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Show A REFORM NEEDED.<br><br> In our last issue appeared a communication from the police of this city in reply to an article that had previously appeared in the LEADER.<br><br> The officer who brought the communication to our office also gave a valid explanation respecting the police regulations of our city. There is no regular patrol, and the police officers are employed most of the time with their own affairs, the same as other citizens, and only make arrests when reasons for them happen to occur in their presence. This is no more than any citizen has a right to do; hence it amounts to our having no police, as such, at all. We presume that the police also make arrests on warrants properly issued, which may be regarded as a slight qualification to the above. <br><br> We wish it clearly understood that we have no intention of applying any remarks personally to any of our observers and trust they will spare us such a charge. We believe them to be good, reliable men, interested in the preservation of justice and good order in the foremost, and if they cannot be paid for their time they cannot be expected to spend it in patrolling the streets to keep order. But it is our duty to describe and advocate needed reforms. This is one of our principal duties, and it is for this purpose that our citizens support a paper in their midst. <br><br> Projecting the partiality that was referred to as having been shown towards "railroad boys" and "city boys" we cannot say that we absolutely know of anything of the kind personally. Railroad employees, however, have on several different occasions, declared to whit that it has been shown and when we were informed that only one of the four young men engaged in the fight referred to, who was arrested, was a brakeman, we could not but admit an appearance of partiality, in view of the statements previously made to us. An officer has stated to us that, on occasion when he has seen a young man drunk and disorderly on the streets, whose parents reside in town, instead of locking him up, and subjecting him to the punishment and disgrace of fine and imprisonment, he has either taken or persuaded him to go home. But have "railroad boys", who have no home or relatives in town, met with similar leniency? Is it not possible that herein lies the partiality complained of? Possible leniency and forbearance are virtues worthy of the highest commendation, and while we sincerely believe that at most if not all instances, they have been exercised in wisdom by our police officers, duty requires us to advocate the due preservation of the majesty of the law, its strict enforcement and impartial administration. |