The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-11


to make the payments agreeably to the Mayors
suggestion and in conformity with the charter
amendment. All went along snugly until the
other day, when the May payments were due,
Then to his surprise the Mayor received batch
of some six hundred warrants in a lump, for his
signature, being the monthly wages of the mem
bers of the fire department. They were seEt
over from the Comptroller's office with note,
stating that the innovation had been made on
written representations of the President of the
Fire Department that the force was incon-
vepienced by the present method. The letter
making those representations was dated three
weeks before, but no intimation of the sub
ject had been conveyed to the mayor. Now,
quite independently of the question whether
any change should be made, and if so, what
kind of a change, it was clearly a requirement
of courtesy, If not of good faith that the
Mayor should have been consulted about it.
And that is just where the Comptroller is at
fault. Because there have been some sharp
passages between the Mayor and himself, and
an occasional display of sarcasm on the one
hand and acerbity ON the other, he allows his
feelings to betray him into line of conduct
which savors strongly Of rudeness
The worst effect of these little side perform
anees is that they disturb the harmony OF q
system which depends for its efficacy on the
unity Of all its parts. The Mayor and Comp
troller acting in concert, and governed as we
have a right to assume they are. by laudable
motives, have it in their power to protect New
York from great deal of pillage. The treas
ury Is the key to the position and not a dollar
can be got from it without their joint sanction.
If it were desirable to have deadlock it might
be all very we'll that there should be estrange-
ment between the two officials whose names
are necessary to the withdrawal of funds. But
tha. is thing neither to be wished nor per-
mitted The people want all just and reasona-
BILE claims liquidated promptly and fully. They
do not approve of unnecessary ploerastination
nor of unavaing litigation. At the same
time they do not believe in the indiscriminate
recognition and settlement of all sorts OF ae-
counts without examination or voucher
There is very little doubt that the Mayors
view of the warrant-signing formalty will be
c,ncided ia by business men with great unan
unity The executive signature should mean
something. Besides there are better things for
capable chief magistrate to be doing all the
time than writing his name as an idle form.
LII IaC6 Lne DuSlu6SS uOtS uOb COmpOiA WIN
dignity of the position. The corporation of
New York embraces larger constituency than
half the states in the Union, and the function
ary at its head has place of much higher
responsibility and power than is found in sew
eral of the kingdoms and priDcipalities OF con-
tnental Europe. That he should be continu-
ally doing the work of mere scrivener is re-
pugnant alike to the pride and dscernmeLt OF
an intelligent community. The Mayor took his
stand on the question at the beginning OF the
term, and it is natural that he should be strong
ly d;sincned to recede from it,
The discussion to which this episode in mu-
nicipal affairs is likely to give rise may take a
wider range than it has before solution is
reached. The present mode of paying the
monthly salaries is certainly open to grave OBJ
lection. A paymaster starts from the county
court house in the early part of each month
with travelling bag full of bank notes, frac-
tional currency and nickel coin. He perambu-
lates the city, distributing his funds to each
individual fireman in sixty-six patrol stations
The chances are Infinitely greater that in some
of these trips he may be waylaid and robbed,
by some of The prowling tramps who know
very we'll that he is on his travels and what he
carries, than that any one of the sixty fore
men should lose his place, his character and
his liberty by attempting an embezzement,
| the detection of which would be certain and
| speedy. The protest of the President OF the
Department against this mode of payment is
perfectly Ineligible The men receive notice
| that the paymaster is on his way, and they
| await his coming sometimes hours, and occa-
sionally day or two elapses between the time
of the notice and the arrival. Now the fore
men could hand them the money, see it
counted, and take receipts In very short time.
cannot for the life of me see why that is not
the easiest, simplest and most practicable mode
of treating the matter.
Meantime the warrants in all their formid-
able bulk lie unsigned and the fremen remain
unpaid For the waIt of a little affability, a
disposition to be obliging OH the part of an
officer whose uprightness nobody disputes and
whose services many highly commend, great
wrong and hardship is inflicted on q numerous
| body of deserving public servants.
am thoroughly wearied of the Brooklyn
| trial because of its tedious proongation. The
case is undergoing review in the newspapers
| now, an2 among the editorial jury it is quite
| evident there will be no agreement. Bowen
came upon the stand and neither said nor i'm
| piled anything that will in the slightest degree
impair his claim TO be considered the very
chief of sneaks, which no human being in
Brooklyn will undertake to gainsay. His story
strongly sustains the theory universally held
among the numerous friends of Mr.. Beecher
that his name was the theme of gossiping
tongues for seven years before Tilton's Jealousy
gave form and substance to the tattle; and that
Bowen received the sacrament an hundred
| sabbaths from the hands of pastor whom he
spent the week days in defaming. Take them
| for all ir all the characters in this drama are
sm generis. Mrs. Tilton comes home from an
absense and estrangment from her husband to
WOO him back by confession of adultery!
Mr.. Tilton apparently forgets all about the
little circumstance until six months afterward
when he asks an interview with the offender
for the purpose of mentioning it to him! This
is done in the presence of aparticular friend Of
the accuser, who has never had any acquant-
ance with the accused before, but on discover
ing that he has seduced the wife of his friend
instantly becomes violently attached to him,
introduces him to his own wife and tenders
him with ELUSIVE ardor the fireside and hospi-
talities of his own home! The scandal being
after long lapse brought into notoriety, is
traced with the utmost distinctness to man
who has been all the while sitting in one of
| the most conspicuous pews in Plymouth
Church. bringing his family with him, ald re-
ceiying spiritual instruction from the uncon-
soious object of his diabolical malignity If
| such characters were painted in fiction We
| should reject them as having no trace nor
| semblance of human nature. Whatever ver-
| dict may be rendered by the jury of twelve
| inside the court room or the larger jury out
| side, the world win be unanimous in pronounc-
| ing the originator of the scandal guilty.
| YARMOUTH.
| News and Other items.
| Ten thousand dollars have been contributed to-