Word: blackmail
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1900-1909
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...McAdoo suggested that the best way to make an ideal police force in New York City would be to make it independent of politics, to separate the detective and the patroling branches of the service, to reduce the graft, blackmail, and mismanagement of officials, to make promotion in the ranks depend upon personal merit only, and to use some method whereby each policeman would keep to his beat. Finally, he said, that unless the good predominates and the morartone of the majority is good, laws are in vain...
...than those which it is attempted to suppress. But, on the other hand, Mayor Low's policy of judicious enforcement, recognizing that the law is not enforceable strictly, is made necessary by forces actually at work in New York life. The first of them is the increased temptation to blackmail which strict enforcement would hold out to the police. According to the Committee of Fifteen, "Sunday trade is exceedingly important since the retention of regular custom on other days depends frequently upon it." The privilege of keeping open on Sunday being then so vitally important and valuable, it is apparent...
...Further more, if you say that the mayor has discretion, what will be the limits of that discretion? Shall he allow one saloon, or all saloons to be open on Sunday? Shall he exercise discretion in regard to this law and not in regard to others? Non-enforcement means blackmail, because it means the exercise of discretion by patrolmen, and it means the disregard of law which breeds lynching and anarchy. Strict enforcement means the setting of a true example of respect for law, and making the people better citizens...
...rebuttal. He showed that lax enforcement of the law would not necessarily insure Mayor Low's return to office next year. The great principle of the reform administration is reform and nothing else will satisfy those who elected Mayor Low. But even if defeated Mayor Low should not commit blackmail by promising to connive at the law in return for votes. The principle advanced by the negative is one of local anarchy. The statute says that the Mayor shall enforce the law and the people have declared themselves in favor of enforcement. There is therefore but one course open...
...Frye went to Cuba five months ago, having volunteered to serve the government there gratuitously for five years. Since his arrival his experiences with the Cubans have been most interesting. From threats of lynching and attempts at blackmail the Cuban newspapers have turned to hearty appreciation of his efforts. From being regarded as a spy and a robber of Cuban nationality he has come to be looked upon as the virtual founder of education in the island. When he arrived in Cuba there were some four thousand children attending school, and the teachers had to depend upon the subscriptions...