Political Notes: Chairman Daley's Maxims

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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."