第28章

Weshowedrecognitionofdaringandofpersonalprowessintwoways：

first，byawardingamedaloracertificateinremembranceofthedeed；and，second，bygivingitweightinmakinganypromotion，especiallytothelowergrades。Inthehighergrades——inallpromotionsabovethatofsergeant，forinstance——resoluteanddaringcouragecannotnormallybeconsideredasafactorofdeterminingweightinmakingpromotions；ratherisitaqualitythelackofwhichunfitsamanforpromotion。Forinthehigherplaceswemustassumetheexistenceofsuchaqualityinanyfitcandidate，andmustmakethepromotionwithaviewtotheman’senergy，executivecapacity，andpowerofcommand。Inthelowergrades，however，markedgallantryshouldalwaysbetakenintoaccountindecidingamongdifferentcandidatesforanygivenplace。

Duringourtwoyears’servicewefounditnecessaryoverahundredtimestosingleoutmenforspecialmentionbecauseofsomefeatofheroism。Theheroismusuallytookoneoffourforms：savingsomebodyfromdrowning，savingsomebodyfromaburningbuilding，stoppingarunawayteam，orarrestingsomeviolentlawbreakerunderexceptionalcircumstances。Toillustrateourmethodofaction，IwilltaketwoofthefirstpromotionsmadeafterIbecameCommissioner。Onecasewasthatofanoldfellow，aveteranoftheCivilWar，whowasatthetimearoundsman。Ihappenedtonoticeonedaythathehadsavedawomanfromdrowning，andhadhimsummonedsothatImightlookintothematter。Theoldfellowbroughtuphisrecordbeforeme，andshowednotalittlenervousnessandagitation；foritappearedthathehadgrowngrayintheservice，hadperformedfeatafterfeatofheroism，buthadnopoliticalbackingofanyaccount。Noheedhadeverbeenpaidhim。

Hewasoneofthequietmenwhoattendsolelytoduty，andalthoughaGrandArmyman，hehadneversoughttouseinfluenceofanykind。Now，atlast，hethoughttherewasachanceforhim。Hehadbeentwenty-twoyearsontheforce，andduringthattimehadsavedsometwenty-fivepersonsfromdeathbydrowning，varyingtheperformancetwoorthreetimesbysavingpersonsfromburningbuildings。TwiceCongresshadpassedlawsespeciallytoempowerthethenSecretaryoftheTreasury，JohnSherman，togivehimamedalfordistinguishedgallantryinsavinglife。TheLife-SavingSocietyhadalsogivenhimitsmedal，andsohadthePoliceDepartment。Therewasnotacomplaintinallhisrecordagainsthimforanyinfractionofduty，andhewassoberandtrustworthy。Hewasentitledtohispromotion；andhegotit，thereandthen。Itmaybeworthmentioningthathekeptonsavinglifeafterhewasgivenhissergeantcy。OnOctober21，1896，heagainrescuedamanfromdrowning。Itwasatnight，nobodyelsewasintheneighborhood，andthedockfromwhichhejumpedwasinabsolutedarkness，andhewastenminutesinthewater，whichwasverycold。Hewasfifty-fiveyearsoldwhenhesavedthisman。Itwasthetwenty-

ninthpersonwhoselifehehadsavedduringhistwenty-threeyears’

serviceintheDepartment。

Theothermanwasapatrolmanwhomwepromotedtoroundsmanforactivityincatchingaburglarunderratherpeculiarcircumstances。I

happenedtonotehisgettingaburglaroneweek。Apparentlyhehadfallenintothehabit，forhegotanothernextweek。Inthelattercasetheburglarescapedfromthehousesoonaftermidnight，andranawaytowardParkAvenue，withthepolicemaninhotchase。TheNewYorkCentralRailroadrunsunderParkAvenue，andthereisasuccessionofopeningsinthetopofthetunnel。Findingthatthepolicemanwasgainingonhim，theburglartookadesperatechanceandleapeddownoneoftheseopenings，attheriskofbreakinghisneck。Nowtheburglarwasrunningforhisliberty，anditwasthepartofwisdomforhimtoimperillifeorlimb；butthepolicemanwasmerelydoinghisduty，andnobodycouldhaveblamedhimfornottakingthejump。

However，hejumped；andinthisparticularcasethehandoftheLordwasheavyupontheunrighteous。Theburglarhadthebreathknockedoutofhim，andthe“cop“didn’t。Whenhisvictimcouldwalk，theofficertrottedhimaroundtothestation-house；andaweekafterIhadtheofficerupandpromotedhim，forhewassober，trustworthy，andstrictlyattentivetoduty。

NowIthinkthatanydecentmanofreasonableintelligencewillagreethatwewerequiterightinpromotingmenincaseslikethese，andquiterightinexcludingpoliticsfrompromotions。Yetitwasbecauseofourconsistentlyactinginthismanner，resolutelywarringondishonestyandonthatpeculiarformofbasenesswhichmasqueradesas“practical“politics，andsteadilyrefusingtopayheedtoanyconsiderationexceptthegoodoftheserviceandthecity，andthemeritsofthementhemselves，thatwedrewdownuponourheadsthebitterandm