NEW YORK'S TEN THOUSAND 469 



order to emasculate it as to purpose. Be sure its cohesion is too indur- 

 ated to become friable by a few years of adversity. The " Tammany 

 tiger," drowsy as he may seem, sleeps with one eye open, never relaxing 

 vigilant watchfulness for the chance to pounce upon the city fang and 

 claw. 



In times now somewhat past appointments to positions on the force 

 and promotions therein were managed usually by district leaders, 

 " pull " being largely a substitute for merit, and there was (if common 

 report may be trusted ) a price-current for the goods. 



The stream of insidious and blighting influence is not to be re- 

 strained or diverted by any ordinary counter force, or by any moral 

 suasion ; the remedy must be radical, human nature's quality of cohesive 

 habit be overmastered by that stronger habit — also human-natural — 

 of the potency of early training, and that moral health is more " catch- 

 ing " than moral disease. The strength of the power adverse to purity 

 and legality in New York lies in the police force, and that can be puri- 

 fied only by purifying the sources of influence, by a new and totally 

 variant method of selecting aspirants for the shield and baton. It will 

 be necessary to establish a scliool of instruction — a police cadet academy. 



Candidates for admission to this school should be chosen by an 

 examination strictly competitive; the dictum of the political "boss" 

 would be dispensed with, being replaced by the findings of fact as to 

 qualification of the civil service. Some of these qualifications may be 

 stated : book learning, beyond the merest rudiments of " the three r's," 

 should not be exacted; moral character, physical stamina, including 

 suitable height, weight and chest measurement, and " brightness," ought 

 to be the controlling requirements. Strength and bodily endurance 

 should be of a quality to enable the youth to stand the strain of his 

 exacting calling, not only for a time, but all through life until age 

 should disable him. The age limit for admission should be fixed com- 

 paratively early; from sixteen to twenty-one would approximate the 

 desirable ages. As to residence, etc., citizenship or that of parents, for 

 one year prior to admission, as well as residence in the state for one 

 year, should be as now required. In estimating character I would sug- 

 gest an entire overhauling of some of the customary ideas of theoretical 

 reformers ; " piety " ought neither to count nor discount ; neither the 

 timid (whose pluck can be toned up) nor the "bully" (whose audacity 

 can be toned down) should be barred out. While a mean or contemp- 

 tible action — and of course conviction of a felony — ought to exclude 

 beyond hope an aspirant, let it not be forgotten that no material is more 

 promising than that found in the pronounced honest " tough." To 

 some this idea may come as a rude shock — that it is educational 

 " heresy." To such, however, the entire change may be shocking. 



A number of models exist for the sort of training school contem- 



