New-York daily tribune., 1866-02-14
WHO - PARTISAN 2


Whatever The Times may think of the
sagacity Of its readers wo have good deal Of
confidence in the good sense Of our own. That
thcre is very serious necessity Of Board of
HealtE in this city; that that Board should be
composed Of honest aswell as able men incapable
of prostituting their powers to the purposes of
any partisan clique, are propositions about
which there is a very settled opinion in the
public mind, and The Times, neither by
violent abuse nor by any sophistry, how
ever ingenious will disturb that convic-
ton. The Health Bill now before the
Legislature has had our support from the
beginning, save in one particular-the Consti'
tuition of the Board OF Commissioners appointed
by it. The public understand Us in this, and
understand also that our objection to the Bill in
tho shape it passed the Senate is simply and
solely because complete control is thereby gwen,
not to nac Board Of Health Commissioners,
but to the old Board of Police. And this objec-
tion is two-fold First that the ruling influence
in that old Board of Police is in sympathy with
a certain political clique which we object
to seeing clothed with this additional power;
and second, that even if this were not true, 1t
would be unwise to give that additional power
to body which has already quite as much As Is
safe to ntrust to any four men who might
thereby be converted from efficient servants into
dangerous masters. We believe our readers
understand US on this point The new
- e a1r-
carefully, and conscientousiy appointed
by the Governor, who is capable OF making
such appointments, and who will be held
responsible for them; and not, as the bill pro-
vides, of men already welding vast power in our
city Affairs and Of well.known partisan proclivi-
ties We do not mean TO deceive anybody, and
We do no. believe anybody is deceived The
Times, on the other hand, is violent, vtupera.
tive and dsingenuous. Its pretension is that
it is only anxious for non-partisan Board. II
is impossible that anybody can be 80 short
sighted as not to see that ts anxiety is, not tor
a Health Bill but for Health Commissioners
in which the Board Of Police shall be supreme.
1t urges the Senate not to yield this point; it
abuses us and everybody else who disputesit; 1t
cunningy insinuates that the Governor is not
to be trusted with the appointment of Com
missoners and all this il does under pre-
tended anxiety to keep the measure free from
party politics. 1t pays poor compliment to
the dscernment OF its readers, but We believe it
deceiyes nobody. Its anxiety to clothe the
Police Commissioners with new powers is per-
fectly undisgused, and the reason for IT Is per.
fectly apparent. If it really wanted a non
partisan Board, i: would be willing TO intrust
the appointments to the Governor. whom
il knows would not abuse the power. The
Bill passed last Winter gave him that power to
which The Tim,s then had no objection to
make. II it was wise then il is wise now. The
Times objects TO it now only because by the
present measure it gains q partisan purpose
which then it did not venture to ask for. The
Bill itself, as we have already said, we have
advocated from the beginning, Obectng only
to the manner Of appointing the Board the mo.
ment we observed that Objectionable feature
and its evident consequences. The Times
The Albany Journal and their followers
are determined the bill shall not pass unless
the House can be bullied into submission
We only ask that power shall not be lodged
where there is danger Of its abuse; they in
sist that il shall be bestowed where they believe
they can control it. We trust and believe in
the Governor, who will be held responsible for
the appointment Of trustworthy and scientific
men who will understand and discharge the
duties intrusted to them. The Times and its
friends trust and believe in the Police Commits.
sioners, who will be indebted to the clique
which has added so immensely to their powers
Withal we say, give US a Health Bill, and
that speedily. The Times, on the other hand
says, defeat the Health Bill if we can't have our
way. The people and the Legislature, no doubt.
thoroughly comprehend the issue, and see who
it is that is striving for partisan purpose.
THE ONLY SALVATION FOR WEST.