. The new New York : a commentary on the place and the people . eep order in the courts, ferret out criminalsfor the District Attorney, haunt the railroad stationsfor arriving crooks, — in short, watch over the whole citythat it may come to no harm. It has been said that theywatch the city and the criminal classes to their ownprofit, that they themselves are corrupt and acceptbribes and hush-money, that they blackmail the saloons,the bagnios, and the pool-rooms, growing wealthy out oftheir double dealing. The charge is easily made, since itis general and hits no one in particular; and, some-ti
. The new New York : a commentary on the place and the people . eep order in the courts, ferret out criminalsfor the District Attorney, haunt the railroad stationsfor arriving crooks, — in short, watch over the whole citythat it may come to no harm. It has been said that theywatch the city and the criminal classes to their ownprofit, that they themselves are corrupt and acceptbribes and hush-money, that they blackmail the saloons,the bagnios, and the pool-rooms, growing wealthy out oftheir double dealing. The charge is easily made, since itis general and hits no one in particular; and, some-times, it is specifically made and proved. It would bestrange if out of nine or ten thousand men, with almostunlimited power in the matter of blackmail, there werenot some wanting in honesty. What then ! Is the wholeforce rotten in consequence? It is true again that occasionally a man is dismissedfrom the force for cowardice; but who has ever suggestedthat the police as a body were wanting in courage ? Asthey come out of the police-stations in squads of eight. Pl. 62. — Criminal Court Building CITY GUARDIANS 279 or ten to go on duty, you may notice that practically allof them have smooth and young-looking faces, that theirlips shut close as the jaws of a steel trap, and that theirchins are often a bit under-shot like bulldogs. Fromtheir faces alone you know that the police are not lack-ing in courage, that they are not afraid of thief or thugor trouble of any kind. Have they not proved their bravery again and again?Read the deeds of the honor men who have medals on theircoat lapels; or read almost any day in the newspapers,the stopping of runaways by the mounted police in theCentral Park, or the perilous rescues at fires. Readthe annals of the Harbor Squad, and the scores of timesthe police have gone overboard into the floating ice of mid-winter to save some poor wretch fallen off a dock in thedark. Read the stories of the Bridge Police and their thrill-ing adventures with ac
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