Would to God some Andrew Carnegie or Morgan or even a John D. would put the money up to erect a half a dozen of such places for poor but honest young men? Make them like the Cooper Union with a gymnasium attached. Serve meals at cost, have an employment bureau, throw out a shingle inviting all young men to come in without respect to race or creed. If you speak to some of these young men about the twentieth century church, they will swear at you. You know the Church is closed as tight as a clam six days in the week. What some of these young men want to see is persons that love God and their fellow men, and then show it by helping them into a better life.
CHAPTER XIX
OUR POLICE GUARDIANS
This is a practical age, and the people demand of their servants, the Police, practical up-to-date methods in the prevention and suppression of crime, and no matter what other virtues our civic guardians may possess, the old adage that “Prevention is better than cure,” will always remain the true motto by which our police will be judged as the real protectors of our city.
Under the bi-partisan Commission which controlled the Department for many years, the practical work of the force was intrusted to an experienced officer known as the Superintendent. This man knew every detail of the department and could not be deceived by any one, as he grew up with the system.
During the past fifty years New York has had some of the brainiest and shrewdest of Superintendents, but they could not bring about needed reforms because of the controlling power of politics. They were Superintendents only in name! The entire inefficiency of the police the past fifty years must be laid to politics and graft. Rid the Department of these two excresencies and you have one of the best police systems in the world.
During the past year the sickening game of politics has been played to an excess never before known, so as to keep in power for four years more a gang of mean grafters. How long it is going to last no one can tell.
From “Harper’s Weekly.” Copyright. 1909, by Harper & Brothers.
Police Commissioner Baker. Appointed July 1, 1909.
It is an undeniable fact that for forty years or more 300 Mulberry Street has been the “happy hunting ground” for politicians of every creed. Some went there to exercise the power of a “pull,” while others had axes to grind. Here the ward “heeler,” in the language of the Roman Tacitus, “could exercise the power of a king with the temper of a slave.” And often removed faithful officers who would not do his bidding. It is not a great while ago when if a policeman dared to do his duty by arresting a saloon keeper, a gambler or a dive keeper he at once became a marked man. Some politician at once became his Nemesis and “for the good of the service” had him removed among the goats in the upper Bronx, or, since the union of the five boroughs, he might be sent to Far Rockaway or even to Staten Island. If, on the other hand, he wilfully evaded his duty as a policeman his superior might prefer charges against him and if found guilty he would either be fined or dismissed from the service. The life of the faithful officer, therefore, has been a hard one. He was like the man who was between the Devil and the deep sea, when he did his duty he was persecuted, when he did not, he was “broke,” provided, of course, he had no “pull.”