no police, and why should
/, it be more needful in the city, where


every good citizen should be policeman
in affect, frowning upon all disorderly
conduct and encouraging virtue and gooC
behavior among all classes. The mora
law is binding upon all men, and yet it i:
not enforced by civil pains and penalties
True many disregard and violate it, but


it nevertheless eXerts much influence


upon all men. 1t requires no officers tC


enforce it, but most men believe that il
. will be enforced in due time. And now


Mr.. Editor, as you and were very mucl


opposed to a standing army in time ot
peace, l hope we will be found battling
against this enormous increase of polio,
! when they are not wanted in our quie
city. Come, my old friend, grid on you


amor. Economy was the watchwort
before the election, and if you want t.
hold the city this must be rigidly ad
heIed to. Y.