The New York Police Force 205 



hand with the basest forms of low ward politics, and 

 where the policeman, the ward politician, the liquor- 

 seller, and the criminal alternately preyed on one 

 another and helped one another to prey on the gen- 

 eral public. 



In May, 1895, I was made president of the newly 

 appointed police board, whose duty it was to cut out 

 the chief source of civic corruption in New York by 

 cleansing the police department. The police board 

 consisted of four members. All four of the new 

 men were appointed by Mayor Strong, the reform 

 Mayor, who had taken office in January. 



With me was associated, as treasurer of the 

 Board, Mr. Avery D. Andrews. He was a Demo- 

 crat and I a Republican, and there were questions of 

 national politics on which we disagreed widely; but 

 such questions could not enter into the administra- 

 tion of the New York police, if that administration 

 was to be both honest and efficient ; and as a matter 

 of fact, during my two years' service, Mr. Andrews 

 and I worked in absolute harmony on every impor- 

 tant question of policy which arose. The prevention 

 of blackmail and corruption, the repression of crime 

 and violence, safeguarding of life and property, se- 

 curing honest elections, and rewarding efficient and 

 punishing inefficient police service, are not, and can 

 not properly be made, questions of party difference. 

 In other words, such a body as the police force of 

 New York can be wisely and properly administered 

 only upon a non-partisan basis, and both Mr. An- 

 drews and myself were quite incapable of managing 



