Now I think that any decent man of reasonable intelligence will agree that we were quite right in promoting men in cases like these, and quite right in excluding politics from promotions.  Yet it was because of our consistently acting in this manner, resolutely warring on dishonesty and on that peculiar form of baseness which masquerades as “practical” politics, and steadily refusing to pay heed to any consideration except the good of the service and the city, and the merits of the men themselves, that we drew down upon our heads the bitter and malignant animosity of the bread-and-butter spoils politicians.  They secured the repeal of the Civil Service Law by the State Legislature.  They attempted and almost succeeded in the effort to legislate us out of office.  They joined with the baser portion of the sensational press in every species of foul, indecent falsehood and slander as to what we were doing.  They attempted to seduce or frighten us by every species of intrigue and cajolery, of promise of political reward and threat of political punishment.  They failed in their purpose.  I believe in political organizations, and I believe in practical politics.  If a man is not practical, he is of no use anywhere.  But when politicians treat practical politics as foul politics, and when they turn what ought to be a necessary and useful political organization into a machine run by professional spoilsmen of low morality in their own interest, then it is time to drive the politician from public life, and either to mend or destroy the machine, according as the necessity may determine.

We promoted to roundsman a patrolman, with an already excellent record, for gallantry shown in a fray which resulted in the death of his antagonist.  He was after a gang of toughs who had just waylaid, robbed, and beaten a man.  They scattered and he pursued the ringleader.  Running hard, he gained on his man, whereupon the latter suddenly turned and fired full in his face.  The officer already had his revolver drawn, and the two shots rang out almost together.  The policeman was within a fraction of death, for the bullet from his opponent’s pistol went through his helmet and just broke the skin of his head.  His own aim was truer, and the man he was after fell dead, shot through the heart.  I may explain that I have not the slightest sympathy with any policy which tends to put the policeman at the mercy of a tough, or which deprives him of efficient weapons.  While Police Commissioner we punished any brutality by the police with such immediate severity that all cases of brutality practically came to an end.  No decent citizen had anything to fear from the police during the two years of my service.  But we consistently encouraged the police to prove that the violent criminal who endeavored to molest them or to resist arrest, or to interfere with them in the discharge of their duty, was himself in grave jeopardy; and we had every “gang” broken up and the members punished with whatever severity was necessary.  Of course where possible the officer merely crippled the criminal who was violent.