MASSACHUSETTS. 



519 



State, to ten hoars per day, and providing 

 penalties by fine for violations of the act. 



The <[iu-ti<'ii of abolishing the State con- 

 stabulary occupied the time of a special com- 

 mittee on the subject for some weeks. Public 

 hearings were given, and a large amount of 

 testimony taken as to the efficiency and value 

 <>f tho force. Finally an act was reported re- 

 pealing the constabulary law, and authorizing 

 tin- Governor to assume command of the muni- 

 cipal police forces within the State on special 

 emergencies. After considerable discussion 

 and various modifications in its details the bill 

 passed both Houses, but was returned to the 

 Senate unsigned, with the Governor's objec- 

 tions, on the 2d of June. The main grounds 

 given for his disapproval were that the constab- 

 ulary force was of great value in preserving or- 

 der and assisting in the execution of the laws 

 in different parts of the State, that its place 

 could not be efficiently taken by the local po- 

 lice forces. So far as its use in enforcing the 

 prohibitory law was concerned, the Governor 

 said: 



By the terms of the act which brought it into be- 

 ing, the constabulary is specially, but not exclusive- 

 ly, charged with the enforcement of the law concern- 

 ing the traffic in intoxicating liquors. Is its aboli- 

 tion sought because it enforces this law too much ? 

 Surely this cannot be true. Such an admission 

 would be equivalent to a charge that the makers of 

 the prohibitory law trifled with public morality in its 

 enactment. Why does it remain upon our statute- 

 books if not for enforcement to the best of our abil- 

 ity? Perhaps it will be said that the constabulary 

 is abolished because it enforces the prohibitory law 

 too little I But is this a valid reason for sweeping 

 it out of existence ? Ought we not the rather to de- 

 vise means for making it more efficient ? If the 

 combined efforts of our State police and our muni- 

 cipal police are not equal to so thorough an enforce- 

 ment of this law as is desired, shall we gain any 

 thing by abolishing the State police and remitting 

 its enforcement to the municipal police alone I 



_ Desirous as we all are that order and morality and 

 virtue may bo promoted in our Commonwealth, and 

 believing as I do that, on the whole, we are making 

 progress toward good ends, I am not able to see that 

 we can yet dispense with any of the agencies calcu- 

 lated to conserve these ends. We are still under the 

 painful necessity of maintaining penal and reforma- 

 tory institutions, and that vacant rooms may be 

 found in them is not because we are without crimi- 

 nals. Why should we throw away so valuable a 

 weapon as the State police has proved to be in the 

 conflict against crime I In my judgment, the contin- 

 uance of the force is advisable, whatever liquor law 

 we have upon our statute-books. Furthermore, its 

 continuance, without decrease of power in any di- 

 rection, seems to me of the highest importance on 

 grounds wholly irrespective of the liquor question : 

 and 1 am not aware tnat any considerable portion of 

 our law-abiding citizens have manifested a desire to 

 divest the Excutive Department of the power " to 

 preserve the public peace and enforce the laws" 

 that it has been accustomed to exercise through the 

 constabulary office. 



The Senate immediately passed the bill over 

 the Governor's veto, but in the House a two- 

 thirds vote could not bo obtained. Shortly 

 after this another act, originating in the House, 

 and having the same object in view, but ob- 

 viating the principal objection put forth by 



the Governor, was passed and sent to the Ex* 

 ccutivo for his approval. This was returned 

 on the 19th of June to the branch of the Legis- 

 lature in which it originated, with the Govern- 

 or's objection. This act provided for a State 

 detective force of thirty-one officers used for 

 the purpose of bringing criminals to justice, and 

 aiding in the general enforcement of the law. 

 The Governor objected that the functions of 

 the detective and the constable were combined, 

 while they should be separated, and that the 

 force was too large for the one purpose, and 

 too small for the other. He then spoke of the 

 value and efficiency of the constabulary, and 

 the reason for continuing it in existence. With- 

 out speaking directly of the enforcement of the 

 prohibitory law, the Governor used this lan- 

 guage : 



I am not aware that there is any general demand 

 for the abolition of the present State police on the 

 part of my fellow-citizens who respect the laws 

 upon our statute-books and wish to see them en- 

 forced. So far as their voice reaches me, it is for the 

 elevation and improvement of the force. That there 

 may be inefficient or corrupt men in it, while a thing 

 to be deplored and rectified as fast as possible, is no 

 more than can be said of every police in the civilized 

 world. Because many kinds 01 vice flaunt unblush- 

 ingly and unpunished in our large cities, and officers 

 are occasionally found derelict or corrupt, would it 

 be considered wise to abolish municipal police alto- 

 gether, and trust the safety and security of these 

 communities to the old-fashioned constabulary, an- 

 nually elected at the ballot-box ? Because we can- 

 not enforce our criminal laws with omniscient im- 

 partiality against all offenders, shall we cease to 

 enforce them as best we can with the agencies at our 

 command ? 



An attempt to pass this act over the veto 

 failed. A bill was afterward passed and signed 

 abolishing the Board of State Police Commis- 

 sioners, and giving the appointment of the 

 chief of the force directly to the Governor and 

 Council. 



Meantime the subject of replacing the pro- 

 hibitory law with a license act had been oc- 

 cupying a large share of attention. Extensive 

 committee hearings had been given on the 

 subject, and arguments and testimony from 

 interested parties listened to at great length. 

 Several different license bills were introduced 

 and discussed, and one of them, after numerous 

 amendments and modifications, was passed 

 under the title, "An act regulating the sale 

 of spirituous or intoxicating liquors." This 

 was returned to the House of Representatives 

 on the 27th of June, with the Governor's ob- 

 jections. He spoke of the evils of intemper- 

 ance, and the efforts that had been made to 

 check them, and undertook to show that the 

 license system had not been successful as an 

 agency of reform, while the prohibitory policy 

 had been productive of various good results. 

 With regard to the results of the law he said : 



I am aware that it is said intemperance increases 

 tinder our prohibitory law ; that the sale of intoxi- 

 cants is as great as it would be under a license law. 

 But I call your attention to the absence here of the 

 flaunting and attractive bar-rooms that spread their 

 snares to capture the thoughtless and easily tempted 



