The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-11

who are dishonest incompetent and untrustsorthy7
The members OF this Board have Hne
before The advent Of General Smith been s3ruo Amy
with this incubus OF corrupton-a legacy OF fer ooT
rup administrations Members Of the force cannot be
removed by the passage Of resolutions The charter
prescrbes the method Of expulsion by e prefrence Of
charges, the fair and impartial he1ying Of testimony
and all the concomitant delays Of udical proceedings
have frequently agreed with General smith mai Inc
Board should have the u1Ttstrcted power TO remove
members oil the iorce We colld then promptly dismiss
bad men, without the delays of trials taking evidence
nc But the law does not give this power Commits
sloners have had emphatic warnings against removal
Of public officers without observing prescribed legal
forms But little than one year since
/ Ponce Commissioners tried the experiment Of
msregarng legal forms in the removal OF cleo
uoh omcers, and the punishment immediate
! aud severe Long before General Smith became Com
missioner Smith this Board sought for evidence and
subpnaed witnesses to prove alleged corruption against
members Of the force. But we could not secure the
testimony because the witnesses refused 70 recognize
! the summons We applied to the Supreme Court for
rehe aq were told that there no power In law TO
compel the attendance of witnesses The Legislature
was asked to grant us the necessary power and heard
u urged in eloquent terms the floor of the Assembly
OF this State during the last session. that the Police
Commissioners were powerless to reform the Depart
ment without it, IL not granted and we have since
that time made honest and determined efforts ferret
out the truth. The Committee on Crime has given
valuable stsnce by furnishing testimony inaccessible
us, and we have without delay placed trial prom
officers OF the force. regret that Commissioner
Smith has not seen cit of late to attend these trials and
manifested little interest in the proceedings to
tain the truth He could have famiarized himself with
much valuable information The police force is not be-
",
1t is growing better day by day and II continue 10
grow better if Commissioner Smith instead of INDUCING
in gterng generalities and mpugning the motives and
conduct OF his colleagues will cooperate in purgng the
department OF corruption and dishonesty Nothing has
been brought out by the Committee on Crime which
shows that the present Board has been
public interests, and hope that such legislation viii be
recommended as viii enable the Board Of Police TO
thoroughly purify the force
WHEN THE PUN BRGAN.
When Dsbecker ceased speaking General Smith arose
from his seat as if he were disengaging corkscrew
id-NBeiOrC q
in regard reports that have been attributed to
me- did not intend the other day to say that there
honest on the police force of this city.
that my remarks have been tortured 70 make
n annear tlrt leveled INV cepsure against the whole
force, individually and collectively. In regard TO what
formed the subject of my remarks last Saturday. de-
sire say that the rules which handed in by
on the 4th of juno were by no means the
ultimately determined upon by this Board You will
remember how my amendments were fought over, line
by line, in committee and finally the I'd of July
cast aside by the Board There plenty time
for the Commissioners TO get all the information they
wanted regarding the efficacy OF these amendments and
they should not have put themselves in the position of
voting for rules that they Immediately sought TO be
done.
''Last Tuesday week ago introduced a resolution
that thought should commend itself TO the and
consideration of the Board / very we'll imagine
that member of the Board on reflection, might
have deemed rule Objectionable in favor of which he
had previously voted and refuse to give his assent
afterward to the adoption Of that rule"
General Smith went on to explain that he was not
so opposed 10 the Board, either individually or
collectively but he could not get over the
To prove this he advanced several instances. He
lated how one morning he was called into the Presi-
DENTS and there he met the other members of the
Board and from the they pursued he justi
fed in thinking that there was
A HOSTILE COMBINATION
against him the Board. When he called the Com
mittee Rules together he found other amendments
10 the rules than his substituted, and that all the
work TO which he had given the earnest labor Of months
utterly Ignored and cast aside He looked upon this
thing personal combination against himself and he
would not stand any combination and had made up his
mind TO break IT,
Commissioner Smith had 30 far spoken in a syren
strain There was no anger in the tones of his voice
He spoke like well educated fruit of West Point-an
officer Of the United States Army proud Of the dstinc-
ton an aristocrat by virtue of that very position and
he spoke without notes and in low conversational
tone but with the clear meaning that the men whom no
was addressing were not worth preparing for. He
looked acted, spoke and bore himself from the be-
ginning TO the end Of the dayis proceedings in the
strangest possible Not that he crazy but
certainly il might have been expected from who
had been appointed to position OF S. 900 year that
with prospect so gttering he might at
least behave himself decorousy and be subservent TO
such distinguished men as Matsel and Disbecker Not
a bit Of 1t. This General Smith, this Obstreperous
officer Of the army would insist ON speaking the truth
and telling
that he was weak and inefficient old fool and telling
small insignificant waf-by the blindest accident
tumbed into position which should be reserved for
worth and ability alone Smith was in earnest and he
continued iolows:-"After the election OF
Treasurer Disbecker came to me and said
that Commissioner voorhs was not to
the position of President and all that These
tons with Mr.. Dsbecker unsougH and undesired
looked upon them efforts TO prejudice against
voorhs There a meeting held shortly afterward
Commissioner Disbecker to my and asked
me questions about the meeting. He said the Mayors
choice for President OF the Board me- and that he
would vote for for several reasons naming
them. ! told him that had already informed the
Mayor that | would not accept the situation
under any circumstances After that Dsbecker went
say that he had endeavored to seek my confidence
and that | always repealed him. He announced him
would pull the papers of him. told him was not
able TO pull the papers either Oh or on him. that did
his support that did not want the position
and there an end OF it. clearly aterward that
there array against and could only conclude
that a majority governed in the Board there
for me in it. They could make it unpleasant that
could longer feel any comfort in acting with them
With this Commissioner Smith sat down, as cool and
unconcerned If ne sitting his tent on the Upper
Missouri after defeating invasion OF the Sioux
Indians.
TIRE LITTLE PUSSY DIsBECKRR
tried 10 respond 10 the arragnment and turned paer
still though stu maintaining the impudent front with
which he started
say and responsible for all have said but would
like explanation hess ingenious than Commissioner
Smith has offered as to what he meant by saying
wanted Price | say that man filling his
position has right 10 indulge in these reflections upon
his fellow members He gives out the notion that
have been looking for price, and then this price, he
calls it. turns out to be the pulling Of the papers of
General Smith has not the power to 'pulr' any papers
OF me, and deny that ever made such request Of
him.
Commissioner SMITH meant what I said, and sc
your words
Here the should have properly broken ont, but
IL did not smith, who spoke in a tone of voice mild
enough for nursery and with certain Ha'rets that
very amusing to disinterested hearers stood up
again and reiterated the statement that Disbecker
wanted him TO ''pull or the newspapers" as
the sine qua OF his giving him his support
Smith finally fell into his lazy chair with expression
Of utter disgust at being drawn into controversy with
person like Disbecker and then mp the venerable
Maisel He said he didn't think he had anything to
say but he believed General smith told the truth and
now as they at IT, he would say that he quite
willing to resign his position. He Mayor Wickhan,
and the Mayor said 10 him that he found fault with the
whole Commission. He wanted Mr. Smith made Pres
ident and things properly conducted. 81
wilhug,n said Mr.. Mase, 60 abdicate my
position and the why didn't
tell you three gentlemen about what occurred
between me and the Mayor because / felt you
already OF II and that you would just only goat
over the when you heard It, uaughter) As ~
the bond General Smith speaks of existing between
me and nLhAr mamhorE OF tho hoard entirny