New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-11


subordinates something like civil service re-
form, and promote efficiency by making the
tenure of Office depend upon good service. 1t
should be misdemeanor to appoint or remove
merely for political reasons; an abuse OF the
discretion of removal should be the subject OF
summary examination before a Judge; no
head of bureau nor chief clerk should BIO
removed except after charges should have
been presented before Judge and filed with
the clerk of the court; and Commissioners
should only be suspended by the Mayor and
Governor jointly, and removed by lmpeach-
ment These provisions are designed to pre-
vent partisan patronage. They tend naturally
to restrict the sense of official responsibility;
and to counteract this unfortunate influence
Mr.. Eaton suggests that it shall be the duty
of the Mayor and the right of any ten cltl-
Gems to call upon Judge for summary e1-
animation whenever there shall DO reason 10
suspect that the affairs of any bureau or de-
partment are not properly administered. In
other words, he leaves with the Mayor the
power of removal, but provides that he shall
exercise it only for causes clearly made known
to the public.
The Mayor being elected by popular vote,
the two candidates having the next highest
number of votes shall be Assistant Mayors,
with seats in the Board of Aldermen, where
they will act as critics Of the administration.
They will have the same power az the Mayor
to make nominations, and the Common Council
will confirm the candidate who seems fittest.
The Mayor and Assistant Mayors together
should name the clerks and inspectors of
elections. Mr. Eaton believes that this scheme
will give the minority hearing In the APP
pontment of officials and restraint upon
the course of the government. But 1t IS
mistake to assume that there will always
be three political parties; and If there be
only two as commonly there are, and each
voter cast one vote, it may result, from the
eagerness of each side to choose both Mayor
and one Assistant, that the minority Will have
either too much power or none at all.
The Boards OF Commissions should be nom
mated some by the Mayor. others by the Gov
ernor-the latter officer having the power to
name a fit proportion of the Police, Health,
and Dock Commissions, whose duties concern
not the people of this city alone, but the in
habitants of the whole State. The Corporation
Counsel should be appointed by the Judges OF
the two higher city courts, and should NOM
mate the District-Attorney, subject to the APP
proval of the same Judges. The law officers
of the city would thus be wholly independent
of the Mayor Az the latter functonary can
not discharge his duties without resorting
sometimes to legal measures for the enforce
ment of the statutes and ordinances and the
protection of the interests of the corporation,
this seems to us open to grave objections.
With regard to the Department of Finance,
Mr. EatOn's suggestions are not very explicit.
He believes that there should be a Board pre-
sided over by the Controller; and q certain
number Of the senior Aldermen should act
with the Board az supervisors, each Alderman
having one vote for each hundred dollars of
taxes he has paid the preceding year.
The scheme of which we have thus presented
an outline deserves careful attention, both for
the Importance of the subject and the reputa-
ton of its dcviser. We are still convinced,
however, that the safest road to reform is to
be found in the plan which we have so often
indicated, and which may be briefly summed
up in the following points 1. No more Offices
than are absolutely necessary; 2. Direct re-
sponsibility to the people, by holding one
chief executive accountable for the conduct of
his subordinates. Give the Mayor unrestricted
power of removal, but limit his appointing
privilege by well-considered civil service
code, and If you have not an efficient and up
right administration you will at least know
whom to blame for it and whom to punish
Under Mr.. Eaton's plan, while the authority
to remove would remain in theory, it wonld
be so hampered in practice that it would be
almost useless and if it did not actually pre-
vent the Mayor from dischargng incompetent
and dishonest officials it would afford him
ready pretext for avoiding the responsibility
for their retention. 1t is not only the fla
GRAVITY corrupt whom we want to be rid of;
but the careless, the ignorant, the easy-going,
the suspected, against whom it may be diff
cult to formulate charges, though they be
unfit for their duties or unsafe to trust.