The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1866-11-02

O good deal of stupidity not to sec
through. The letter ofthe law is plain,
and its reason perfectly clear:
"For official misconduct any Of the
said Commissioners may be removed
by a oncurrent vote Of thetwo Houses
of the General Assembly, or by the
Governor during the recess thereof"
The proceeding on the part of the
General Assembly, or during its re-
cess.ethe Governor does not require the
| admission of the Commissioners to n
hearing. All that is needed is proof of
misconduct, TO the satisfaction of the
supervising authority. The Governor
had a right to make the investigation
ex parto; and his admission ofthe Com
m%issioners to a hearing was purely a
matter of favor, not of obligation. If
the clause of the law quoted above
does not confer upon the Governor
power to remove the Police Commits
sioners for official misconduct, it would
be interesting to learn what it does
confer, and what VAS the purpose for
which it was enacted.
The charges against the Police Com-
missioners are, that they appointed
and upheld Judges and Clerks of n
former election, who refused TO receive
the votes OF rcgistered electors, whose
title 10 the franchise had been passed
upon by the officers Of registration, in
accordance with the law and tho Con-
! stitution; and authorized the arrest
aud Imprisonment of such persons, to
prevent them from Offering their votes
on the day of clcction. The object of
the registry law waste prescribe rule
of conduct to those Judges and Clerks,
superior to their own discretion, and
this rule they did not seruple to DISC
hey. Proof of such acts, and of the
completely of the Commissioners, in q
single case, is sufficient to authorize
the Governor to decree their removal.
1t is a matter of doubt whether the
Governor has acted prudently in ad
hitting the Commissioners TO "a hear
ing. Doing so is doubtless proof Of his
desire to satisfy all parties, and remove
every occasion of complaint. But the
Governor has to do with party which
will not be satisfied, and which will use
even the iavors it receives against him
by whom they are accorded. In such
cases, it is always best forthe officer to
retain his full authority. 1t is easy to
discover that this change from acapac-
ity purely administrative, to m quasi
judicial, is already beng used against
him. There is a change in the basis
of the argument. from a denial of his
povvar nc a Governor to remove to n
denial of his power as Il judge, to try,
convict and punish. 1t affords the oc-
casion for q new juggle of words, and,
ms such, it is being improved.
The appearance Of the Commissioners
before the Governor, however, indicates
Il letting down of the Radical courage.
The introduction Of regulators from
another State to take care of an cleo
ton in Maryland is an experiment
which looks less inviting the more 1t is
contemplated. The party shrinks be-
fore that public exhibition of itsEhari
acter, which it would have TO make il
il should inauguratc violerce 20. 1t is
very angry at what it looks upon as
the treason Of Governor Swami, and
would gladly revenge itself upon him
for his detection; but is becoming con
WINGED that to be the first to break the
peace of the country, and that in q
State which is in regular standing in
the Union, would not bcvery remuner.
ative even in Maryland, and have q
very decided bad influence elsewhere
-[Cincinnati Enquirer.