Inpracticethisalwaysmeansthatnomanhaspowerenoughtodoanythinggood，andthatwhatisbadisdoneanyhow。
Inmostpositionsthe“divisionofpowers“theoryworksunmitigatedmischief。Theonlywaytogetgoodserviceistogivesomebodypowertorenderit，facingthefactthatpowerwhichwillenableamantodoajobwellwillalsonecessarilyenablehimtodoitillifheisthewrongkindofman。Whatisnormallyneededistheconcentrationinthehandsofoneman，orofaverysmallbodyofmen，ofamplepowertoenablehimorthemtodotheworkthatisnecessary；andthenthedevisingofmeanstoholdthesemenfullyresponsiblefortheexerciseofthatpowerbythepeople。Thisofcoursemeansthat，ifthepeoplearewillingtoseepowermisused，itwillbemisused。Butitalsomeansthatif，aswehold，thepeoplearefitforself-government——if，inotherwords，ourtalkandourinstitutionsarenotshams——wewillgetgoodgovernment。Idonotcontendthatmytheorywillautomaticallybringgoodgovernment。Idocontendthatitwillenableustogetasgoodgovernmentaswedeserve，andthattheotherwaywillnot。
ThethengovernmentofthePoliceDepartmentwassodevisedastorenderitmostdifficulttoaccomplishanythinggood，whilethefieldforintrigueandconspiracywaslimitless。TherewerefourCommissioners，twosupposedtobelongtoonepartyandtwototheother，although，asamatteroffact，theyneverdividedonpartylines。TherewasaChief，appointedbytheCommissioners，butwhomtheycouldnotremovewithoutaregulartrialsubjecttoreviewbythecourtsoflaw。ThisChiefandanyoneCommissionerhadpowertoholdupmostoftheactsoftheotherthreeCommissioners。ItwasmadeeasyforthefourCommissionerstocometoadeadlockamongthemselves；andifthisdangerwasavoided，itwaseasyforoneCommissioner，byintriguingwiththeChief，tobringtheotherthreetoastandstill。
TheCommissionerswereappointedbytheMayor，buthecouldnotremovethemwithouttheassentoftheGovernor，whowasusuallypoliticallyopposedtohim。InthesamewaytheCommissionerscouldappointthepatrolmen，buttheycouldnotremovethem，saveafteratrialwhichwentupforreviewtothecourts。
Aswasinevitableunderoursystemoflawprocedure，thismeantthattheactionofthecourtwasapttobedeterminedbylegaltechnicalities。Itwaspossibletodismissamanfromtheserviceforquiteinsufficientreasons，andtoprovideagainstthereversalofthesentence，ifthetechnicalitiesofprocedurewereobserved。Buttheworstcriminalswereapttobeadroitmen，againstwhomitwasimpossibletogetlegalevidencewhichacourtcouldproperlyconsiderinacriminaltrialandthemoodofthecourtmightbetotreatthecaseasifitwereacriminaltrial，althoughitwaseasytogetevidencewhichwouldrenderitnotmerelyjustifiablebutnecessaryforamantoremovethemfromhisprivateemploy——andsurelythepublicshouldbeaswelltreatedasaprivateemployer。Accordingly，mostoftheworstmenputoutwerereinstatedbythecourts；andwhentheMayorattemptedtoremoveoneofmycolleagueswhomadeithisbusinesstotrytonullifytheworkdonebytherestofus，theGovernorsidedwiththerecalcitrantCommissionerandrefusedtopermithisremoval。
Nevertheless，anastoundingquantityofworkwasdoneinreformingtheforce。Wehadagooddealofpower，anyhow；weexercisedittothefull；andweaccomplishedsomethingsbyassumingtheappearanceofapowerwhichwedidnotreallypossess。
ThefirstfightImadewastokeeppoliticsabsolutelyoutoftheforce；andnotonlypolitics，buteverykindofimproperfavoritism。
DoubtlessinmakingthousandsofappointmentsandhundredsofpromotionsthereweremenwhocontrivedtouseinfluenceofwhichI
wasignorant。Butthesecasesmusthavebeenfewandfarbetween。Asfaraswashumanlypossible，theappointmentsandpromotionsweremadewithoutregardtoanyquestionexceptthefitnessofthemanandtheneedsoftheservice。AsCivilServiceCommissionerIhadbeeninstructingheadsofdepartmentsandbureaushowtogetmenappointedwithoutregardtopolitics，andassuringthemthatbyfollowingourmethodstheywouldobtainfirst-classresults。AsPoliceCommissionerIwasablepracticallytoapplymyownteachings。
TheappointmentstothepoliceforceweremadeasIhavedescribedinthelastchapter。Wepaidnottheslightestattentiontoaman’spoliticsorcreed，orwherehewasborn，solongashewasanAmericancitizen；andonanaverageweobtainedfarandawaythebestmenthathadevercomeintothePoliceDepartment。Itwasofcourseverydifficultatfirsttoconvinceboththepoliticiansandthepeoplethatwereallymeantwhatwesaid，andthateveryonereallywouldhaveafairtrial。TherehadbeeninpreviousyearsthemostwidespreadandgrosscorruptioninconnectionwitheveryactivityinthePoliceDepartment，andtherehadbeenaregulartariffforappointmentsandpromotions。Manypowerfulpoliticiansandmanycorruptoutsidersbelievedthatinsomewayorotheritwouldstillbepossibletosecureappointmentsbycorruptandimpropermethods，andmanygoodcitizensfeltthesameconviction。Iendeavoredtoremovetheimpressionfromthemindsofbothsetsofpeoplebygivingthewidestpublicitytowhatweweredoingandhowweweredoingit，bymakingthewholeprocessopenandaboveboard，andbymakingitevidentthatwewouldprobetothebottomeverychargeofcorruption。
Forinstance，IreceivedvisitsatonetimefromaCatholicpriest，andatanothertimefromaMethodistclergyman，whohadparishionerswhowishedtoenterthepoliceforce，butwhodidnotbelievetheycouldgetinsavebythepaymentofmoneyorthroughpoliticalpressure。Thepriestwasrunningatemperancelyceuminconnectionwithhischurch，andhewishedtoknowiftherewouldbeachanceforsomeoftheyoungmenwhobelongedtothatlyceum。TheMethodistclergymancamefromalittlepatchofoldnativeAmericawhichbyarecentextensionhadbeentakenwithinthelimitsofthehuge，polyglot，pleasure-lovingcity。Hiswasasmallchurch，mostofthemembersbeingshipwrights，mechanics，andsailormenfromthelocalcoasters。IneachcaseIassuredmyvisitorthatwewantedontheforcemenoftheexacttypewhichhesaidhecouldfurnish。IalsotoldhimthatIwasasanxiousashewastofindoutiftherewasanyimproperworkbeingdoneinconnectionwiththeexaminations，andthatIwouldlikehimtogetfourorfiveofhismentotaketheexaminationswithoutlettingmeknowtheirnames。Then，whetherthemenfailedorsucceeded，heandIwouldtaketheirpapersandfollowthemthrougheverystagesothatwecouldtellatoncewhethertheyhadbeeneitherimproperlyfavoredorimproperlydiscriminatedagainst。Thiswasaccordinglydone，andineachcasemyvisitorturnedupafewweekslater，hisfacewreathedinsmiles，tosaythathiscandidateshadpassedandthateverythingwasevidentlyallstraight。
DuringmytwoyearsasPresidentoftheCommissionIthinkIappointedadozenorfifteenmembersofthatlittleMethodistcongregation，andcertainlytwicethatnumberofmenfromthetemperancelyceumoftheCatholicchurchinquestion。TheywereallmenoftheverytypeImostwishedtoseeontheforce——menofstrongphysiqueandresolutetemper，sober，self-respecting，self-reliant，withastrongwishtoimprovethemselves。
OccasionallyIwouldmyselfpickoutamanandtellhimtotaketheexamination。ThusoneeveningIwentdowntospeakintheBoweryattheYoungMen’sInstitute，abranchoftheYoungMen’sChristianAssociation，attherequestofMr。ClevelandH。Dodge。WhiletherehetoldmehewishedtoshowmeayoungJewwhohadrecently，byanexhibitionofmarkedpluckandbodilyprowess，savedsomewomenandchildrenfromaburningbuilding。TheyoungJew，whosenamewasOttoRaphael，wasbroughtuptoseeme；apowerfulfellow，withagood-
humored，intelligentface。Iaskedhimabouthiseducation，andtoldhimtotrytheexamination。Hedid，passed，wasappointed，andmadeanadmirableofficer；andheandallhisfamily，wherevertheymaydwell，havebeenclosefriendsofmineeversince。OttoRaphaelwasagenuineEastSider。HeandIwereboth“straightNewYork。”tousethevernacularofournativecity。Toshowourcommunityoffeelingandourgraspofthefactsoflife，ImaymentionthatwewerealmosttheonlymeninthePoliceDepartmentwhopickedFitzsimmonsasawinneragainstCorbett。Otto’sparentshadcomeoverfromRussia，andnotonlyinsocialstandingbutinpayapoliceman’spositionmeanteverythingtohim。ItenabledOttotoeducatehislittlebrothersandsisterswhohadbeenborninthiscountry，andtobringoverfromRussiatwoorthreekinsfolkwhohadperforcebeenleftbehind。
Rathercuriously，itwasbynomeansaseasytokeeppoliticsandcorruptionoutofthepromotionsasoutoftheentranceexaminations。
ThiswasbecauseIcouldtakecompletechargeoftheentranceexaminationsmyself；and，moreover，theywerelargelyautomatic。Inpromotions，ontheotherhand，theprimeelementwastherecordandcapacityoftheofficer，andforthiswehadlargelytorelyuponthejudgmentoftheman’simmediatesuperiors。Thisdoubtlessmeantthatincertaincasesthatjudgmentwasgivenforimproperreasons。
However，therewerecaseswhereIcouldactonpersonalknowledge。Onethingthatwedidwastoendeavortorecognizegallantry。Wedidnothavetoworkarevolutionintheforceastocourageinthewaythatwehadtoworkarevolutioninhonesty。Theyhadalwaysbeenbraveindealingwithriotousandviolentcriminals。Buttheyhadgraduallybecomeverycorrupt。Ourgreatwork，therefore，wasthestampingoutofdishonesty，andthisworkwedidthoroughly，sofarastheridiculousbi-partisanlawunderwhichtheDepartmentwasadministeredwouldpermit。Butwewereanxiousthat，whilestampingoutwhatwasevilintheforce，weshouldkeepandimprovewhatwasgood。Whilewarringondishonesty，wemadeeveryefforttoincreaseefficiency。Ithasunfortunatelybeenshownbysadexperiencethatattimesapoliceorganizationwhichisfreefromthetaintofcorruptionmayyetshowitselfweakinsomegreatcrisisorunabletodealwiththemoredangerouskindsofcriminals。Thisweweredeterminedtoprevent。
Oureffortswerecrownedwithentiresuccess。Theimprovementintheefficiencyoftheforcewenthandinhandwiththeimprovementinitshonesty。Themeninuniformandthemeninplainclothes——thedetectives——didbetterworkthaneverbefore。Theaggregateofcrimeswherepunishmentfollowedthecommissionofthecrimeincreased，whiletheaggregateofcrimeswherethecriminalescapedpunishmentdecreased。Everydiscreditedpolitician，everysensationalnewspaper，andeverytimidfoolwhocouldbescaredbyclamorwasagainstus。Allthreeclassesstrovebyeverymeansintheirpowertoshowthatinmakingtheforcehonestwehadimpaireditsefficiency；andbytheirutterancestheytendedtobringabouttheveryconditionofthingsagainstwhichtheyprofessedtoprotest。Butwewentsteadilyalongthepathwehadmarkedout。Thefightwashard，andtherewasplentyofworryandanxiety，butwewon。IwasappointedinMay，1895。InFebruary，1897，threemonthsbeforeIresignedtobecomeAssistantSecretaryoftheNavy，theJudgewhochargedtheGrandJuryofNewYorkCountywasabletocongratulatethemonthephenomenaldecreaseincrime，especiallyoftheviolentsort。Thisdecreasewassteadyduringthetwoyears。Thepolice，afterthereformpolicywasthoroughlytried，provedmoresuccessfulthaneverbeforeinprotectinglifeandpropertyandinputtingdowncrimeandcriminalvice。
Thepartplayedbytherecognitionandrewardofactualpersonalprowessamongthemembersofthepoliceforceinproducingthisstateofaffairswasappreciable，thoughthereweremanyotherfactorsthatcombinedtobringaboutthebetterment。Theimmenseimprovementindisciplinebypunishingalloffenderswithoutmercy，nomatterhowgreattheirpoliticalorpersonalinfluence；theresolutewarfareagainsteverykindofcriminalwhohadhithertobeenablecorruptlytopurchaseprotection；thepromptrecognitionofabilityevenwhereitwasentirelyunconnectedwithpersonalprowess——allthesewereelementswhichhadenormousweightinproducingthechange。Merecourageanddaring，andtherewardingofcourageanddaring，cannotsupplythelackofdiscipline，ofability，ofhonesty。Buttheyareofvitalconsequence，nevertheless。Nopoliceforceisworthanythingifitsmembersarenotintelligentandhonest；butneitherisitworthanythingunlessitsmembersarebrave，hardy，andwelldisciplined。