The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-04

explorer willing to join next spring In the
great researchf
The last Mevs sf tAs PsllHeaI Refsrm-
srs-A Singular Applicaeisa . Jsdss
Barnard.
The application made before Judge B aruard
for peremptory mandamus to compel Mayor
Hall 70 turn out the Inspectors Of Election
appointed by him In conformity with the pro-
visions Of the law of 1870, and to substitute
In their places the partisans Of the several
anti-Tammany factions, Is one Of the most sin
gular Of the many singular incidents Of our
municipal war. The people have grown
so accustomed Of late to the idea
that We arc living under . sort Of
moderated Vigilance Committee rule
that they may not at irst comprehend the full
SCOPE and meaning of this last novel and re-
markable movement Of the political reformers.
Nevertheless 1t will need but . little reflection
to convince them Of the revolutionary charac-
ter of the act the Court Is urged to perform.
s'The law Of 1870"-we use the language Of
Mayor Hall himself-''passed by the uuani-
nous vote Of the Senate and with only three
negative votes In the Assembly, gave to the
Mayor the power to appoint registrars, inspec-
tors and canvassers to oil vacancies occurring
among tho number Of those who had
been heretofore elected. or, according to
specific designation, appointed" The Mayor,
in accordance with the authority and in COM
pliance with the requirement Of this law, has
filled all such vacancies, and It Is not pre-
tended that any now exist. Republicans have
been placed on the list Of inspectors, but they
happen to have been appointed on the recon-
mendation of the ward organizations Of the
Republican County Committee, Of which
Horace Greeley is chairman, and which
up to the time Of the last Syracuse Conven-
lion claimed to be the regular organization
Of the party in this county. The democratic
inspectors have. no doubt, been selected from
the Tammany side, and not from the Young
Democracy, the O'Brien democracy, the Union
democracy or any other outside faction or
clique. Ii is very probable that many of these
democratic and republican, are not
overburdened with scrupulousness and politi-
cal morality. Like majority Of ward politi-
clans, they may be willing oven to run the
risk Of the State Prison to secure q partisan
advantage or to carry out the behests Of their
leaders. But they are legally and regularly
elected or appointed inspectors Of election,
and when John Foley or the Committee of
Seventy asks Judge Of the Supreme Court
to turn them out Of Office and to order the
Mayor to appoint the partisans of other
organizations and combinations in their
places, they seek to make the Judiciary not
the instrument Of enforcing obedience to the
laws and Of seeing that they are properly car
ried out by those entrusted with Office, but the
means Of multiplying, setting aside and destroy
ing the laws 1t is just the same ss If the
Greeley republicans, who have INDUCED their
partisan enmity by bringing accusations Of in
competency and fraud against Collector MUIR
ply, should file long string Of afidavits from
Robert Murray and others and apply to .
United States Court for mandamus to COM
pei President Grant to turn the Collector out
Of office and to appoint John Cochrane, Rufe
Andrews or some other deserving patriot in
his place.
Il Is about time that this semi communism
and lawless spirit should BE- brought to close,
aud that the government of the city should be
carried on by its legally chosen officers
Mayor Hall is our chief executive, and every
effort to prove his unfaithfulness, and to ss-
tablish against him charges which would entail
the forfeit Of his Office, has signally failed.
Newspaper abuse and the slang of stump ora
tory cannot convict him Of crime or deprive
him Of the powers the votes Of the electors
have conferred upon him. He has been ar
raigned in . police court only to be told by
magistrates and prosecutors that no
bail was required Of him to meet
tho lengthy and elaborate complaint.
Two Grand Juries, one drawn especially to
insure his indictment, have refused to bring In
. bill against him, and have thus acquitted
him even upon the es-par6 statement Of his
accusers. He should now assert his author
ity with frmness and without favor, and should
avhauat al fhn nnwnrs within hia rsach both