Political Notes: Chairman Daley's Maxims

Gentlemen, get the thing straight once and for all—the policeman isn't there to create disorder, the policeman is there to preserve disorder.

Only one American politician could have said it: Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley, who committed that memorable malapropism while defending police misconduct during last year's Democratic Convention. Taking a leaf from Chairman Mao, Pocket Books has published Quotations from Mayor Daley—a bouquet of bluster, sanctimony and lost battles with the English language. Excerpts:

¶ On his political apparatus: "Organization, not machine. Get that. Organization, not machine."

¶ On tampering with election results: "We have never held back returns in Chicago."

¶ Why Hubert Humphrey lost Illinois: "He didn't get enough votes."

¶ On Republican denunciations of a 1960 police scandal: "Just say Daley laughed."

¶ On municipal government's fallibility: "Look at our Lord's disciples. One denied him, one doubted him, one betrayed him. If our Lord couldn't have perfection, how are you going to have it in city government?"

¶ To a press conference: "We have had a lot of dishonest newspapermen in this town. We still have. I could spit on some from here."

¶ On law and order: "I would assume any [police] superintendent would issue orders to shoot any arsonists on sight." (April 15, 1968) "There wasn't any shoot-to-kill order. That was a fabrication." (April 17, 1968)

¶ On Viet Nam doves: "Everyone is entitled to his position, but we need unity as well as division. Dissent is one thing but division is another."

¶ On an unacceptable argument: "That is unreasonable reasoning."

¶ On false accusations: "That isn't even true enough to answer." (1960) "I resent the insinuendos." (1965)

¶ To a civic gathering: "Ladies and gentlemen of the League of Women Voters . . ."

¶ On the marvels of science: "It is amazing what they will be able to do once they get the atom harassed."

¶ On the fortunes of politics: "They have vilified me, they have crucified me, yes, they have even criticized me."

¶ On the Daley image: "I'm not better than anybody else. I don't want to look like a fellow who tells other people what to do."

¶ Excelsior: "Together we must rise to ever higher and higher platitudes."