The New York herald., 1875-08-22
THE ACCUSED COMMISSIONERS.
WHAT THE POLITICIANS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT

WHAT THE POLITICIANS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
THE CHARGES -uNE THEY cor 70 STEP
DOWN AND OUT BEFORE ELECTION DAY
There wns but httle discussion among the politicians
yesterday Of the charges preferred by MI Townsend
against Police Commissioners Matsel Disoecker and
voorhis The general opinion seemed to be that the
lawyer had not made the best use possible OF the mate
rial he had on hand aad that, although 10 Is morally
certain that the lahofs OF the legislative Committee on
Crime Judging rom the ugly facts Of the mlsmanasc-
nent OF the police force and TIE corruption that II has
engendered among
AND ALIKE,
which they have already unearthed win be crystallzed
in very damaging report against the Police Board,
Mr. Townsend has done much 70 weaken The case
against them in advance by the riyaltes that he has
dragged into his charges They believe too that his
action viii be condemned by the committee. iuasmuch
as being their counsel he should have waited until
!hey had finished their work before acting
he has. However, Mr. Townsend's friends
eLlu that he preferred the charges as a. individual
and the counsel of The committee and cannot
be held accountable for anything he has done n the
matter by the committee stll though the politicians
seem to regret tlat the charges had not been held
back until all that the general public already
acquainted with that is terribly damaging against
OFFICE
OF the three Commissioners in question could have been
part them they consider thar they viii serve
Me purpose Of keeping the attention Of the public fixed
apon the Investigations Of the committee during tho
coming month am that they win act as good entering
wedge for damaging charges that wiz oiiow the
Adjournment Of the Legislative Committee. In the
opinion OF the democrats Mr. Townsend's charges
quito sufficient To show that the three
men are totally unit for Office and that the very fact
that the more SERIOUS charges, stripped Of the tryla
TIL. I'm Nh ~ a.
arraisnmcnt are patent everybody who has kept the
run OF the legislative investigation and that they defy
disprooc is enough condemn the accused in the eyes
, of the public They assert that the Police Board has
BEcoNx a BYwoRp
with the patrolmen and that majority Of the captains
and scrgcants have the hcarcst contempt for its
sumcd knowledge OF the police business It because
Of This they say, that Generalization riot n
the force and that the subordnaics feel in a
measure that they do pretty much
they please in Sinking duty ana Justified IN
making hay while the sun shines N every conccva
they declare, been led to believe tat they many
little things in their precinct that when they get
order 10 shut up gambling house or di~Ordcrly
house they shut il up one night only TO let everything
90 ful blast the next "Thc dca, p SAID a demo
cratic Alderman ycse rdgy ''of Police Board tryngtO
reform the force BY transferring captain rom one pre-
einct another! They ind that he has been violating
the rules of the Board; that he has been
MAKING MONEY
N some precinct and carrying things with such high
hand that his victims begin make an outcry. and
Ilen they straightway order him in command Of an
other part of the citv instead Of putting him on trial
Rnd dismissing him at once
One Of the strongest points, the democrats think
which the charges make against the three Commission
crs and which they believe the Mayor easily
overlook Is the iuc that after they, as they say they
did had ordered all panel houses to b. shut up and their
proprietors arrested these nusances were ''run'' in
many OF the precincts Tor weeks Ut time and yet the
captains not called to account FOR their disobcdc
Besides they assert that one OF the strongest evidences
oil the inchcency ot the Board that they did
sarth the wrongdongs OF the police which the Legisla
ave Committee on Crime has already done with not
one-tcnh the means or opportunity at its command to
get ut the bottom OF the villanes that the Police Board
have
The republicans stiu persist, they did when they
first heard what the charges were that they all put
up Tor effect and with view, If possible OF getting rid
Of the three Commissioners before election day so thai
the democrats can obtain absolute
CONTROL oP THE ELECTION BUREAU
and all the machinery OF the police election day. The
stranget thing about the view taken Of the charges by
the republican politicians far as could be scertaned
without any additional charges being made
against the accused they Will be removed,
and they 60, Of them, far 10 say
that the charges preferred with the understanding
beforehand that they would be declared all sufficient
Tor the removal OF the Commissioners and that Cover
nor Iden Is as anxious 10 get d OF them as any other
democrat; that the charges might possibly be- sup
plemented by other and stronger accusations based
upon the revelations made at the trials OF Captains Bur
den, Williams and McCulOch; but thar their removal
was a certainty in month or two, anyhow
II may be stated just here that since the charges
made error has crep into the minds Of many other
wise well informed people thai u the Mayor con
siders the charges serious enough 10 Justify Their
dismissal he remove them at The dill
Guilty that ensued between him aud the Gov
ernor as TO the removal OF Corporation Counsel
Smith ought to be sufficient remind every one that
the charter does not allow the Mayor To remove u
subordinate official except the approval OF the Gov
Again, rum0rcd yesterday that the Mayor
aad at once, receiving the charges. transmitted them
the Governor. This could be- ior the charter eN-
pressy provides that while the Mayor may remove
cause any head Oi department Commissioner he
Aot do until the Official has had opportunity to
,e heard, and the Mayor besides. obliged. when lie
does remove any Commissioner 10 send hs reasons
lhe removal To the Governor IN writing So II Will be
een that the story that the Mayor had the charges
% the Governor s absurdty its face What
lction the Mayor will take IN relation them time
alone can tell Il have read them yet 5" said he
yesterday; but viii read them carefully when do"